Reader Lilian L. asks: Ever since I (54) have been active in sport - including ten years on a racing bike - I have been getting extremely sore muscles with even the slightest unusual strain. For example, when jogging after a long break after just two five-minute sessions. However, it then only takes about two gentle running sessions before I'm no longer sore. Similarly, when hiking in summer: unathletic friends don't get sore muscles, unlike me. Do you have an explanation?
Dr Robert Eifler answers: Muscle soreness is a painful, temporary damage to muscle fibres caused by unusual, intensive movements. This causes microscopic parts of the muscle fibrils to tear. After a few hours to two days, an inflammatory reaction occurs which supports the healing process. Eccentric muscle contractions cause muscle soreness particularly easily: this refers to the passive stretching of a tense muscle, which occurs, for example, when running downhill and during all jumping movements, such as jogging. Concentric muscle activity, in which the working muscle shortens, is common for cycling.
As a result of your many years of cycling activity, your training is comparatively one-sided despite your good performance - your muscle coordination is not sufficiently developed for jogging and walking downhill. For a highly trained cyclist, even a 50 metre sprint on the road can lead to sore muscles! It is also typical that after a few training sessions in other sports, no more muscle soreness follows because, like a vaccination, it lasts for several weeks, even without further training. Timely application of heat and light concentric training (cycling!) help to alleviate the pain, under no circumstances massages. Strength training of the whole body and fitness gymnastics help to prevent pain.
