Eccentric Contraction

I had a cardio conditioning class at the circus center two nights ago, and now I am hurting all over. A class taught by circus folk is very different than the traditional aerobic experience: think Jane Fonda at Burning Man + steroids and a heavy-duty stimulant (she was drug free, of course, she just had way more strength, energy and spirit than your average Betty). Needless to say, I almost expired.

I was recently discussing my very sore muscles with one of my acro training partners, who also happens to be a physician's assistant. Contrary to what I've always been told and believed, she reports that the sore muscle factor has nothing to do with lactic acid. Apparently, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is caused by small tears in the muscle fibers caused by eccentric contraction (elongation of the muscle under tension due to an opposing force greater than the force of the muscle).

Exercises that involve many eccentric contractions will cause the most DOMS and thus the most pain. The pain is believed to be caused not by the damage to the cell but the muscle's response to the contraction, reinforcing itself beyond its strength by increasing the size of the muscle fibers. So the reason my calves feel swollen today is because they are. The jury is still out on whether or not to train during DOMS, and while it is always a good idea to stretch and warm-up before exercise, (and this should be of note to cirq-types) stretching on muscle soreness is not a good idea as over-stretching itself can cause DOMS. The only proven treatment so far is contrast showers, to increase circulation.

I think I'll just wait it out, thank you.