Why do muscles ache after exercise?

Nowadays, many people pay more attention to exercise and health preservation. Especially in the park, you can often see people adopting various fitness methods. However, many people find that they always have muscle soreness after exercise. Some people even give up exercise halfway because of muscle soreness and cannot persist for a long time. So why do muscle soreness occur after exercise? What is the reason?

It is generally believed that muscle soreness is related to energy metabolism within the muscles. If you participate in a football game, the muscles in your whole body, especially your leg muscles, will contract violently while running quickly. Muscle contraction requires energy, which is supplied by substances within the muscles.

There are two types of changes in muscle tissue: anaerobic metabolism and aerobic metabolism. In anaerobic metabolism, energy-supplying substances in the muscles break down, releasing energy for muscle contraction and producing lactic acid. During oxidation, lactic acid is oxidized into water and carbon dioxide, and lactic acid oxidation also releases energy. However, only a small portion of the lactic acid is oxidized, and the remaining lactic acid is converted back into glycogen in the liver.

People who lack regular exercise and only occasionally participate in strenuous exercise cannot eliminate the lactic acid in time and accumulate in the muscles due to insufficient blood supply and lack of oxidation. Because excessive lactic acid stimulates the chemical receptors in the muscles and increases the osmotic pressure, the muscle tissue absorbs more water and produces local swelling, which makes the muscles feel sore. This phenomenon is not a big deal and will disappear after a few days.

As can be seen from the above, muscle soreness is a normal reaction of the body. Generally speaking, people who lack exercise will experience muscle soreness after strenuous exercise. You can use hot compresses to relieve the soreness. If muscle soreness occurs, as long as you treat it normally, it will generally disappear automatically after a few days. There is no need to make a fuss.