EXERCISE
RECOVERY
TO REST OR NOT TO REST
Summer is near, time to kick up the exercise routine a notch
and get in shape for swimsuit season. You have the greatest
workout of your life, only to wake up the next day feeling
like your training session took place in a UFC octagon
rather than the local gym. “No pain, no gain” right?
Delayed onset of muscle soreness from exercise, better known as DOMS,
is a real thing, and a real important concept to understand if you have any
intentions of reaching those physical goals. While many people wear DOMS
as a badge of honor or view its absence as evidence that they do not push
hard enough, the reality is that soreness is a very poor indicator of muscular
adaptation and can result in a condition simply referred to as overtraining.
Exercise breaks down muscle tissue; contrary to popular belief, that pain
you feel isn’t actually weakness leaving your body, but microtears in the
affected tissue. Through rest and proper nutrition those torn muscle fibers
and the accompanying connective tissue repair, growing bigger, stronger,
and more resilient through a process known as hypertrophy. Muscular
adaptation does not occur while you are lifting weights or logging those
miles on the treadmill; it transpires when you are resting. Knowing your
body, understanding when enough is enough, and taking steps to properly
recover is one of the keys of continual progression.
Exercising too much, too hard, or when you have not fully recovered can
push your body’s stress responses too far, with possibly disastrous results.
Not only can overtraining hinder performance and result in a catabolic state,
(where your body is actually breaking down muscle tissue in attempt to
repair itself), but there are immediate negative hormonal, immune system,
and musculoskeletal responses. Overtraining results in increased secretion
of cortisol, the “stress hormone” that is greatly correlated with weight gain
among many other negative health consequences. Overtraining can suppress
your immune system as the energy needed for proper function is redirected
to helping muscular recovery; not only are you physically sore, but you’ve
increased your risk for becoming ill. Furthermore, overtraining can result in a
chronically weakened muscular state, resulting in sprains and tears.
10 / SUMMER 2016 LIVING MAGAZINE
PRE AND POST WORKOUT ESSENTIALS
• Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex™ • Deep Blue® Rub
• Lemongrass • Cypress • Cinnamon Bark • Marjoram
• Wintergreen • AromaTouch® • dōTERRA Balance®