The laces They are a phenomenon well known to anyone who plays sports or exercises. They are those annoying companions that accompany us after the first sessions, after a vacation or, sometimes, after slightly more intense or different workouts in which muscles that are not normally stimulated are worked.
Although this type of discomfort has popularly been related to the perception of a well-executed effort, coach Borja Yus partially denies that theory. «If you feel sore after training, you are not training well«says the expert, who asks us if having stiffness really means something positive. «If this were so, our goal would have to be to achieve those stiffness after all the training, right?» he questions. This is how he argues his theory.
What are laces
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As the trainer explains, soreness is «that muscle pain that can appear after training,» and whose manifestation follows a clear temporal pattern. Thus, it ensures that, normally, they are usually noticed «after 8 to 10 hours» after finishing the exercise session, «reaching its maximum peak at 48 hours».
The coach also points out that the appearance of soreness is not always a direct reflection of the success of the training or a well-executed effort, but «they can appear for a multitude of reasons.» A common example is when something new is introduced into the routine: «If you start training now or you change your training routine and do new exercisesmost likely you have soreness,» says the expert. In these cases, the presence of pain is due more to the novelty or change than to progress in training.
«Commonly It has been believed that this pain is indicative that the training has been effective and that, therefore, we will gain muscle and progress,» says the coach. Thus, this widespread belief leads the coach to question the logic of sports planning. «Is it good to have soreness?» he asks us.
Why are they not necessary?
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Although «there are people who consider soreness as one of the best indicators that the training has been effective,» the expert warns that «this is not entirely true.» In fact, he emphasizes that «excessive damage can affect performance and recovery.
The question Yus addresses is whether pain is a requirement to consider that the training has been performed correctly and is effective. «Do we need to be sore to have trained well and gain muscle?«, questions the expert, whose answer is emphatic: «The answer is no. «It’s not necessary to have them.»
From time to time they are positive
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However, he clarifies that although laces are not necessary, they are not an indication of failure when they occur occasionally. «From time to time it is normal to suffer them,» says the coach, who indicates that The real key to measuring the effectiveness of training is in the intensityand not in the presence of pain.
Likewise, Yus highlights that the total absence of pain can be an indicator of problems in training planning. «The fact that you never have tightness may indicate that your intensity is insufficient»he states. In these cases, Borja Yus’ recommendation is to review the effort: «If you never suffer from them, review your intensity.» The objective, then, is not to look for them, but to ensure that the intensity of the exercise is adequate to achieve progression without excessive muscle damage.