We’ve all been there – we’ve taken time off training, then gone back into the gym and gone hard, thinking we can lift what we lifted before the break. Or we’ve upped the training load to “crazy” in the pursuit of a new goal (Ironman, anyone?) only to wake up the next morning unable to walk.
And day two? Forget about going down stairs, or trying to sit on the loo.
Muscle soreness, specifically, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) has affected almost every athlete we have ever met, in one form or another – but what causes this?
A little medical info…
There are, in general, three types of pain related to exercise:
1) Pain during or immediately following exercise:
This is commonly believed to result from lactic acid build up, however, evidence suggests that it is not the only factor (no single factor has ever been identified).
2) Delayed onset muscle soreness:
DOMS develops 24-48 hours after strenuous exercise biased toward eccentric (muscle lengthening) muscle actions or strenuous endurance events (like a 70.3 Ironman event or a marathon). The exact cause of the soreness is not known but thought to involve an inflammatory reaction to the damage.
3) Pain induced by muscle cramps:
Fluid electrolyte imbalance may cause cramps if there is profuse, prolonged, fluid losses through sweating such as caused by endurance training in warm environments (of course we know this is not the only cause of cramps either… simply pushing too hard can induce them!)
Each is type of pain is characterized by a different time course and different cause, set of causes, or manner of causation but each can be somewhat mitigated by the right hydration methods.
Why hydration is the key to giving DOMS the flick…
When your sports hydration is on point, you should experience a reduction in muscle soreness during and after intense sessions, as your body will have ready access to the right amount of fuel to power your engine.
To put it simply… if you become dehydrated during exercise your blood pressure lowers, which reduces blood flow to your muscles, which in turn increases the risk of inflammation and muscle injury. Along with that you will have reduced muscle endurance, strength and power – none of which you want to be dealing with during training or racing!
How have we specifically created Bindi to address the issue of DOMS?
We developed Bindi Natural Sports Hydration to help you achieve your goals, faster. By providing you with adequate hydration, Bindi helps you:
- Increase performance by 55% with our proven Maltodextrin and Fructose complex carb mix
- Digest and quickly absorb the electrolytes you need
- Maintain adequate salt levels as it contains higher salt levels to match Australian conditions
- Ensure your potassium and magnesium levels are right for nerve and muscle function
