KinkyShea’s Health and Fitness Tip of the Week

This week’s recipe blends finely chopped raw broccoli, a creamy dressing, chickpeas and sweet bell pepper.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes appropriate, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low cholesterol, low saturated fat, low sodium, heart healthy, healthy weight, high fiber, gluten free.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (or fat free crumbled feta)

¼ cup no fat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 ounces broccoli crowns, trimmed and finely chopped (about 3 cups)

1 7-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

Directions:
1. Whisk feta, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.

2. Add broccoli, chickpeas, and bell pepper. Toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition:
Per serving (1 cup): 122 calories; 3 g fat; 11mg cholesterol; 18g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 260 mg sodium.

Delayed onset muscle soreness, is the name of the stiff soreness you feel as you roll over and hit the snooze button on your alarm the morning after you’ve trained unusually hard or tried a new exercise. Some people feel there is no greater reward than soreness after a hard workout and others simply stop exercising. What everybody should know is that there is a way to prevent muscle soreness.

Exercise related muscle soreness comes in two varieties, immediate muscle soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. Immediate muscle soreness quickly dissipates and is the soreness you feel during or immediately after an exercise. Delayed onset of muscle soreness signals a natural adaptive process that the body initiates following intense exercises. It usually presents itself within 24 to 48 hours after the exercise session and decreases after 72 hours.

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the exact cause of DOMS, and the theories have been many and controversial. The most available research states the cause as being attributed to microscopic tears in the connective tissue surrounding muscle following exercise. Those who experience DOMS can include conditioned individuals who increase the intensity, frequency or duration of their workouts or participate in an activity they are not familiar with. Also, beginning exercisers, or those who have undergone a significant lapse in training, frequently experience soreness when starting a new exercise program may experience DOMS.

Studies on the best methods to alleviate DOMS are just as numerous as the studies on the cause of DOMS. Topical application of ice, massage, stretching and the usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among other methods have been tested to determine if they can prevent DOMS or are effective treatments. To date, there has been no discovery of any treatment that will prevent or decrease DOMS. Some of the therapies mentioned may have a minor impact if initiated immediately after intense or unusual exercise.

The good news is that once DOMS is induced at a specific exercise intensity, you shouldn’t experience that sensation again until intensity is increased. This is because DOMS has been shown to produce a rapid adaption response, which means that the muscles adapt to exercise intensity. Until this is changed, again, soreness won’t occur.

Soreness can be expected when starting or changing an exercise routine but there are some ways to still progress in your exercise program and help minimize or prevent DOMS. A gradual progression and conservative increases in intensity, frequency and duration helps keep the soreness at bay. A proper warm-up can also help prevent soreness following a heavy workout. Beginners should exercise with light weights, two to three times per week for one or two months then gradually build on their routine. Already conditioned individuals who want to try a new workout or sport should also begin gradually and take care not to be overzealous.

Remember, soreness can be expected when changing or starting an exercise program as your muscles adapt to the new demands being imposed upon them. However, should there be any pain beyond soreness during or after an exercise it would be wise to stop the activity and seek an evaluation from a physician or health care provider to ensure that no injuries are present. As always, check with your physician before starting or changing your exercise routine.

Until next week…

KinkySheaPT
G. Nicole Shea, B.S., ACSM-CPT