Can you still keep training when your muscles are sore? To understand this problem, we must first understand the following concepts.
1.ATP energy supply. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the only direct energy source for muscle activity. Under the catalysis of enzymes, ATP is rapidly decomposed, releasing energy for muscle contraction. There is very little ATP in muscle, which must be decomposed and synthesized at the same time to supply the needs of muscle continuous activity. There are three ways to synthesize ATP after decomposition, one is aerobic oxidation of sugar and fat, the other is decomposition of CP (creatine phosphate), and the third is anaerobic decomposition of glycogen.
Second, anaerobic metabolism. Anaerobic metabolism is an integral part of human energy metabolism. When muscles are engaged in short-term high-load exercise, the supply of oxygen is not enough for aerobic oxidation of sugar, so muscles use the energy released by CP and anaerobic decomposition of sugar to synthesize ATP for muscle exercise.
Third, the anaerobic decomposition of sugar. Anaerobic decomposition of sugar refers to the decomposition of glycogen or glucose into lactic acid under insufficient oxygen supply, and at the same time, it quickly releases energy to synthesize ATP for muscle contraction. Because CP is rarely stored in muscle, anaerobic decomposition of sugar is the main way of anaerobic metabolism for energy supply.
The metabolic product of anaerobic decomposition of sugar is lactic acid, and the feeling of muscle soreness is caused by a large accumulation of lactic acid. Lactic acid produced by anaerobic metabolism of muscle can not be converted into sugar in muscle, only a small part is oxidized, and most of it is transported from blood to liver and converted into glycogen.
As can be seen from the above, muscle soreness is inevitable after weight-bearing training. Only when lactic acid continuously enters the liver through blood circulation and is converted into glycogen will muscle soreness gradually disappear. This process is part of the recovery process after training.
Lactic acid is a strong acid. If it accumulates too much in the body, the stability of pH in the body will be destroyed, thus reducing the working ability of the body. The experience of many bodybuilders proves that if you persist in training when your muscles are sore, your muscles will not feel stimulated and it will be difficult to gain anything. Moreover, muscle soreness will make the instinctive reaction of muscles tend to reject muscle movement, so it is difficult to concentrate on training, let alone establish muscle-will contact. So it's best to wait until the muscle aches disappear before training. Although your training enthusiasm is very high and your training desire is very strong, you should understand that muscles can't grow fully without full recovery.
So, can the disappearance of muscle soreness be used as a standard for the complete recovery of the body? To understand this problem, we need to understand the concept of "recovery" first.