The causes of muscle sorness in tai chi
how to fix it and how to prevent it
In my tai chi training, I recently came across a book called Optimal Muscle Recovery by Edmund R. Burke and found some interesting ideas that we may all find helpful. The following is a brief summary of the bits I thought might be helpful to people training hard in Tai Chi.In a chapter “What causes muscle soreness?” he comes up with the following points: - "In the past, lactic acid build up was considered to be the cause of prolonged muscle fatigue and discomfort. However lactic acid is completely washed out of the muscles within sixty minutes after your exercise session (p.37)."
- Microscopic tears to the muscle fiber membranes and protein filaments and increased blood flow to the damaged area then causes swelling. He suggests moving sore muscles (rather than complete rest) to increase the circulation bringing proteins and nutrients that help repair the damaged tissues. Going back to hard training however will only increase the damage. Massage, stretching and saunas also help – that part sounds good!
- Exercise also causes an increase in the formation of free radicals which damage muscle membranes. A free radical is an atom or molecule that is short one electron making it unstable. It is usually an oxygen atom that losses an electron hence the damage is called oxidative stress. Free radicals damage muscle cell walls and are partly to blame for inflammation and muscle soreness caused by exercise.
- Ignoring sore muscles and continuing to train only causes further muscle damage.
- Prevention is better than cure – gradually increase the intensity of your training and include warm up and cool down stretching. Burke has come up with what he calls the R4 System, which aims at restoring, protecting and rebuilding muscles during and after exercise. Briefly it goes like this:
Restore Fluid and ElectrolytesThe body tells us it is thirsty when the blood volume drops and when the concentration of electrolytes increases. Drinking just water will increase the blood volume but also dilute the sodium concentrate in the blood. The body then shuts off the drive for additional fluid to preserve the concentration of sodium but this happens before the body is completely rehydrated. Hence the body needs sodium to take up more fluids. People doing Tai Chi for an hour just need water but when exercising longer especially in hot weather Burke would recommend a sports drink containing carbohydrate (sugar) and sodium. The water increases the blood volume and the sodium will facilitate the absorption of the water into the blood stream. Burke suggests drinking at least 750ml of sports drink 15 min before exercising and drink regularly throughout the exercising time. Thirst is not always a good indicator of your fluid needs so drink even if you don’t feel thirsty. He points out that people will generally drink more volume if it is flavour red than just drinking plain water. He says that for a sports drink to be effective it should contain 75mg of sodium for every 8oz (250ml approx). Gatorade and Energizer, for example, have about 110mg per 250ml so would be considered effective. Sodium is only one electrolyte. Chloride, potassium, and magnesium are necessary elements for proper muscle contraction and relaxation. Sodium and chloride are lost through sweat being found in high concentrations outside muscle cells where as potassium and magnesium are found inside muscle cells and only small amounts are lost in sweat. Potassium is included in sports drinks because depletion has been linked to muscle cramps and heat intolerance. Foods high in potassium include dairy foods, bananas (one banana has 390mg – easily replaces lost potassium), oranges, kiwi fruit, dried dates (1/2 cup 650mg). Bananas are a good source of nutrition for a quick snack on your way to your tai chi class. During prolonged intense tai chi the body uses more magnesium. Deficiency in magnesium can cause muscle fatigue. Magnesium is found in bananas, apples, brown rice, dairy foods and green leafyvegetables. It is important if you are taking a calcium supplement to watch that you increase magnesium as well. Replenish Glycogen Rapidly "Because glycogen supplies energy in the form of glucose to keep muscles working, restoring its quantities in the liver and muscles is an important factor in the optimal recovery from exercise" (p. 65). In the two hours following exercise you should eat or drink something in the “high glycemic index” (p.71) which means something sweet like honey, sports drink, raisins or bread, potatoes and rice etc. So birthday cake is good for us when we gather for tai chi and celebrate someone's birthday! Bananas, baked beans, grapes and pasta are examples of foods in the medium level on the glycemic index. In the next two to four hours we should eat another meal containing mostly carbohydrate and some protein. Reduce Muscle and Immune-System Stress This is where those free radicals come in – answer, take antioxidants, especially vitamins C and E are important to athletes. Exercise increases the production of free radicals. These highly unstable molecules can damage muscle cells. Our own Tresos B (available at our all clubs and centres)is anexcellent antioxidant with an amazing number of trace elements. Rebuild Muscle Protein The body needs protein for energy production and to build and repair muscle tissues so, when with strenuous tai chi, maybe look at the amount of protein in your diet, you may need more. Obviously there are lots more explanations in the book. I got it on the net from Amazon Books for about $18. Just a note on Edmund Burke. He is a professor and Director of the Exercise Science program at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He received his doctorate in Exercise Physiology. He was a staff member for the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Cycling Team. For more information on sports drinks I recommend going on the net. You will find differing views regarding water versus sports drinks. My own conclusion is that: - When we train hard, especially hot weather, for more than one hour we should use a sports drink containing glucose and sodium. Water is fine for less intense training lasting less than one hour, don’t go overboard on the sports drinks. Generally we are trying to reduce our salt intake so it is only when we lose sodium through sweat we need to worry.
- Bananas seem to me as being the best answer to replacing potassium and magnesium and should be eaten soon after exercising.
- A light meal containing pasta, rice, potatoes or bread and protein should be eaten afterwards and within 2 hours.
- We should take an anti oxidant multi vitamin like Tresos B.
Source: Burke, Edmund. Optimum Muscle Recovery, Avery, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc, New York, 1999. Page 37 Written by Si Jie Christine Everett, Tai Chi Senior Instructor Golden Lion Academy
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