Everyone hears about reducing inflammation because it’s a
bad thing; however, that’s an absolute statement and, as always, there is
another side to consider. Is excessive or chronic inflammation bad? Yes,
excessive or chronic inflammation are not something to be desired, but as the
same time inflammation is a crucial process for healing and recovering. Let’s
take a closer look at the benefits of inflammation and see how they relate to
training and recovery.
There are three stages to the healing process: the
inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling phases. The three phases must flow
in that order to promote proper healing. You need each of the phases for
healing, and inflammation is the first key step towards recovery.
Every time you train, you cause micro damage your muscles.
The soreness that you feel afterwards is called DOMS (delayed onset muscle
soreness), and I’ve discussed it in my post 2 Myths, the Truth, and How to Deal with Muscle Soreness. The training itself is merely the stimulus
through which you tap into your body’s natural growth-inducing mechanisms. The
only thing training does is create damage, from which the body then needs to
recover. This is where inflammation occurs. If you prevent inflammation from
occurring, by taking an anti-inflammatory, for example, then your body’s
healing process will be hindered. On a micro level, you need inflammation to
occur, but NOT excessively. After inflammation, your body can enter the
proliferation and remodeling phases of the healing cycle, where bigger and
stronger muscles are built.
Training is more than sets, reps, and trying to make yourself
as sore, beaten up, and as tired as possible. An understanding of the
physiology that is actually going on is equally important to get the results
you desire. Depending on what type of training stimulus you use, you can cause
different physiological effects to occur in your muscles and your body. That’s
a topic for a different day though. To boil it down to simplicity: train hard
and smart, and recover well.
For consultation/personal training/coaching inquiries email:
ryangoodell@weightsandstuff.com
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