Do doms get worse with age?

Supercell

Yes, another doms thread!
Don't believe this aspect of them has been discussed before so bare with me.

When I was in my late teens and early 20's I hit the gym pretty regularily and could exercise to the point of pain (not sure if it was lactic buildup or doms' esque) which rapidly subsided a few hours after the gym.

These days while I can exercise to the point of pain the doms are with me all the time and badly except on days off when they recede pretty rapidly.

I'm currently following this 4 day split program and am only pain free on the morning of day 6 before I hit the weights again.

I dunno whether I need to warm up better or perhaps exercise with slightly less intensity. Must admit being sore all over most days is loosing its appeal.

I'm not close to being a fit a I was in the past which is why I'm persisting - i'm hoping that my metabolism is slowly speeding up and eventually will get back on track and recover close to a fast as it used to.
My memories of exercising then were far more cardio (I was cycling mad) with only a couple of weight sessions a week.
Cardio these days is sorely lacking which is something I'm starting to address (going to focus on cardio shortly with much less lifting) just to change things around for a month or two.

Is it however due to my age ..I'm closer to 40 than 30 these days so perhaps this leaves me more vulnerable to dom's ?

Anyone care to speculate about age or cardio/weight balance effecting dom's intensity?

BossArky

tbh I don't know. Are you eating well before and after your workouts?

Not getting the right stuff into your body after a tough workout will leave you weak and sore for longer.

celestial

Supercell wrote: »

Yes, another doms thread!
Don't believe this aspect of them has been discussed before so bare with me.

When I was in my late teens and early 20's I hit the gym pretty regularily and could exercise to the point of pain (not sure if it was lactic buildup or doms' esque) which rapidly subsided a few hours after the gym.

These days while I can exercise to the point of pain the doms are with me all the time and badly except on days off when they recede pretty rapidly.

I'm currently following this 4 day split program and am only pain free on the morning of day 6 before I hit the weights again.

I dunno whether I need to warm up better or perhaps exercise with slightly less intensity. Must admit being sore all over most days is loosing its appeal.

I'm not close to being a fit a I was in the past which is why I'm persisting - i'm hoping that my metabolism is slowly speeding up and eventually will get back on track and recover close to a fast as it used to.
My memories of exercising then were far more cardio (I was cycling mad) with only a couple of weight sessions a week.
Cardio these days is sorely lacking which is something I'm starting to address (going to focus on cardio shortly with much less lifting) just to change things around for a month or two.

Is it however due to my age ..I'm closer to 40 than 30 these days so perhaps this leaves me more vulnerable to dom's ?

Anyone care to speculate about age or cardio/weight balance effecting dom's intensity?

Well first of all, the 'exercise to the point of pain' that you mentioned is a bit concerning - what do you mean by pain exactly? As in you feel you've overdone it, or strained something..? You don't need to feel pain to be working hard!

How long are you doing weights, since you started back? If it hasn't been long DOMS will be worse at the start, before you get accustomed to it. The longer you continue to lift, the harder it is to get DOMS. That's what I've found anyway.

How is your technique/form on lifts? Have you had those in the know observe you lift to check form?

IMO age shouldn't be an issue. Once you are exercising correctly and building up and not overdoing it shouldn't be a factor really.

Supercell

celestial wrote: »

Well first of all, the 'exercise to the point of pain' that you mentioned is a bit concerning - what do you mean by pain exactly? As in you feel you've overdone it, or strained something..? You don't need to feel pain to be working hard!

How long are you doing weights, since you started back? If it hasn't been long DOMS will be worse at the start, before you get accustomed to it. The longer you continue to lift, the harder it is to get DOMS. That's what I've found anyway.

How is your technique/form on lifts? Have you had those in the know observe you lift to check form?

IMO age shouldn't be an issue. Once you are exercising correctly and building up and not overdoing it shouldn't be a factor really.

Well exercise to pain I mean that it starts to hurt in a soft deep kind of way to do any more reps - ie time to quit pain not damaged pain

Regarding how long being back ..I dunno about 8 months on and off , I completely relate to the harder to get dom's experience that was me too!!

Form is definitely questionable, I'm using ExRx as my guide as I rent this place by myself, though I try really really hard to maintain good form.

I reckon I'm still a long way off my 20's fitness which is probably root cause for the bad doms .
New month new routine coming soon, May is cardio month (will still do weights at least twice weekly).

I need a break from the dom's truth be told.

Hanley

What sorta sets/reps are you doing Longfield? (you'll ALWAYS be Longfield to me.)

Supercell

Hanley wrote: »

What sorta sets/reps are you doing Longfield? (you'll ALWAYS be Longfield to me.)

Hehe, there will always be a bit of the countryside in me

I work in sets of 5 reps starting low weight and going upwards until I can't complete a set of 5 then I do sets of 4 , 3 , 2 at increasing weight then go back to 5's until my arms/shoulders or legs feel wobbly of knackered.

I have noticed that increased protein intake helps recovery too, have taken to snacking on chicken fillets.

Hanley

And are you something post workout? Shake or food like?

I'm guessing those lifts are to failure?

celestial

Supercell wrote: »

Hehe, there will always be a bit of the countryside in me

I work in sets of 5 reps starting low weight and going upwards until I can't complete a set of 5 then I do sets of 4 , 3 , 2 at increasing weight then go back to 5's until my arms/shoulders or legs feel wobbly of knackered.

I have noticed that increased protein intake helps recovery too, have taken to snacking on chicken fillets.

Sounds like you could just be plain old overdoing it, esp if you're lifting til you can't do any more and failing on the last rep..

cowzerp

There is plenty of factors involved and 1 important 1 is Age! as you get older you recovery slows down, this is due to hormones and your bodies ability to repair itself, it will do it but it takes longer..
Other factors are, training,
nutrition before and after,
Rest and recovery=sleep
there is lots more but these are some of the main 1's.
PS, im 28 and dont recover anything like i did when i was 25, you just have to change aspects of training and recovery etc..

Supercell

Hanley wrote: »

And are you something post workout? Shake or food like?

I'm guessing those lifts are to failure?

Post workout is usually a shake with two scoops and a couple of precooked chicken fillets, sometime I chop up veg before weights as I'm always far to wrecked to do that afterwards and have a stirfty but thats the odd occasion not the norm.

celestial wrote: »

Sounds like you could just be plain old overdoing it, esp if you're lifting til you can't do any more and failing on the last rep..

Well its almost failure..I stop when the last rep had to be ground out from the depths of hell. Though have had a few chest skinners..

cowzerp wrote: »

There is plenty of factors involved and 1 important 1 is Age! as you get older you recovery slows down, this is due to hormones and your bodies ability to repair itself, it will do it but it takes longer..
Other factors are, training,
nutrition before and after,
Rest and recovery=sleep
there is lots more but these are some of the main 1's.
PS, im 28 and dont recover anything like i did when i was 25, you just have to change aspects of training and recovery etc..

Yep, I reckon its a combination of em all, suspect I just gotta accept i'm not in my late teens /early twenties anymore, doesnt mean I can't get good results though.

I think nutrition immediately pre and post workout is an area I could improve on though which may help.

celestial

Yup, but don't focus too much on age - read bout this guy instead and drop and give us 50! 94 years old and still exercising for two hours a day...amazing stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne

figs86

Supercell wrote: »

Yes, another doms thread!
exercise to the point of pain (not sure if it was lactic buildup or doms' esque) which rapidly subsided a few hours after the gym.

hate to be such a nerd (but i study sports science in college)

- common misconception that its the build up of lactic acid or lactate that causes pain, its not, its a build up of hydrogen ions in the use of energy which causes muscle cell pH to become acidic and this stimulates free nerve endings which cause you pain

just thought that should be pointed out because most people think its lactic acid/lactate too - i know i did

woohoo i learned something in 2 years of college!

Hanley

figs86 wrote: »

hate to be such a nerd (but i study sports science in college)

- common misconception that its the build up of lactic acid or lactate that causes pain, its not, its a build up of hydrogen ions in the use of energy which causes muscle cell pH to become acidic and this stimulates free nerve endings which cause you pain

just thought that should be pointed out because most people think its lactic acid/lactate too - i know i did

woohoo i learned something in 2 years of college!

And how does one prevent this from happening science boy???

HINT: It'll help make you buff

Supercell

figs86 wrote: »

hate to be such a nerd (but i study sports science in college)

- common misconception that its the build up of lactic acid or lactate that causes pain, its not, its a build up of hydrogen ions in the use of energy which causes muscle cell pH to become acidic and this stimulates free nerve endings which cause you pain

just thought that should be pointed out because most people think its lactic acid/lactate too - i know i did

woohoo i learned something in 2 years of college!

Erm ok well science guy do you have a solution to the "hydrogen ions" pain eh?

figs86

i debated posting that, sorry for my efforts!

ehh well more training to the point where you create lactic acid (respiring anaerobically) makes your body more efficient for the next time
- same for pH balance, regular training to these points where you feel pain from muscle exertion will make your body more efficient in restoring balance

logically, muscle mass is reduced naturally as we grow older so you could be feeling more pain as there is more acid per mass of muscle = more concentrated = more pain

besides regular training?

taking protein after training - aids recovery

or,
oral contraceptives
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0010782497000930

Hanley

I woulda just said a buffer like beta alanine or something....