Fitness
Moderators: melkor



Does Muscle Soreness Cause Temporary Weight Gains?


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Does DOMS correlate to temporary weight gains in any way?  I've been noticing a weight increase a day or two after a serious (or completely new) workout that causes muscle soreness... I'm diligent about tracking my calories and my sodium, so I know it's neither of those.  Here's something I read about DOMS:

[...Many studies have shown that strenuous and unaccustomed exercise damages muscle cells...  The high tension associated with eccentric exercise disrupts the muscle cell membrane. Extracellular calcium then enters the muscle cell and disturbs the delicate balance of electrolytes... When tissue damage occurs, inflammatory cells called neutrophils infiltrate the muscle and cause inflammation. More inflammatory cells called macrophages move in to clean up and remove the cellular debris. A second wave of macrophages then comes in to assist the repair procedure, along with stress proteins. Inflammation is a necessary process in the healing of tissue. As the inflammatory process runs its course, muscle fibers are repaired and become stronger. As the muscle becomes stronger, this process may even prevent subsequent damage.]

So, could the "extracellular calcium" and "inflammatory cells" cause a temporary fluctuation on the scale?

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In my experience I've seen a slight weight gain in the few days after a difficult strength training session, but I mostly see the difference in how my clothes fit.  They're much tighter!  Both side effects eventually even out after the muscles begin to heal and you're no longer retaining water.
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