Each week, I ask a question about a common running science myth. Answer correctly and you'll be entered into the weekly raffle.
That burning, heavy-legs feeling you get 24-48 hours after a hard workout is caused by what?
A. Residual lactic acid still pooled in the muscles 🧪🤕 (23.6%)
B. Microtears in muscle fibers, triggering an inflammatory repair response 🔬💪 (64.9%)
C. Dehydration from the hard session reducing cellular water volume 💧📉 (5.8%)
D. Nerve fatigue — the brain’s pain receptors become hypersensitive 🧠⚡ (5.8%)
Why this is right
Lactate clears within an hour or two after exercise — it's long gone by the time soreness peaks. DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) is microscopic muscle damage, mostly from eccentric loading, that triggers the repair cascade. Lactic acid has nothing to do with it.
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