Pain

"The Role of Pain in Training"



Too many times than I can remember I have heard people say, "No pain, no gain", probably not even knowing how pain shows itself during training, or why. Some humorously equate pain with hard work or focused effort in the gym or on the playing field.

Though I can appreciate this comical approach to pain, it is definitely not real helpful in maximizing your training.

Pain, in reality usually is indicative of an impennding injury or other dangerous condition. Though people have heard they should listen to their bodies when they are training, few heed this advice, often to their own detriment.

Pain that occurs during training should merit your focused awareness of it, and the circumstances surrounding it. Someone training really hard does not want to stop their workout becaause of a pain they think is not too severe. Stopping is exactly what they should do.

Training in the gym is not the same as being on a mission for the military, where you have to keep going no matter what. When pain begins,

stop and try to get an accurate idea of what is going on and why you are hurting.

Due to a condition known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) pain may not be percieved to its' full extent; and the severity of the condition causing it may be obscured.

Dr. Daniel Drury and Dr. Karen Wonders recently wrote an article called "Unmasking Pain" in the May 2008 issue of "Training & Conditioning" that explains some of the causes of EIH. A couple of theories are mentioned, one focuses on the role of endorphins in the process of blunting the pain signal; while the other looks at the roles of adrenaline and high blood pressure as contributing to this condition.

This phenomena is not new, medical records from as far back as the Civil War mention this condition occurring with wounded soldiers.

Back to the gym, though, let's say you've just complete a heavy lift and notice a slight pain in your hamstring. It really doesn't seem so bad, and you're close to setting a new personal record, so you proceed. Suddenly, you are injured, and might ave to be out of training for several weeks or even months.

The other scenario could be, you feel the pain in the hamstring, and decide to stop for the day. In fact, you take an extra day of rest then return to you training. Maybe you missed 2 or 3 days , at most, and you do great when you come back.

Is one more rep worth missing a couple of months of training? In my gym it isn't; and hopefully, not in yours. Just remember that the condition causing the pain is probably more serious than you might think due to your body masking it. Train hard, but train smart!