Q:
During
certain exercises my muscles will shake involuntarily. For example, when I
do leg extensions at the gym, my legs will shake uncontrollably as I am
lowering them, and the same is true for my abs when I do crunches. I am not
straining myself, and I cannot stop it no matter how hard I try! Does this
just mean those muscles are working? I feel like it looks so weird! Thanks!
A:
You don't tell
me when in the course of the exercise routine the shaking occurs, but I
suspect it occurs after you have been exercising for a while, at least,
because what you describe usually indicates muscle fatigue occurring with
tensions approaching maximal force. It sounds also as if your symptoms
occur during "eccentric" muscle contraction (that is, contraction while
the muscle is lengthening, as opposed to "concentric" contraction which is
contraction in which the muscle shortens), which generally involves more
force in the muscle. The combination of increasing fatigue plus excessive
force can trigger discoordinate impulses from muscle and tendon stretch
receptors, and chemoreceptors, thus providing competing "contract" and
"relax" signals to the muscle, resulting in the sort of sensation you
describe. The sensation should only last for a brief period, and should
quickly subside with rest. You can probably avoid the sensation entirely
by moderating your exercise program just a little, and progressing the
intensity of it just a little more slowly. Also, be sure that you maintain
good nutrition and hydration.
~The Doc
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