What is it?
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS is something that pretty much anyone, at least at some point, who has tried a new or different form of exercise has encountered to some extent. It does not discriminate and can affect anyone from the beginner level all the way to the elite athletes. Typical onset can occur anywhere from 24-72 hours post exercise with symptoms ranging from general muscle tenderness to severe pain depending on training experience and
session intensity. It is closely related, but quite different, to acute muscle soreness which is that burning sensation
you feel during a workout due to a surge of blood, lactic acid and metabolites to the target muscle. This will typically resolve with cessation of exercise and rest. It is usually most noticeable after sessions of unaccustomed load or exercise selection, or following a session of heavy eccentric load i.e lengthening the muscle under load (lowering portion of the movement).
Why does it happen?
Many researchers have speculated on the proposed mechanisms of DOMs. These include:
- Metabolic Stress
- Lactic acid build up
- Muscle spasm
- Connective tissue damage
- Muscle damage
- Inflammation and enzyme efflux
Although there isn’t a consensus among the academic community, the likely explanation is that it is a combination of multiple mechanisms mentioned above.
But Does More Pain = More Muscle Gain?
A common misconception is that because the muscle feels “damaged” or “worked out” that it will grow back bigger and stronger than before – but that isn’t necessarily the case. DOMS is not something that should be sought after to validate your efforts in the gym. It commonly affects muscle groups differently despite similar training intensity – you often feel your legs a lot more after a heavy session compared to your arms yet they both grow with exercise.
Activities such as running or cycling or playing a sport are examples of exercises that will result in higher levels of DOMS, yet these exercises are proven to not result in higher levels of hypertrophy (muscle growth). Often athletes that don’t feel DOMS (due to enhanced training programs or specialty care) are able to build more muscle as they are able to train more frequently, with increased performance and recover faster without requiring ongoing extended rest periods due to pain or injury. Furthermore, the idea of being in pain following a session doesn’t help your motivation levels
when considering putting yourself through another session in a few days.
How do I fix it?
Although DOMS will naturally resolve itself in 3-7 days, depending on individual training experience and session intensity, there has been research into proposed methods for faster recovery.
Current research suggests:
Strong evidence for Exercise: Most effective means of alleviating pain during DOMS, however effects are temporary. This can also be known as “active recovery”.
Varied evidence supporting: Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Massage & Foam Rolling: Varied positive results, multiple other factors such as timing, duration or technique. 20-30 mins of therapeutic massage or 20 mins of foam rolling may have proposed positive effects for 24 hours after exercise. No clear evidence for: Cryotherapy, stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound and electrical current modalities have demonstrated no effect on symptoms of DOMS
Overall Advice for Individuals:
DOMS should be considered neither a negative nor positive side effect of training, as it will occur at some point regardless of training experience. It is purely a sign that you have fatigued the muscle in a way it wasn’t quite used to. Individuals should be encouraged to reduce the intensity and duration of exercise for 1-2 days following intense DOMS-inducing exercise or if this isn’t possible then focusing training on a different body part will allow adequate recovery of the fatigued muscle groups.
References
Cheung, K., Hume, P., & Maxwell, L. (2003). Delayed onset muscle soreness :
treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.),
33(2), 145–164. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005
Pearcey, G. E., Bradbury-Squires, D. J., Kawamoto, J. E., Drinkwater, E. J., Behm, D.
G., & Button, D. C. (2015). Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and
recovery of dynamic performance measures. Journal of athletic training, 50(1),
5–13. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01
Schoenfeld, B. J., & Contreras, B. (2013). Is post-exercise muscle soreness a valid
indicator of muscular adaptations? Strength & Conditioning Journal, 35(5),
16–21. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0b013e3182a61820
Torres R., Ribeiro F., Alberto Duarte J., Cabri J. M. (2012). Evidence of the
physiotherapeutic interventions used currently after exercise-induced muscle
damage: systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys. Ther. 13, 101–114.
10.1016/j.ptsp.2011.07.005