Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Abstract

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a familiar experience for elite or beginner athletes. Symptoms can also range from muscle tenderness to severely debilitating pain. The mechanisms, treatment strategies, and influence on athletic performance remain uncertain, despite the high incidence of DOMS.

Delayed onset muscle soreness is also expected when athletes are first introduced to certain types of activities regardless of the time of year. Eccentric activities cause micro-injury at a greater frequency and severity than other types of muscle actions. DOMS is most prevailing at the beginning of the sporting season when athletes are returning to training following a period of reduced activity. The intensity and period of exercise are also important factors in DOMS onset.

Delayed onset muscle soreness may also affect athletic performance by causing a reduction in joint range of motion, shock attenuation, and peak torque. Up to six hypothesized theories have been proposed for the mechanism of DOMS, namely: lactic acid, muscle spasm, connective tissue damage, muscle damage, inflammation, and enzyme efflux theories. 

Yet, an integration of two or more theories is the potential to explain muscle soreness. Alterations in muscle sequencing and recruitment patterns might also occur, causing unaccustomed stress to be placed on muscle ligaments and tendons. These compensatory mechanisms may also increase the risk of further injury if a premature return to sport is attempted. Several treatment strategies have been introduced to assist alleviate the severity of DOMS and restore the maximal function of the muscles as rapidly as possible.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have indicated dosage-dependent effects that may also be influenced by the time of administration. Besides, massage has shown inconsistent results that may be attributed to the time of massage application and the type of massage technique utilized. Cryotherapy, stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound, and electrical current modalities have demonstrated no effect on the alleviation of muscle soreness or other Delayed onset muscle soreness symptoms.

Exercise is the most effective tool for alleviating pain during DOMS, however, the analgesic effect is also temporary. Athletes who must train daily should be encouraged to decrease the intensity and duration of exercise for 1 to 2 days following intense Delayed onset muscle soreness inducing exercise. Alternatively, exercises targeting less affected body parts should be encouraged to allow the most affected muscle groups to recover. Eccentric exercises or novel activities should be introduced progressively over 1 or 2 weeks at the beginning of, or during, the sporting season to reduce the level of physical impairment and/or training disruption. There are still many unanswered queries relating to DOMS, and many potential areas for future investigation.

What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)?

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a muscle ache that begins after you have worked out. It normally starts a day or two after a movement. You would not feel DOMS during a workout. Pain felt during or immediately after a workout is various kinds of muscle soreness. It is called acute muscle soreness.

Acute muscle soreness is that scalding sensation you feel in a muscle during training due to a quick buildup of metabolites during intense exercise. It usually vanishes as soon as or shortly after you stop exercising. It is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles after unpracticed or strenuous exercise. The soreness is felt most intensely 24 to 72 hours after the exercise. It is thought to be caused by eccentric (lengthening) exercise, which causes small-scale injury (microtrauma) to the muscle fibers. After such exercise, the muscle acclimates rapidly to prevent muscle damage, and thereby soreness, if the exercise is repeated.

Delayed onset muscle soreness is regarded as a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of the adaptation process by which the muscles recover as they undergo hypertrophy (an increase in muscle size). Unlike acute soreness, which is pain that starts while you are exercising, Delayed onset muscle soreness usually begins 12 to 24 hours after your workout, with the greatest pain felt anywhere from one to three days.

Pathophysiology and Mechanism

Eccentric muscle contractions result in greater disturbance to the structural elements of the muscle and connective tissue than concentric exercise, which is why DOMS is more extreme with eccentric than concentric forms of activity. This structural disruption has adequate evidence by histologic studies, electron microscopic examinations, and/or serum enzyme levels which have been carried out over the years. Eccentric contractions recruit more infrequent motor units and thus the force generated is dispersed over a smaller cross-sectional area of the muscle. This increased tension per unit area provokes greater injury to the tissue. However, there is still ongoing research to establish direct causation between the muscle and connective tissue injury to the onset of DOMS.

The onset of muscle soreness following training is multifaceted. The pain-free period suggests that Delayed onset muscle soreness is not solely due to myofibrillar disruptions but has other underlying causes. The secondary injury measure states that after the initial trauma (muscle damage or injury) the inflammatory cascade that follows can also induce secondary damage. Neutrophils and proinflammatory macrophages are important in the removal of cell debris via phagocytosis. However, excess presentation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by these inflammatory cells can cause collateral injury to healthy cells that were not involved in the initial trauma employing denaturing the proteins, lipids, and/or nucleic acids that drive up those cells.

Mechanism of DOMS

The mechanism of delayed onset muscle soreness is not completely comprehended, but the pain is ultimately thought to be a result of microtrauma – mechanical deterioration at a very small scale – to the muscles being exercised.

• DOMS was first represented in 1902 by Theodore Hough, who concluded that this kind of soreness is “fundamentally the result of ruptures within the muscle”. According to this “muscle damage” theory of delayed onset muscle soreness, these ruptures are microscopic lesions at the Z-line of the muscle sarcomere. The soreness has been attributed to the improved tension force and muscle lengthening from eccentric exercise. This may also cause the actin and myosin cross-bridges to separate before relaxation, ultimately causing greater tension on the remaining active motor units. This enhances the risk of broadening, smearing, and harm to the sarcomere. When microtrauma happens to these structures, nociceptors (pain receptors) within the muscle’s connective tissues are stimulated and cause a sensation of pain.
• Another explanation for the pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness is the “enzyme efflux” theory. Following microtrauma, calcium that is normally stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum gets into the damaged muscles. Cellular respiration is inhibited and ATP required to actively transport calcium back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum is also slowed. This collection of calcium may also activate proteases and phospholipases which in turn break down and deteriorate muscle protein. This causes inflammation, and in turn pain due to the collection of histamines, prostaglandins, and potassium.
• An earlier approach posited that DOMS is connected to the build-up of lactic acid in the blood, which was thought to continue being produced following exercise. This build-up of lactic acid was thought to be a toxic metabolic waste product that induced the perception of pain at a delayed stage. This theory has been largely abandoned, as concentric contractions which also produce lactic acid have been unable to cause DOMS. Further, lactic acid is known from multiple studies to return to normal levels within one hour of exercise and therefore cannot cause the pain that happens much later.

A 2010 study on rats discovered that bradykinin plays a key role in the development of DOMS, utilizing HOE 140, a bradykinin receptor B2 antagonist. Bradykinin is an inflammatory peptide removed during exercise and is involved in upregulating via B2 receptors nerve growth factor, which the analysis found served to maintain the pain by sensitizing muscular thin-fiber afferents, the preponderance of which were Group C nerve fibers. The effect of muscular mechanical hyperalgesia was completely suppressed when administering HOE 140 into the extensor digitorum longus muscles of the rats’ hindlimbs shortly before eccentric exercise but was unchanged when the antagonist was given two days after.

Bradykinin receptor B1 antagonists failed to stop the hyperalgesia at all. Again, a dose of 10 μg of anti-NGF antibodies injected intramuscularly six hours after eccentric exercise prevented delayed onset muscle soreness, but did not reverse it when given two days after. Nevertheless, a triple dose reversed existing hyperalgesia by about 70% in three to four hours. Notably, injecting bradykinin into the EDL muscle alone and without concentric exercise did not cause hyperalgesia, suggesting that bradykinin is essential, yet not satisfactory, for NGF upregulation and persistent hyperalgesia after eccentric exercise.

The mild muscle strain injury forms microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. Scientists consider this damage, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, causes pain. “The aches and pains should be minor,” says Carol Torgan, an exercise physiologist and associate of the American College of Sports Medicine, “and are absolute indications that muscles are adapting to your fitness regimen.”

Is it DOMS?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, Delay onset muscle soreness symptoms typically occur at least 12 to 24 hours after a workout. The ache tends to peak roughly one to three days after your workout, and then should facilitate up after that.

Symptoms of DOMS to observe may enclose:

• muscles that feel tender to the touch
• decreased range of motion due to pain and stiffness when moving
• swelling in the affected muscles
• muscle fatigue
• tenderness
• short-term loss of muscle strength
• dull, aching type of pain in the affected muscle

Having DOMS is a positive sign – it is an indication that you introduced effectively by making a muscle repair itself into a stronger state than it was before you trained.

What causes DOMS?

High-intensity exercise may also induce tiny, microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Your body reacts to this injury by increasing inflammation, which may also lead to a delayed onset of soreness in the muscles. Pretty much any high-intensity exercise may also cause DOMS, but one kind, in particular, known as eccentric exercise, often triggers it. Eccentric exercises cause you to tense a muscle at the identical time you increase it. For representative, the controlled, downward motion as you straighten your forearm after a biceps curl is an eccentric movement. The path your quads tense up when running downhill is also eccentric training.

Who can experience DOMS?

DOMS can also involve just about anyone, from elite athletes to beginners, to people who have not worked out in a long time. So, no matter your level of fitness, DOMS may strike whenever you dial up your workout intensity, achieve eccentric exercises, or try a new type of exercise your body is not used to.

Is DOMS a sign of a ‘good’ workout?

A few individuals think that unless you feel super sore after every workout, you are not making any fitness gains. But is this accurate?

• No. When you start a new exercise routine or push your limits, you are more probable to get sore. But as you keep working out, your body acclimates. You may also feel less and less sore with each workout, but that in no way means you are not working out hard sufficiently or that you are missing out on fitness improvements from those workouts.

Sore Muscles? Do not Stop Exercising

• Delayed onset muscle soreness is often after exercise and usually means your muscles are getting stronger.
• Starting a workout program can be challenging. Making the time to exercise, constructing a balanced practice, and setting goals is hard enough, but add to that the muscle soreness that comes with adapting to that regimen, and it could be difficult to stay on track.
• Events are, you would not be leaping out of bed to get to the gym when it hurts to maintain your arm up to brush your teeth.
• After participating in some kind of strenuous physical activity, especially something new to your body, it is common to experience muscle soreness, say experts.
• “Muscles go via quite a bit of physical stress when we exercise,” says a professor of exercise physiology at State University in Ames.
• “A little soreness is just a natural consequence of any kind of physical activity,” he says. “And they are most predominant in the commencement stages of a program.”

Even Bodybuilders Get Them

• No one is unsusceptible to muscle soreness. Exercise neophytes and bodybuilders correspondingly experience delayed onset muscle soreness.
• “Anyone could also reach cramps and/or delayed onset muscle soreness, from weekend warriors to privileged athletes,” says Torgan. “The muscle ache is solely a symptom of employing your muscles and placing tensions on them that are instructing to adaptations to make them stronger and better able to accomplish the task the next time.”
• But for the deconditioned person starting, this can also be intimidating. Individuals starting an exercise program need guidance, Torgan says.
• “The major tribulation is with individuals that are not very fit and go out and try these things; they contact all excited to start a unique class and the professors do not advise them that they might get sore,” she says.
• “To them, they might feel excessively sore, and because they are not cognizant of it, they might stress that they have harmed themselves. Then they would not like to do it likewise.”
• Letting them know it is OK to be sore may assist them to work through that first few days without being discouraged.

Ease Those Aching Muscles

• So what may you do to relieve the pain? “Exercise physiologists and athletic coaches have not yet discovered a panacea for DOMS,” says Draper, “yet, several remedies such as ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medication, massage, heat, and stretch have been reported as useful in the process of recovery.” See what amino acids are made of and how they are used to assist in the reduction of muscle fatigue.
• Stretching and flexibility are underrated, voices Sharp. “Individuals do not stretch enough,” he says. “Stretching assists break the cycle,” which goes from soreness to muscle spasm to compacting and tightness.
• Take it comfortable for a few days while your body adjusts, says Torgan. Or try a few light exercises such as walking or swimming, she suggests. Keeping the muscle in motion may also provide some relief. 
• “Presumably the most influential thing is to have a cool-down phase after your workout,” says Draper. Right before finishing, possess 10 or so minutes of “easy aerobic work such as jogging or walking obeyed by stretching.”
• At Brigham Young, Draper has been exploring the use of heat remedies to treat muscle soreness. In clinical tests, a movable air-activated heat wrap, in this case, a product called ThermaCare, involved directly to the skin was beneficial to subjects.
• “When muscle temperature is elevated, blood flow accumulations, bringing fresh oxygen and recuperating nutrients to the injured site,” he says. “This augmented blood flow also permits to wash away the chemical irritants responsible for pain.”
• While sore, do not expect to set personal records. Most probably, during a bout of DOMS, your exercise possibility will be out of reach, says Draper. Delayed onset muscle soreness usually affects only the body parts that were worked, so maybe you may work for other muscle groups while letting the fatigued ones recover.
• In a nutshell, do not beat yourself up. Just take it easy.
• “Since there is a deficiency in muscle strength, athletic implementation would not be at peak levels for a few days,” says Torgan, “so it’s best to plan a few days of easy exercise to prevent additional muscle damage and reduce the likelihood of injury.”

Don’t Get in a Rut

• It is also a process of muscle conditioning. Torgan sounds delayed beginning muscle soreness also has a “repeated bouts” effect.
• “If a person does a movement, they will be inoculated for a few weeks to a few months, the succeeding time they do the exercise, there will be less muscle tissue harm, more nominal soreness, and a more immediate strength recovery.”
• This is why athletes frequently cross-train and vary their routines to continue to challenge and develop their muscle strength.
• It is important to determine the difference between moderate muscle soreness caused by exercise and muscle overuse or injury.
• “If soreness contains you from performing daily movements associated with possession and work, then that is too much soreness,” Draper says. “It can also psychologically prevent someone from continuing a workout program.”
• Both Draper and Torgan stress that soreness is not required to see improvements.
• “There are all sorts of various diminutive roads that your muscles can take to get stronger,” says Torgan. Yet, whether you are sore, there are still improvements occurring in your muscles during exercise.
• Yet, moderate muscle pain might go a long way to keeping an individual on the path to fitness.
• “Soreness might also serve as encouragement in an exercise timetable because individuals like quick results. Muscle does not visibly [grow] overnight, nor does your time in the league drop from eight to six minutes,” says Draper. “So something like soreness may give someone encouragement that they are working the muscle.”

Keep moving to ease sore, stiff muscles

• You might be tempted to rest and avoid all exercise and movement when DOMS strikes, but unless it is severe, hitting the couch for the day may only worsen pain and stiffness, not ease it.
• Listen to your body. If your DOMS is bad, you may require to take a day of complete rest to give your muscles a chance to repair.
• At a minimum, you will want to skip any kind of high-intensity cardio or power lifting sessions when sore. That may only worsen and delay your recuperation from Delayed onset muscle soreness.
• Think about trying some mild movement throughout the day. It would not race your recovery, but it might lessen the soreness. To keep your muscles moving, try mild yoga or some low- to moderate-intensity walking, cycling, or swimming.

When Should You Worry About Sore Muscles?

While muscle soreness is common after an exercise hiatus, you should not feel as if you are overreacting by talking to your doctor about your pain, says Wilder. Feeling tired after trying something new? Normal. But observable swelling, joint discomfort, or pain felt right away could be signs of injury.

An extreme case of DOMS could also be the condition rhabdomyolysis, which is a breakdown of muscle tissues that terminates the protein myoglobin into the bloodstream and can also lead to kidney damage and, in some cases, total kidney failure. Signs of the condition, often guided to as “rhabdo,” include flu-like symptoms, dark urine, and significant muscle pain.  “If you detect any of these symptoms following exercise, you should be seen by a medic for urine and lab tests,” says Wilder.

No Pain, No Gain? How to Avoid Sore Muscles

• Rebellious to popular belief, you do not need to work yourself to the bone and feel keen sore the next day to get a good workout, says Wilder.
• “A miniature bit of muscle soreness indicates you compelled the limit, but it is a bell curve,” she says. “Being tired, achy, and sore is different than being so sore you can not walk.”
• If you do get sore, it can also be tempting to wait it out on the couch. After all, who wants to exercise when it hurts to walk up the stairs and/or get out of your car? But keep moving! You will presumably want to give your muscles some time off from heavy lifting, but gentle movement can assist stimulate blood flow to aid in faster muscle repair, says Wilder. The investigation also shows that massage, foam rolling or an ice bath might help alleviate some of that discomfort you are feeling.
• And while everyone is susceptible to soreness, you will assumably start to experience it less intensely once your body has acclimated to exercising. The most useful way to evade Delay onset muscle soreness is to not do too much, too fast, says Wilder. 

How to treat DOMS

Time is the only remedy for DOMS, but you may also take steps to ease the pain and stiffness while you wait for your muscles to repair themselves. The soreness usually vanishes within about 72 hours after appearing. If therapy is desired, any measure that improves blood flow to the muscle, such as low-intensity activity, massage, nerve mobilization, and hot baths may benefit somewhat.

Analysis findings are mixed, and more study is required. Some findings propose the following treatments and self-care steps may assist lessen the discomfort.

Implications for Physical Therapy

Having DOMS is usually a positive sign post-exercise. It signifies that the muscle is healing into a stronger state than it was before the activity and hence it means that the training was indeed effective.

Numerous physical therapy patients will be starting a new exercise program or will be adding new exercises to their current exercise program. These exercises may be devoted to the patient and the patient may experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after starting a physical therapy or exercise program. DOMS is usually weaker following ensuing exercise sessions but the first bout may be so intense that patients often refuse to continue the exercises.

Thus, the therapist needs to comfort the patient that Delayed onset muscle soreness is a normal part of a new exercise program and to assist the patient to differentiate muscle soreness from other types of pain. It is also essential to note that the severity of the soreness is not related to the extent of the exercise-induced muscle damage.

Massage

A 2017 inspection of several analyses found that individuals who received a massage 24, 48, or 72 hours after a severe workout reported significantly less soreness than people who did not get a post-workout massage. Getting a massage 48 hours after a workout appeared to work best. Acquiring a massage after every workout may not be achievable, but you can also try self-massage on your:

• calves
• thighs
• buttocks
• arms
• shoulders

To massage your muscles, involve some oil or lotion to the area and knead, squeeze, and gently shake your muscles. Employing a foam roller right after a workout may also assist the head in a bad case of DOMS. Massage is one alternative treatment that has been proven to show significant effects in reducing the intensity of the stiffness and pain felt associated with Delayed onset muscle soreness. When distributed within 2 hours of activity, the mechanical pressure is believed to reduce the neutrophil migration and thus reduce the inflammatory process within the muscle structure. Massage however was shown to not affect muscle performance or strength post-exercise when compared to a control group who were not administered the therapy.

A Complete Physical Activity Program 

A well-rounded physical activity program incorporates aerobic exercise and strength training exercises, but not necessarily in the same session. This blend assists to maintain or improve cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness and overall health and function. Regular physical exercise will provide more health benefits than sporadic, high-intensity workouts, so choose exercises you are likely to enjoy and that you can incorporate into your program.

ACSM’s physical activity recommendations for healthy adults, updated in 2011, recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical training (working hard enough to break a sweat, but still able to carry on a discussion) five days per week, or 20 minutes of more vigorous activity three days per week. Assortments of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity can be performed to meet this proposal. Examples of typical aerobic exercises are:   

• Walking 
• Running 
• Stair climbing 
• Cycling 
• Rowing 
• Cross-country skiing 
• Swimming. 

In addition, strength training should be performed a minimum of two days each week, with 8 to 12 repetitions of 8 to 10 different exercises that target all major muscle groups. This type of movement can be accomplished using body weight, resistance bands, free weights, medicine balls, or weight machines.

Topical analgesics

Topical analgesics are creations meant to assist relieve pain. Menthol-based topical analgesics and those with arnica may assist ease the pain of DOMS. These products can be applied topically to the sore area. Always following packaging education about how much and how frequently to apply.

Rice

RICE Principle (rest or ice or compression or elevation) is a technique used to treat acute injuries, but it may be suitable for Delayed onset muscle soreness, if you feel you have seriously overdone it.

Active Recovery

Active recovery is a procedure that involves utilizing low-impact aerobic exercise immediately after a workout to increase the blood flow to overworked muscles. The raised blood supply may also assist to alleviate inflammation.

Cold bath

A 2016 review of studies found that a 10 to 15-minute full-body immersion in a cold water bath (50 to 59°F or 10 to 1 5°C) lessened the degree of DOMS. Cold baths have evolved into a widespread self-treatment for competitive athletes.

Warm bath

Does an ice bath sound extreme? Try a soak in a warm tub, rather. Moist heat wraps or a warm bath may also relieve the pain and stiffness that come with DOMS.

Anti-inflammatory foods

More research is needed, but some suggest that eating certain foods or taking certain supplements may help ease DOMS.

When to seek medical help

DOMS rarely requires a trip to the doctor. But the American Council on Sports Medicine advises you to see a doctor or nurse practitioner if the pain from DOMS stops you from doing your normal daily activities.

You should also pursue medical attention right away if:

• your DOMS lasts longer than 7 days
• your urine becomes abnormally dark
• you have excruciating swelling in your arms and legs

Sharp pain, muscle spasms, and numbness or tingling are different from the dull ache of muscle soreness. Talk with your doctor right away if you feel any of these manifestations after working out.

Can you prevent DOMS?

You may not be able to detour DOMS altogether, but you can take steps to lessen its intensity. Try these tips:

• Stay hydrated. One study found that men who exercised in hot, humid temperatures had a big dip in muscle soreness when they drank water before, during, and after exercise, which corresponded to men who did not hydrate.
• Warmup. It is also important to warm up. Warming up would not cure DOMS but it will deliver more blood to your muscles so they are ready to exercise. Some small studies also propose a decent warm-up could reduce the amount of soreness experienced 48 hours after a workout. Spend 5 to 10 minutes before each workout doing some dynamic stretching. Neglect the static stretching until after your workout.
• Cool down. In a 2012 study, a 20-minute cooldown of low-intensity cycling after a lower-body strength training session led to decreased soreness in the quadriceps muscle two days later. Constantly end your cool down with some static stretching. It would not reduce DOMS, but it can boost flexibility in your joints and muscles.
• Take it slowly. Take your activities to the next level of intensity one small step at a time. That can assist you in safely building your strength and endurance while you minimize the effects of DOMS. The most suitable way is to build up the intensity and length of your workouts gradually so your muscles have time to get used to the additional strain being placed on them.

Why exercise can make muscles feel sore

While there is still some research to be done in the area, DOMS is not caused by lactic acid as was once thought, instead, the main culprit behind those post-workout aches is microscopic damage to your muscles.

This happens when your muscles are required to work harder or in a different way than they are used to. For example, when you smash out those sprint intervals after a period of long slow runs, hit the weights after a two-week holiday, or go for a particularly hard turbo trainer workout. The soreness is caused by a temporary inflammation around micro-muscle tears. When the damage heals, your muscles rebuild stronger and are more conditioned to the exercise or intensity that caused them.

While most forms of physical activity can cause Delayed onset muscle soreness you are more likely to feel sore after a workout that involves eccentric muscle contractions – when your muscle contracts as it lengthens. This could be running downhill, doing deep squats, lowering yourself into a pushup, or lowering weights in a controlled manner.

Will I always get DOMS after every session?

Ever wondered why some activities cause Delayed onset muscle soreness and on other days you can also work out for hours and feel as fresh as a particularly flexible daisy?

DOMS usually happens when you switch things up, so after you try a new workout, if you are new to exercising, have had a bit of time off, or if you dial up the intensity or duration of your routine.

Luckily muscles quickly adjust and build strength and stamina. As your body gets accustomed to specific stress the same workout should cause less muscle damage meaning less soreness and a quicker recovery next time. Though, if you want to uphold getting stronger, faster, and fitter, repeating this cycle of ‘stress, rest, and recover’ is essential.

Should I work out with DOMS?

As prolonged as the pain you are feeling is DOMS and not something more serious, such as a muscle tear or sprain, then you should be good to keep exercising. There are a few caveats though:

• Make sure you do a warm-up first as this will assist ease any soreness (but you do this before every training already, right?)
• Try a different form of exercise or work different muscle groups, both for comfort and to give those muscles the time they need to recover. So if your legs are hurting, do an arm workout, or choose a low-impact option like swimming or cycling. In frequent cases, back-to-back tough workouts are best avoided to give your body time to rest and repair.
• Keep an eye on your pain levels. If the distress and stiffness do not ease after a few minutes of warming up and working out then it may be time to take a rain check. 

Is it possible to eat to reduce DOMS?

The good news if you like your food, eating well can assist reduce the pain of Delayed onset muscle soreness. Regularly eating protein – an important nutrient that assists muscle repair – and carbohydrates – which replace the muscle glycogen depleted during exercise – will ensure your bodies fuelled for recovery and assist those damaged muscle repair.

Taking on a carbohydrate and protein snack such as a bagel with peanut butter, a sports nutrition bar, or a shake within 30 minutes of exercise is a particularly good technique as this is when your muscles are primed to take on nutrients.

The vegan Veloforte Zenzero is another great choice after a tough workout. Designed to assist recovery each bar contains 3.5g of stem and dried ginger. Investigations show that just 2g of ginger taken immediately after exercise may assist reduce inflammation and the pain of DOMS in the 24 to 48 hours following.

What are the benefits?

If you are slightly sore, an “active” recovery may also be beneficial. It may feel good too:

• stretch out sore muscles
• do light resistance workouts, such as core strengthening workouts
• accomplish low-intensity cardio, such as walking or swimming

You may also focus on muscle groups that you did not work on previously. For instance, add in an arm weight exercise the day after a run. In complement to feeling good, light healing exercise may offer other health benefits. Mobility, or full-range, exercises like walking or easy cycling cause more blood to pump through the muscles. This enlargement in blood flow may assist you to recover from soreness sooner. That is, as long as you are not overloading or challenging the muscles more.

Convalescence exercises may even offer the same benefits as getting a massage. One compared soreness in a group of participants 48 hours after they accomplished upper trapezius muscle exercises. A few participants received a 10 minute massage following the workout. Others performed exercises with a resistance band. Researchers completed that both recoveries were equally effective in temporarily assisting with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but more research is needed.

Muscle damage and muscle growth

Microscopic tears in the muscle, or a breakdown in muscle tissue, probably causes DOMS after a workout. Trying a new type of exercise or improving the intensity can also increase how sore you are in the days following a workout. Over the moment, though, your muscles become resilient to that exercise. They would not break down or tear as easily.

In reply to micro-tears, the body will use satellite cells to fix the tears and build them up more over time. This safeguards against future damage and oversees muscle growth. It is important to get sufficient protein in your diet and allow your muscles to rest for this process to occur.

What are the risks?

Gentle recovery exercises can be beneficial. But over training may also be harmful and even dangerous for your health. If you experience the following symptoms, it is important to take time off from exercise and allow your body to rest. Allow your doctor to know about any of the following:

• increased resting heart rate
• depression or mood changes
• the increased amount of colds or other illness
• overuse injuries
• muscle or joint pain
• constant fatigue
• insomnia
• decreased appetite
• worsening of athletic implementation or little improvement, even after rest

Injury vs. soreness

Soreness can feel uncomfortable, but should not be very painful. The distress usually reduces 48 to 72 hours later.

Symptoms of an athletic injury may include:

• sharp pain
• feeling uncomfortable or nauseated
• pain that won’t go away
• swelling
• tingling or numbness
• areas of black or blue marks
• loss of function in the injured area

If you experience these symptoms, see your doctor. They may propose at-home treatments like ice or medication. For a more serious injury, your doctor may use X-rays to assist them to plan out further treatment.

5 recommendations for beating Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

But do not let this put you off – it means you have made progress in achieving a more active and healthy lifestyle. It is a sign that you are contracting fitter, stronger and healthier! There are also ways you can decrease DOMS, such as these five tips.

 Stay hydrated

• A deficit of electrolytes contributes to muscle soreness so you need to make sure you are staying hydrated throughout your training. Your muscles are working harder and so they demand more oxygen and therefore need more blood pumping around – around 82% of your blood volume consists of water, so hydration is considerably more important and effective than simply quenching your thirst!
• One straightforward way to keep your hydration levels up is to keep a water bottle with you while exercising, and after every set completed or every five minutes of cardio that you concluded, such as on a treadmill, take a sip of water.
• You also want to be sure to return the amount of fluid lost during your workout once you have finished training. Attempt drinking fresh coconut water or an electrolyte drink following your workout to ward off dehydration which can also make your muscle stiffness worse. Also try to avoid beverages high in sugar, salt, and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.

Get a Massage

• Massage has been found to play a critical role in decreasing inflammation in the body. It also promotes the mitochondria, the tiny cells that transform glucose into energy, which are essential for cell function and repair.
• So not only does a light massage after exercise feels good, but it can also help to reduce pain from DOMS and aid your muscle recovery by easing inflammation, improving blood flow, and reducing muscle tightness and swelling. You can also massage many of your muscles, such as when you are moisturizing after a shower, or even while showering – simply rub your calves, hamstrings, quads, biceps, and so on to help ease DOMS.

Increase Circulation

• One of the reasons that you encounter muscle soreness is because your training has caused little muscle tears, which then repair to make them stronger. You can also shorten the duration of DOMS caused by these small tears by improving blood circulation. Better blood circulation means more oxygen-rich and nutrient-rich blood will be going to the injured muscles, while raised blood flow also permits washing away the chemical irritants responsible for pain.
• One way to increase your circulation is through warmth. Try taking a warm (not hot as this may also have the opposite effect!) bath, and for extra pain relief, add to it 200 to 400 grams of Epsom salts. The magnesium in the solution can also be absorbed through the skin, permitting reduce soreness and improve muscle function. Another circulation-improving trick is to try utilizing form-fitting compression clothing, which may push blood through the veins, slowing fatigue and reducing swelling.

Sleep

• Sleep is a really powerful tool for preventing DOMS and for muscle building, and is also key for a wellness lifestyle. Muscle-building chemicals such as Human Growth Hormone are naturally produced by your body in the deep stages of sleep. Aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep to help your body to recover from exercising.
• If you find it difficult to reach the state of deep sleep required for a good recovery, then try practicing deep and slow breathing, and also turn off any electronics an hour before going to bed. Taking a salt bath as described above can also help to bring on a state of deep, high-quality sleep.
• Sleep is a truly regenerative process where your body can restore, rebuild and adapt. Developing a good sleep routine would not only assist with DOMS but will also help in achieving muscle and losing fat long term.

Active Recovery

• Assumably the last thing you feel like accomplishing when you experience DOMS is moving your sore muscles. Yet, active recovery where you perform mild, restorative movements can be one of the most effective tools you may use to dramatically decrease the amount of muscle soreness you experience. After all, sedentary lifestyles cause more harm than good – so get moving!
• Light exercise that can assist to stretch the sore muscles can also provide some pain relief by keeping your muscles moving. Going for a walk, or carrying the stairs instead of the lift, will help.
• Active recovery can also be painful to start, but after a few minutes, when the blood gets flowing and the muscles get warmed up, it will usually start to feel better. Slow, mild stretching of the area will also relieve that tight feeling and assist to reduce the pain.
• One way to avoid DOMS from happening is to have a cool-down phase after each workout. Finish your exercise sessions with a 10-minute light cardio session, and then do some dynamic stretching like lunges, squats, or arm circles.

Beating DOMS

• All of that said, overdoing movement can cause extreme soreness, burnout, and even injury. Permit ample time for your muscles to fully recover before seriously training them again.
• At the end of the day, DOMS is a positive response and is an alert from the body to ease off the hard training until you feel comfy again. Disregarding that message from your body can cause more harm than good. Regularly over-training yourself ultimately leads to diminishing returns, plateau, and injury – so be sure to listen to your body and what it is communicating to you in clear, easy-to-understand ways.
• The supreme goal of any training program is to find the optimal balance between work and recovery. So while you stay attentive and motivated on your fitness goals, make sure you keep your training secure and permit time to fully recover to ensure you have the advancement you choose by the end of the year.

Tips for preventing soreness

To control DOMS, cool down after exercising. Unlike a warmup, during a cool down, you are gradually bringing your heart rate down and adjusting your body back to a resting state.

Begin with a mild walk or easy spin on a static bike for 5 to 10 minutes. Stretching for the next 5 to 10 minutes can also assist clear out lactic acid from the body. Lactic acid produces when you exercise and can cause a burning feeling in your muscles. Extracting it will allow you to bounce back sooner when you next work out. You may also utilize a foam roller to release any tension after exercise.

In the days following your muscle soreness, these recuperation workouts may assist prevent or reduce soreness:

• Practise regular yoga
• stretching or resistance band exercises
• walking or easy hiking
• swimming laps
• easy cycling

If you are starting a new fitness routine or trying a new type of exercise for the first time, it is important to go slow at first. Slowly increasing the intensity and frequency of exercise will assist prevent soreness. And identify to always get your doctor’s approval before starting a new exercise routine.

Counting on your fitness level and how sore you are, you can usually continue workouts within a few days to a week following recovery. Conduct with a certified fitness professional to create an exercise regimen that’s safe and effective for you.

Delayed onset muscle soreness typically gets better on its own after a few days to a week. Yet, during that time range of motion and muscle performance can be reduced. There is some evidence that anti-inflammatory medications, massage, compression garments, rest, and some supplements can reduce the duration of DOMS.

Prevention also means starting your workout correctly. One of the reasons why overexertion occurs is that the muscles are tight before you start training. If they are not properly warmed up and you move straight into exercise, your muscles are less capable to stretch and can become injured, occasionally seriously.

If in doubt about how to exercise safely and effectively, invest in your health by hiring a personal coach. Even professional exercisers can benefit from interacting with a trained professional, who can provide advice on enhancing form and reaping greater benefits from each workout.

Overview

If your muscles are aching, you might wonder if you should continue with your workouts or rest. In some cases, active recovery exercises like stretching and walking can be beneficial to sore muscles. But the decision to continue depends on the severity of soreness and symptoms you are experiencing.

The takeaway

• In most cases, mild recovery exercises like walking or swimming are safe if you are sore after working out. They may even be helpful and help you recover faster. But it is important to rest if you are experiencing symptoms of fatigue or are in pain. See a doctor if you believe you are injured, or if the soreness does not go away after a few days.
• Even professional athletes take days off. Functional rest and recovery days into your regular exercise routine will allow you to perform better the next time you hit the gym. Do not let Delayed onset muscle soreness sideline you from your fitness training. Take steps to lessen its consequence by slowly dialing up the intensity of your workouts.
• If DOMS strikes, use self-care measures to assist lessen the discomfort while your body heals. Most of all, be patient. With time, DOMS should start to occur less frequently as your body gets used to the workouts you put it through.

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