I'd like to introduce you to something called DOMS. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. To say it's annoying would probably be an understatement, especially when it sometimes leaves you unable to fully partake in everyday tasks. My fondest memories of DOMS are of me struggling up flights of stairs trying to get to my next class. It's something that will likely affect us all at some point in our lives too. You crush a workout, feel good, and then the next day you roll out of the bed and wonder why your muscles are so sore. But why is it happening? Why do we sometimes get debilitating soreness after a workout? Here's why:
Debunking the Myths:
DOMS is NOT the same as acute muscle soreness which is the sensation in your muscles during or shortly after a workout
You can't feel DOMS during a workout
No Pain No Gain is not true in the case of DOMS, anyone can get DOMS and pain may signify that you've gone too hard in a workout. You can still fully achieve gains without feeling sore after a workout
It's not lactic acid buildup! Your body does a pretty good job of clearing out lactic acid quickly from the blood after a workout and it doesn't play a role in next-day soreness.
Why DOMS Occurs
It is believed that DOMS occurs due to microscopic tears in the muscle fibres during exercise. The body's reaction to repair these tears includes inflammation and muscle soreness known as DOMS which can last 3-5 days.
Most exercises can cause DOMS but high intensity exercise and eccentric exercises, where you are contracting and lengthening a muscle at the same time, are known to often cause DOMS. With that being said, don't skip out on high intensity or eccentric exercises as they are crucial in increasing muscle strength and size! Eccentric exercises include the lowering phase of the bicep curl as your bring your arms back down to your side.
How to Prevent DOMS
Truth is, you can't completely prevent DOMS but these tips can help reduce the severity of DOMS:
Don't jump into a challenging exercise program - Ease into it so that your body has time to adapt to the stress put on your muscles
Rest Days - Make sure you have enough rest between workouts, overstressing the same muscles may cause DOMS to be worse
Warm up & Stretch - There isn't much evidence to show that this is effective but it's always good practice to warm up and stretch before and after workouts to prevent injury!
Hydrate! - While this also lacks evidence, hydrating is also extremely important before and after a workout to counteract the water you lose through sweating
DOMS Treatment
These suggestions won't remove your DOMS but can provide relief for soreness while your muscles heal!
Massage - This can help promote blood flow to the muscles which can aid in healing. You can also massage your own muscles!
Cold and Warm Baths - Will be discussed in a future blog post but both can reduce symptoms of DOMS
Anti inflammatory foods - May help reduce DOMS symptoms
Taking a rest day - Low intensity exercise can be beneficial in reducing stiffness but doing a heavy workout with DOMS can just worsen it and/or delay muscle recovery
DOMS may be a nuisance but it can be helpful in letting you know if you are pushing your body too hard. For example, if you are doing similar exercises each week and experiencing bad DOMS, you may want to consider tweaking your exercise program! Eventually, your body will adapt to certain exercises and DOMS will be greatly reduced after workouts with those exercises!
DOMS shouldn't deter you from exercise, rather motivate you to continue to work out and allow your body to adapt to exercises before increasing the intensity. Our workouts have 3 levels for that reason, allowing you to gradually increase the intensity as your body adapts! We hope that you found these tips and explanations helpful, let us know what you think in the comments below!
Further Reading & Resources Used
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