Muscle Soreness – DOMS – What is it and why do I get it?

Muscle Soreness – DOMS – What is it and why do I get it?

Aching limbs after your workout? After performing a particular exercise or practicing in a certain way it is common to experience sore muscles either later the same day or even up to 72 hours later.

What is it and why do I get it?
Muscle soreness, or DOMS as it is known, (which stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is extremely common and normal after doing exercise for the first time after a break, or after a heavy bout of exercise or simply after doing new moves that you’ve never done before. In simple terms it’s your body’s way of reacting to being put under loads that it isn’t accustomed to. It’s all part of the essential adaptation process which helps you become fitter, stronger and have greater stamina.

What causes the pain?
It is widely thought that DOMS is caused by one or more of the following circumstances; micro-tears in the muscle fibre, swelling within the muscle which can contribute to the soreness, and lactic acid build-up.

Do any exercises in particular cause it?
As mentioned above, DOMS can be brought on simply by performing an exercise you’re not used to, though the culprit that will likely result in the most soreness are eccentric muscle contractions. Eccentric contractions are when you cause a muscle to forcefully contract whilst it lengthens. Examples of exercises like this are; squats, plyometric jumps, (BodyJammers beware!) push-ups, and going downstairs.

How can I get rid of it?

  1. If you were to simply rest, most DOMS should clear up within 3 – 7 days however there are recommendations you can try that sometimes help ease the pain more quickly:
  2. Make sure you warm up properly beforehand. It’s critical you prepare your body for what you want it to do, you wouldn’t take your car out on a cold winter’s morning and accelerate to top speed without it warming up first, so don’t treat your body differently. Take 5 – 10 minutes performing low impact moves to warm the blood and prepare your joints for the workout ahead. It’s best to try and use movement that relates to the exercise you will be doing in your main workout.
  3. Always cool down adequately! At the end of your workout, take 5 – 10 minutes performing low intensity movements and gentle stretches to aid the flushing of the acids through the body and to bring fresh new blood into your muscles.
  4. Try icing the area or taking an ice bath if you’re brave enough. Though there isn’t any solid evidence to prove the effectiveness of this technique, many athletes and professional sports people claim this helps them.
  5. Rest. The body needs adequate rest between workouts. Always try to allow at least 2 days per week where you are resting any one particular muscle group to give the body ample time to rebuild those tears.
  6. Active recovery. Taking part in gentle, low-impact exercise the next day is a great way to flush the system and bring new, oxygenated blood into those sore muscles. Good active recovery exercises to try are walking and swimming.

Important: It’s worth noting that if you experience pain for 7 days or longer, or if it’s actually getting worse instead of better then it’s recommended that you visit your doctor for advice.

What DOMS have you experienced lately? What’s the worst DOMs you ever had?