DOMS: What causes muscle soreness & how to get rid of it
At some point, most of us have looked at the stairs with dismay in the days following an especially punishing leg day. The tenderness of your muscle tissues, the weakness felt with each step, and the overall stiff feeling of your body — it all points to delayed onset muscle soreness, colloquially known as DOMS.
As much as many people enjoy the satisfaction of a hard workout well-done and the trophy of muscle soreness, DOMS can be uncomfortable and downright debilitating, preventing you from getting back into the gym. So how the heck are you supposed to get rid of muscle soreness? To figure out how, we’ll need to get into what DOMS is, why it happens, and the strategies for preventing or reducing pain.
What is DOMS?
DOMS is a common condition characterized by muscle pain and discomfort that typically arises after engaging in strenuous physical activity or exercises. Unlike immediate soreness felt during or right after exercise, DOMS manifests itself with a delayed onset, usually peaking 24 to 48 hours post-workout.
Common symptoms of DOMS include muscle stiffness, tenderness to the touch, reduced range of motion, and temporary strength loss in the affected muscles. The magnitude of DOMS can depend on a few factors, such as the intensity of the exercise and your overall physiological condition. While DOMS can be uncomfortable, it is generally a normal part of the muscle adaptation process, indicating that the muscles are responding to the stress and adapting to become stronger.
DOMS vs. other exercise-related pain
Pain or soreness can sometimes occur during or immediately after a workout, but that pain carries different characteristics in comparison to DOMS. Immediate pain typically results from muscle fatigue, lactic acid build-up, or acute injury during the workout. You may also experience muscular cramps or spasms during workouts, which generally stem from dehydration or overly stressful movements.
It's important to note that while DOMS is a natural consequence of challenging physical activity, persistent or severe pain may indicate an underlying issue and should be addressed with appropriate medical attention.
DOMS ≠ improved fitness
Experiencing DOMS is not a requirement for achieving better fitness. While DOMS is a common occurrence, especially when introducing new exercises or intensifying your workout routine, it doesn't necessarily indicate the effectiveness of a workout or the extent of fitness improvement.
Fitness progress and strength gains are a result of consistent and progressive training that challenges your muscles and/or cardiovascular system over time, and DOMS is more related to the novelty or intensity of an exercise rather than its effectiveness. Some individuals may experience DOMS regularly, while others may not feel soreness even after challenging workouts.
For example, think back to playing organized sports or a time when you consistently worked out. How often did you feel sore? Most likely, you experienced some level of DOMS at the beginning of your soccer season or at the onset of a new workout program, but found that the occurrence of DOMS quickly tapered off afterward. Likewise, many athletes rarely experience noticeable DOMS since their highly regimented training means their muscles are constantly adapted.
Does soreness mean muscle growth?
Although they may sometimes correlate, muscle growth and DOMS don’t exhibit a mutually exclusive or causational connection. Instead, soreness and muscle growth are separate physiological responses to physical activity. While soreness can be an indicator of a challenging workout and stress on your muscles, it doesn't necessarily correlate with muscle size or strength gains.
Muscle growth, also called hypertrophy, is a complex process that involves an increase in the size of individual muscle fibers due to the synthesis of new proteins. Hypertrophy is influenced by various factors, including the intensity, volume, and consistency of resistance training, as well as nutrition and recovery. A well-designed workout program that progressively challenges the muscles, along with proper nutrition and recovery, is more indicative of promoting muscle hypertrophy and overall strength gains.
What causes DOMS?
DOMS is primarily caused by microscopic damage to muscle fibers during physical activity. When you engage in exercises that your muscles aren't accustomed to or intensify your workout routine, it leads to tiny tears in the muscle fibers. This damage triggers an inflammatory response as the body works to repair and rebuild the affected muscles.
It’s unclear exactly what mechanism causes DOMS, but research into DOMS experienced by athletes suggests:
“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 the enzyme efflux theories. However, an integration of two or more theories is likely to explain muscle soreness.”
Regardless of the root cause, the process involves the release of inflammatory chemicals, such as prostaglandins and cytokines, which activate pain receptors in the muscles and cause discomfort, AKA DOMS. Swelling and fluid accumulation, antioxidant depletion, genetics, and other factors influence the level of pain and discomfort.
How does DOMS affect workouts?
Pain isn’t the only consequence of DOMS — soreness can also mean a temporarily reduced athletic performance until your body recovers. This isn’t a regression in strength or other athletic qualities, but rather a sign that your body is still adapting.
Specifically, DOMS can have the following effects on your athletic performance:
Range of motion: DOMS often leads to stiffness and reduced mobility in the affected muscles, limiting the range of motion during exercises and possibly impacting the effectiveness of certain movements.
Strength and power: The soreness and inflammation associated with DOMS can temporarily reduce muscle strength and power. This may result in diminished performance, especially during activities that require maximum effort.
Recovery periods: Severe DOMS may necessitate longer recovery periods between workouts, which can disrupt your workout routine or training plan and hinder progress over time.
Injuries: Working out with significant muscle soreness may increase the risk of injury due to compromised muscle function, altered biomechanics, and reduced proprioception.
Motivation: The potential for DOMS can act as a deterrent for exercise, making it harder to motivate yourself to do the workouts you otherwise enjoy.
5 strategies for relieving muscle soreness
1. Active recovery
It’s a common misconception that if you’re sore from a workout, you should rest until you feel recovered again. In truth, exercise and active recovery can actually be more effective at relieving DOMS than rest when employed correctly, and it’s also one of the best methods overall for alleviating DOMS, albeit temporary. With the right approach, exercise can reduce soreness and help it to go away faster by improving blood circulation, helping to deliver repair-essential nutrients and oxygen to your muscles.
Depending on the level of DOMS, you might experience pain, stiffness, or temporary strength loss that makes it difficult to follow your normal workout routine. If that’s the case, try these alternatives:
Your workout as planned, but with lower intensity
Gentle walking or jogging
Yoga and other low-impact movement
2. Hydration
Whether you’re repping out heavy squats in the gym or training for a marathon, hydration plays an important role in exercise and performance. Dehydration is shown to hinder exercise performance, and some evidence suggests that dehydration can also delay the recovery of DOMS and intensify discomfort.
Simply drinking water won’t necessarily directly relieve DOMS symptoms, but proper hydration is a core aspect of sustainable training and progression as well as an overall healthy lifestyle. Drinking fluids regularly (that includes coffee, tea, and sparkling water) and getting electrolytes through your usual meals is usually enough, but electrolyte tablets or drinks can also help.
3. Nutrition
Many studies have debated the effects of nutrition on DOMS, and while there’s still a lot of research to be done, some evidence suggests that certain nutritional factors can affect the inflammatory responses and oxidative stress associated with DOMS.
Either through your diet, supplements, or a blend of both as needed, consider including the following in your diet:
Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in mainly fish, omega-3 fatty acids can decrease your body’s synthesis of messenger molecules associated with inflammation.
Caffeine: Research suggests that moderate amounts of caffeine can reduce the magnitude of DOMS.
Polyphenol: Sourced from many plants, polyphenol carries biological functions that serve antioxidant and anti-inflammatory processes.
Glutamine: A non-essential amino acid, glutamine may play a role in reducing inflammatory response.
4. Quality sleep
Sleep is crucial for overall muscle recovery, and its impact on DOMS is well-recognized. Peer-reviewed literature highlights the following influences of sleep on DOMS:
Inflammatory response: Lack of sleep may enhance inflammation, potentially exacerbating the soreness associated with DOMS.
Muscle repair and growth: During deep sleep stages, the body releases growth hormone, aiding in tissue repair and muscle recovery and growth.
Pain perception: Sleep influences pain perception, and inadequate sleep may lead to a heightened perception of pain.
5. Therapy and treatments
Several treatments and therapy options may be effective in relieving the effects of DOMS, such as:
Ice and cold therapy
Heat therapy
Massage
Compression clothing
Topical treatments
Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen
FAQs about muscle soreness
Should I workout with sore muscles?
While light activity can aid recovery, intense workouts on sore muscles may exacerbate the condition. Listen to your body and opt for low-impact exercises or rest until the soreness subsides.
How long does DOMS last for?
The duration of DOMS can vary from person to person and depends on several factors, including the intensity of the exercise, individual fitness levels, and how accustomed the muscles are to the specific activity. In general, DOMS typically peaks around 24 to 72 hours after the strenuous exercise that caused it. By the fourth or fifth day, you’ll likely experience a significant reduction in soreness. Complete recovery can take up to a week or more, and your muscles may still be repairing even if you don’t feel soreness.
Does DOMS cause weight gain?
In a technical sense, DOMS can cause weight gain. Following periods of stress, such as a workout, your muscles may retain more water than usual during DOMS and the overall recovery period, resulting in a slightly and temporarily higher bodyweight. Over time with consistent exercise, you may also notice some weight gain as a result of muscular hypertrophy — that’s a good thing!