LOS ANGELES—Most of the avid gym bunnies among us will be familiar with that painful yet ever so slightly satisfying feeling of muscle soreness a day or two after an extra hard workout. But what about two or even three days later when you are still walking around in crumpled pain like the Hunchback of Notre Dame meets John Wayne? The delayed onset of muscle soreness (know as DOMS) can kick in any time from 12 hours up to 72 hours after a workout. It brings with it stiffness and tired, aching muscles and largely prevents any further training of that muscle until the pain has subsided. So what can we do to minimize this?
DOMS is more frequently experienced after introducing a new exercise, training style, duration or intensity to one’s workout. It is not the same as the pain felt during a workout, whereby lactate is the culprit responsible for the burning sensation when the muscle is maxed out. Isolated muscle training that causes contraction of the muscle as it is lengthened, known as eccentric motion, is often to blame for DOMS. This type of training can be in the form of drop setting heavier weights, running downhill and squatting for extended periods of time. The pain comes from the tiny torn muscle fibres and swelling from inside the muscle itself. The immune system response sees inflammation in the muscle tissue, and research has shown athletes to have structural cell damage with white blood cell count levels increasing significantly following periods of intense exercise, such as marathon running and competitive rowing. For the weight trainers among us, DOMS is a widely accepted side effect of muscle building. For the muscle to be able to achieve hypertrophy, in which its size is increased, the muscle fibres are torn apart and then rebuilt again and again over time as the muscle responds to training.
The cure or prevention for DOMS has been largely contested and no definite conclusion has ever been drawn. Taking time out to rest and recover between workouts is vital. This, along with eating the appropriate food and recovery formulas which provide the necessary amino acids to aid muscle repair are of equal importance.
Stretching after training is necessary no matter how big or small your workout, while ensuring that the body is adequately warmed up will also help. Often, massage and remedial muscle manipulation can help to alleviate the stress on the tissues and stimulate the blood flow to the area to promote recovery. Muscles which have been trained hard undergo an element of trauma, so the area must be treated as such. Ice baths are often used by athletes to help prevent DOMS and injury, although they are not for the faint hearted! Take note that any unusual pain could be a sign of an injury, so if the pain is isolated to a joint or particular area, or if it persists after seven days, you must consult a physician.
As ever, prevention is better than cure. Taking time to gradually increase the intensity of your training regime, learning to know your body and understanding and respecting its limits is the best way to avoid the full impact of DOMS. Eat well, rest well and drink plenty of water, and this will leave your muscles in optimum condition for faster recovery.
