DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

So its Monday morning, you go to gym after a long break, workout really, really hard and you're not the least bit sore the next day. Strange, you thought it would hurt at least a little, so now you're guessing that maybe you are tougher than you thought. But come Wednesday morning, you wake up with aching muscles and feel as if you've been hit by a bus. How is this possible, especially seeing that you last worked out on Monday? What happened to pain on Tuesday?

This is not an uncommon experience, in fact this experience even has its own name and it's called DOMS. The word DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and could occur when you have over-exerted your muscles. It can take anything from 24 to 76 hours after physical activity to subside. Generally around 2 to 3 days.

DOMS causes muscle stiffness or soreness, swelling and could even result in a loss of temporary strength. It commonly occurs in people who are new to exercise or when you have had a long break from exercise for some time and return.

The exact cause of DOMS has not yet been pinpointed. However, many theories suggest that the type of muscle contraction is the key factor while others base their conclusions on the muscle reinforcement process, which adds pressure to the nerves and arteries therefore causing the pain.

Luckily this condition is only temporary and exercise specialists have found a few remedies that can be used to ease the pain and discomfort of DOMS. Good ol' fashioned ice or anti-inflammatory medication should do the trick, while things such as heat packs, sports massages and stretching have also shown to be successful in reducing the symptoms of DOMS.

DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness often occurs
12-48 hours following exercise

Author: Dimi Ingle.
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