Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (Doms)

Delayed onset muscle soreness (Doms) refers to the muscle soreness that comes on 12-24 hours after exercise. All of you have been experiencing this lately and can now put a name to your pain. Doms is prevalent when someone initiates a new exercise program, engages in athletic movements that they are not accustomed to, or increases the intensity and range of motion in the exercises they perform. Most of you fit into all three of these categories and are very familiar with Doms right now.

Causes

Muscles perform two actions, they contract and relax. They have the ability to do this in a wide range of intensity. Your muscles have the ability to perform two different types of contractions, concentric and eccentric contractions. When I pick up a weight in my hand and curl it, I am performing a concentric contraction (muscle is contracting and becoming smaller). When I lower that same weight with control my muscle would be performing an eccentric contraction (muscle contract's while lengthening). It is generally agreed that eccentric contractions are the cause for most of the muscle soreness you feel. "It is generally agreed that the causes of Doms include some structural damage to the muscle cells and inflammatory reactions within the muscle. This damage sets up a chain of events that includes the release of intracellular proteins and an increase in muscle protein turnover... Some evidence suggests that this process is an important step in muscle hypertrophy." (Jack H. Wilmore\ David L. Castill (1994.) Neuromuscular Adaptations to Resistive Training. Physiology of Sport and Exercise, p. 80). Muscle hypertrophy is the increase in the size of a muscle which leads to an increase in strength and the ability of the muscle to work.

My Translation

Your body responds to the stresses we impose on it. They are either positive or negative. You're asking your body to do things it is not accustomed to doing. In return it lets you know by becoming sore. Your serious about this change and continue to stress it with exercise. Your body will respond by becoming stronger so it can sustain and function under the new stresses it is receiving. Bottom line is Doms will decrease as you continue to train. It will come back from time to time to remind you when you do something different, but never as bad as when you first start.

Dealing with Doms

• It is not permanent and it will go away.
• Perform a low intensity aerobic exercise to increase blood flow to the area followed by a gentle stretch.
• A cold bath, as cold as you can take it, is claimed by many to reduce soreness.
• Gentle massage.
• Aspirin will provide temporary relief but will not speed up the healing process.

Conclusion

Do not get discouraged or think that it is something you have or have not done that is making you sore. This to shall pass and get better with time and continued training. Think of the areas that are sore as being replaced with something stronger. Doms is acceptable as long as it is in the muscle, if you are experiencing pain in the joints this is something different and needs to be addressed. Continue to work hard and this will be something of the past!