Picture it. You kicked butt after an intense workout. Sure, your body may be drenched in sweat, and you’re absolutely wiped out, but the soreness that people often complain about from training hasn’t happened. For a moment, you feel invincible. No workout can take you down! Suddenly, tomorrow, or even the day after, you wake up feeling like you’ve gotten into a fight. The soreness has arrived, especially in the places you worked the most. What gives? And when will it go away? Don’t panic! Let explain what you’re most likely experiencing and how to relieve it. Are you ready? Then let’s get to it!

DOMS

The sudden soreness after days after working out is a classic sign of DOMS, otherwise known as delayed onset muscle soreness. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), DOMS can quickly develop within 12-24 hours post-workout and get even stronger within 24-72 hours. [1] Carol Torgan, an exercise physiologist and fellow of the ACSM, explains that “The aches and pains should be minor and are simply indications that muscles are adapting your fitness regimen.” [2] 

 There are a few myths about DOMS: [1]

• The first is that you injured yourself. Unless you’re in excruciating, intense pain to the point that you’re in tears, it literally hurts to move, you literally cannot walk, and cannot function, then you’re most likely not suffering from any injuries. Again, unless you’re in the ER or have to take pain medications, I doubt that you’ve broken any bones or pulled a muscle. 
•  Another one is that DOMS is caused by the buildup of lactic acid, but research has debunked this. Lactic acid is not part of DOMS.

•  While it’s true that beginners are more susceptible to DOMS, everyone can experience DOMS, including athletes and yours truly. What is true is that the body will adapt and not be as sore as it would in the beginning.

•  Even though warming up is very important during exercise, there’s very little evidence that shows it can prevent DOMS. The same goes for post-workout recoveries like cooling down, stretching, and mobility work.

•  Lighter activity can temporarily reduce symptoms of DOMS, but once you stop, they’ll return.

• Some people look forward to DOMS, believing it’s a sign they got a good workout in. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but there’s zero evidence to prove that DOMS means an effective workout. It says nothing about how good or bad your workout was. Muscle growth and fat loss don’t happen overnight. While you can experience improvements in performance like being able to go longer, harder, and stronger, the visible signs like extra muscle or less fat take a while to be seen. So, you’re still making progress whether you do or don’t feel any soreness.

As well as facts:

• Japanese research on rats suggests that DOMS may be “neurological growing pains.” The study sheds some possible light on the purpose of DOMS. Exercise develops nerves, which leads to the discomfort found in DOMS. DOMS is more or less a response from the nervous system. It’s not that your muscles are sore- it’s that your nerves are responding to challenge and stimulation. Here’s a snippet from the Japanese study, “This means that muscle fiber damage is not essential, although it is sufficient, for induction of DOMS, instead, NGF [receptor-nerve growth factor] and GDNF [COX-2-glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor] produced by muscle fibers/satellite cells play crucial roles in DOMS.” [3] 
•  A variety of exercises can induce DOMS, including strength or resistance training, jogging, hiking, sports, aerobics, cycling, skiing, swimming, taking the stairs, and even walking (especially if you do it all day or go for miles) [1]

•  The soreness you experience depends on the amount of force applied to certain areas of the body. For example, if you had done a lot of pull-ups, DOMS will most likely develop in the upper body.

•  DOMS may cause a short-term reduction in strength in the areas affected. If your legs are feeling crushed from DOMS, you have the option of training them lightly, focusing on recovery-based activities like yoga or my Postural Therapy series, or taking an active rest day and giving them a chance to recover.

•  Don’t be afraid if there’s a tiny amount of swelling or tenderness. Again, let them recover. If they don’t improve or get worse after a few days, then go and see a doctor to rule out any injuries. 

What to Do About DOMS

While you cannot completely prevent DOMS since it happens even the most experienced of athletes, some things can help ease the symptoms: [2]

• Play with Temperatures (Both hot and cold therapy can improve recovery and DOMS. There’s cryotherapy and cold showers or baths, sauna, and steam rooms. One is not better than other; it’s up to personal preference.)
•  Foam Rolling
• Massage (Getting a massage after 48 hours of intense training was shown to significantly reduce soreness according to a 2017 review published in Frontiers in Physiology.) [4]
• Topical Treatments (Whether it’s a balm or lotion, topical treatments containing ingredients like menthol, arnica, or CBD can reduce the symptoms of DOMS.)

•  Active-Rest (Maintain healthy circulation by doing active recovery exercises like running, walking, hiking, yoga, mobility work, and Postural Therapy.)

•  Anti-Inflammatory Foods (Before reaching for painkillers, look to natural anti-inflammatory foods. These include spices- ginger, turmeric-, tart cherry, blueberries, matcha, and omega-3-rich salmon, mackerel, sardines, and grass-fed beef.) [5] [6]
•  Sleep (Working out is only part of the equation. No matter what the goal is- weight gain, loss, more muscle- you need to recover to initiate change. And sleep plays a huge role in that. It can make or break your efforts. Start here for some easy tips to improve your sleep!)

Over to You

There you have it. All about DOMS! As you can see, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Being sore is no fun, but it’s a part of having an active lifestyle. And with the right recovery habits, you can either improve or prevent the symptoms. But now it’s your turn- what do you do to treat DOMS? Have you ever gotten it before? Let me know in the comments below!

Sources:

[1] https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-(doms).pdf?sfvrsn=8f430e18_2
[2] https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/sore-muscles-dont-stop-exercising#1
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26467448
[4] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00747/full
[5] https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2016/08/03/Fish-oil-may-reduce-muscle-soreness-after-exercising-Study
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874510/