DOMS, Why do we get it, should we train through it, do we need it?
Some people love it, some people hate it
You wake up the day after your first session in the gym, or the first session after that accidental *cough* 3 month hiatus and you suddenly can’t get off the toilet without feeling like your 80year old nana.
Whilst some wear it as a badge of honour, do we want to sought out this mystical feeling of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)? Why should we care about DOMs anyway?
Other than pain, DOMS reduces our range of motion, our ability to absorb force properly (think running and jumping) and our ability to produce force (think ability to lift weight or generate speed). This means if we can avoid DOMS we are able to train, harder, perform better and progress faster (the trifecta for any sport or physique goals)
Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it lactic acid?
We all remember year 8, that odd sports teacher with one foot up on the bench always, telling us to stretch after our PE class to remove the lactic acid from our muscles. Well thank you Mr Roden but the research has caught up and “the lactic acid theory has been largely rejected as a cause of DOMS”. Mainly due to the time effect. DOMS occurs 48-72 hours post workout. Lactic acid returns to normal levels post exercise with in an hour, so the delay in symptoms doesn’t align
Tear that muscle! The more you tear the more you grow?
Another theory is that it is the tearing of the muscle that causes the DOMS. Makes sense right? If I have a muslce that is damaged, its going to be sore no? Whilst training in the gym does create micro tears or traumas for a better term, the evidence around DOMS is varying. In studies of athletes post training even with DOMS present, the chemical in our body that shows muscle damage occurred was still at normal levels, meaning we were experiencing DOMS in the absense of any micro traumas.(1)
The fascia, the fascia, won’t somebody please think of the fascia!!!
The last idea is that instead of the muscle being damaged, it is in fact this wonderful connective tissue (including the fascia) that wraps around the muscle fibres instead. There is building evidence to show that the breaking of the connective tissue might be the cause in conjunction with the inflammation that comes along with it (1). Whilst not clear cut, there is more evidence here than other mechanisms mentioned above.
The solution?
”Interestingly, muscle activity is the best known treatment for DOMS.”(2) The endorphin release can attentuate the pain caused from DOMS. Sadly this analgesic effect or numbing of the pain is only temporary, so the overarching solution is that beautiful term ‘Load management’. Gradually increasing volume of new training blocks or after a training hiatus.
There is some evidence that we can use BCAAs to help reduce the symptoms of DOMS but not coompletely eradicate them. 5g of BCAAs was ables to reduce DOMS by 64% after 72hours. Whilst this doesn’t elimaniate, it does provide us with the potential to keep some load and intensity in following sessions which is beneficial. (3)
References;
1. Wilke J, Behringer M. Is “delayed onset muscle soreness” a false friend? the potential implication of the fascial connective tissue in post-exercise discomfort. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021 Aug 31;22(17):9482. doi:10.3390/ijms22179482
2. 1. Zondi PC, Janse van Rensburg DC, Grant CC, Jansen van Rensburg A. Delayed onset muscle soreness: No pain, no gain? the truth behind this adage. South African Family Practice. 2015 May 1;57(3):3. doi:10.4102/safp.v57i3.4148
3. Pieretta Mancuso E, Proia P, Contrò V. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) management: present state of the art. TRENDS in Sport Sciences. 2016;23(3)
