MUSCLE ACHES AFTER EXERCISE/DELAYED ONSET OF MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS).
MUSCLE ACHES AFTER EXERCISE/DELAYED ONSET OF MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS).
You have definitely experienced discomfort a day after your first intense exercises on your calf muscles, thighs, hamstrings and all over your body.
The soreness can also be experienced in instance that you increase intensity of the exercise or change the exercise.
What is DOMS? The body aches you experience mostly after 24 hours after physical activity that may last for 2-5 days with some tenderness when touching, movement is initially difficult to initiate at this time. DOMS improves with warm up. It’s different from pain since pain maybe consistent while DOMS is not.
How does it come about? For long it has been believed to be caused by the accumulation/buildup of lactic acid in the muscles however that is not the case. Research indicates that accumulation of lactic acid is likely to cause pain immediately or during the exercise period. So what causes it?DOMS is as a result of microscopic trauma to the muscle fibres. The trauma is induced during muscle lengthening, what we call eccentric contraction. Since your muscle have been used to a given length, stretching it/lengthening is will result in micro trauma. Our body responds by triggering a healing process, that’s there is a release of inflammatory cells. This combination leads to DOMS.
Can we prevent it? YES. Our muscles adapt gradually, hence a gradual increase in intensity of exercise is more likely to prevent DOMS.
Effective warm ups are believed to prevent DOMS however no sufficient evidence to support it.
Before starting exercise program or change an exercise program talk to your physiotherapist or fitness coach and come up with how progression will take place gradually.
Treatment. DOMS will recover by itself. However it is believed that cold baths/icing can reduce the duration of recovery.
No supporting evidence that superficial massage aids in recovery.
Take an active rest. This mean don’t go back to sitting instead do simple walks and simple jogging.
Good luck
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