We’ve all experienced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It’s that uncomfortable (at times, horribly unbearable) feeling in your muscles, where the most mundane acts (rolling out of bed, bending over, washing your hair or sitting down) seems to require an absurd amount of effort to keep from grimacing.
DOMS seems to accompany hard workouts or training sessions where we introduce a new exercise (or exercise we haven’t done in several months/years).
The question is -- why do we get sore?
That’s exactly what we’re going to discuss today as we dive into the science behind soreness!
Why Do We Actually Get Sore?
Truth be told, researchers are still trying to understand the exact cause(s) of why do we actually get sore after a hard workout.
To date, there are up to seven hypothesized theories that have now been proposed for the physiological mechanism of DOMS, including:
- Muscle damage
- Metabolite build up
- Inflammation
- Connective tissue damage
- Nerve compression
- Muscle spasm
More than likely it is some combination of factors.
That being said, a leading contributor to muscle soreness are microtears (aka muscle damage) that occur in our muscles as a result of intense training. This microtrauma activates the body’s natural inflammatory response. While we’ve been led to believe that inflammation is a bad thing, the inflammation that occurs following a hard workout is a necessary (and important) part of the muscle recovery and growth process.
In other words, some muscle damage (and subsequent inflammation) is necessary to get results. The important thing to remember is that while some damage and soreness is beneficial, being chronically sore, achy, and inflamed is not a good thing.
So, what causes muscle damage?
Generally speaking, one or more of the following:
- Eccentric muscle contractions - the lengthening (lowering) part of a repetition induce more damage to muscle fibers than the concentric (lifting) phase
- Large ranges of motion - muscle fibers experienced increased amounts of tension (stress) which can cause more microtears.
- High amounts of metabolic stress - high reps coupled with short rest leads to an accumulation of hydrogen (H+) ions and other metabolites that contribute to DOMS
- High volume - the more amount of work you do (sets x reps x load), the more damage you are exposing your muscle fibers
- Novelty of exercise - movements you have not performed in awhile require adaptations from your soft tissues (muscles, joints, ligaments) and your central nervous system (CNS), which introduce a novel stimulus (stress) which can lead to DOMS
When Does DOMS Happen?
Typically, DOMS sets in somewhere between 12-24 hours after your workout; however, it’s possible for you not to experience DOMS until 48-72 hours after a workout.
As for how long DOMS lasts, that can be anywhere from 3 days up to 7 days after your workout!
How long you’re sore after a workout depends on a number of factors, including:
- Sleep
- Genetics
- Diet (adequate intake of protein and carbs is important for muscle recovery)
- Stress Levels
- Volume of work performed during given training session
However, there are a few things backed in the literature that can help to a certain degree.
How to Get Rid of DOMS
Common recommendations to reduce soreness and get rid of DOMS are to use foam rollers, stretch, or take ice baths.
Research is mixed-to-negative on these options.[1,2,3,4,5]
In fact, while ice bath may slightly help to reduce soreness, they have also been shown to interfere with muscle growth (hypertrophy) and strength adaptations since ice baths blunt the body’s natural recovery processes (namely, inflammation).[1,2]
Static stretching after a workout, which was once considered “essential” to prevent cramping following exercise, doesn't’ seem to offer much help in the way of reducing muscle soreness, either.[3,4,7]
Cryotherapy, homeopathy, ultrasound and other modalities popularized by sports outlets/athletes also offer little research-backed evidence for alleviating muscle soreness and its related symptoms.
So, if stretching, foam rolling, and ice baths aren’t the answer, then what is?!
Research indicates that light exercise (e.g. going for a long walk) may be the best option for reducing DOMS.[4] In addition to walking, other light-to-moderate exercise options include hiking, swimming, cycling, and yoga.
Another viable option is massage.[6]
Hydration is another important part of managing DOMS as the proper balance of water and electrolytes can ensure proper nutrient delivery to damaged muscle, which supports the recovery and growth process.
Don’t neglect the importance of nutrition either.
Consuming the right amount of protein, carbohydrate and overall calories can’t be emphasized enough as this gives the body the “raw materials” it needs to replenish glycogen, top off energy stores, and repair damaged muscle fibers.
This is one of the reasons top-tier athletes, bodybuilders, and scientific research validate the benefits of post-workout protein. Having a serving of 1UP Whey Protein (or other protein powder of choice) after your workout gives your muscles what they need to kickstart the recovery process and help keep DOMS at bay.
Last, but not least, make sure you’re getting adequate sleep, as the body does the brunt of its repair work during sleep. If you need help winding down at night and getting quality sleep, check out Recharge PM or Beauty Dream PM, which contain a hand-picked blend of science-backed ingredients to support relaxation, recovery, and sleep quality.
Does Soreness = A Good Workout?
Not necessarily.
While soreness can be an indicator of an effective workout, it is NOT the only indicator.
Doing too much volume and/or always doing something new or random in your workouts (“muscle confusion”) will lead to soreness, and very likely mislead you into thinking you're “getting results”.
Furthermore, training while sore can affect your performance by impairing force output and range of motion.[4]
And…if we’re being honest, you're less likely to even go to the gym when you’re really sore!
However, like many things in life, balance is important.
If you're NEVER sore, maybe you aren’t pushing hard enough or have been using the same program for too long.
If you’re not sure what to do to get results, don’t worry…we’re here to help!
The 1UP Fitness App offers customized training and nutrition recommendations based on your preferences.Having the right training program can help to avoid excessive (“junk”) volume in your workouts and guide you on the path real world results!
References
- Glasgow PD, Ferris R, Bleakley CM. Cold water immersion in the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness: is dose important? A randomised controlled trial. Phys Ther Sport. 2014 Nov;15(4):228-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2014.01.002. Epub 2014 Jan 29. PMID: 24768476.
- Fröhlich M, Faude O, Klein M, Pieter A, Emrich E, Meyer T. Strength training adaptations after cold-water immersion. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Sep;28(9):2628-33. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000434. PMID: 24552795.
- Herbert RD, Gabriel M. Effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness and risk of injury: systematic review. BMJ. 2002 Aug 31;325(7362):468. doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7362.468. PMID: 12202327; PMCID: PMC119442.
- Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005. PMID: 12617692.
- Medeiros, F., Martins, W., Behm, D., Ribeiro, D., Marinho, E., Santos, W., & Viana, R. B. (2023). Acute effects of foam roller or stick massage on indirect markers from exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 35, 273–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.04.016
- Guo J, Li L, Gong Y, Zhu R, Xu J, Zou J, Chen X. Massage Alleviates Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol. 2017 Sep 27;8:747. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00747. PMID: 29021762; PMCID: PMC5623674.
- Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jul 6;(7):CD004577. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub3. PMID: 21735398.
