Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – DOMS

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is quite common and is often irritating, as it typically prevents a person from doing their daily activities free of pain. DOMS describes an experience of muscle pain, muscle soreness or muscle stiffness that is felt 12 to 48 hours after exercise, particularly at the beginning of a new exercise program, after a change in sports activities, or a dramatic increase in the duration and/or intensity of exercise.1 This muscle pain is a normal response to unusual exertion and is part of the adaptation process that leads to greater stamina and strength as the muscles recover and build. This muscle pain is much different from the sort of muscle pain or fatigue you feel during exercise and it is also much different than the acute, sudden muscle pain or injury such as strains and sprains. DOMS is generally at its worst within the first two days following the activity and subsides over the next few days. There are no proven preventative or treatment methods for DOMS, as it is a natural response to exertion. But staying hydrated and stretching before and after exercise may help reduce the severity of DOMS.