DOMS \u2013 which stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness \u2013 is the stiffness you feel a number of hours or days after you\u2019ve trained. You’ll fee this\u00a0if you\u2019ve introduced a new element into your workout routine. Commonly mistaken as lactic acid build-up, DOMS can affect anyone who performs some sort of exercise, no matter how fit you are or for how many years you\u2019ve been training. Much research has been done into how DOMS symptoms can be alleviated but, unfortunately, a universal \u2018cure\u2019 hasn\u2019t been found as of yet.<\/p>\n
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, delayed onset muscle soreness usually occurs after you\u2019ve performed a physical activity that causes your muscles to lengthen (eccentric contraction). As\u00a0a result, microscopic damage to these muscles occurs. (An example of such activities is cardiovascular training.) What we recognise as the pain associated with \u2018DOMS\u2019 is when these muscles are repairing themselves. Some people associate delayed onset muscle soreness with lactic acid build-up, however this isn\u2019t involved in the process.<\/p>\n
Besides stiffness and soreness, sufferers of delayed onset muscle soreness have reported having:<\/p>\n
In an article entitled Why Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a Good Thing<\/em> <\/a>on the Runner\u2019s World<\/em> magazine website, Mackenzie Lobby says that methods such as massage, microtherapy, icing, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, fish oil<\/a> and i.Tonic have all been shown to help reduce the painful symptoms of DOMS.<\/p>\n The best method of preventing DOMS is to start any new physical training programme slowly. This is\u00a0so that your muscles get used to performing the particular activity. Being properly warmed up also ensures that you stay clear of DOMS. In her article, Lobby quotes Dr David J Szymanski, assistant professor and the director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory at Louisiana Tech University<\/p>\n \u201cIf you already have the muscle warmed up and prepared, it is better able to handle the activity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So if you\u2019re suffering from DOMS after having started up a new exercise programme, don\u2019t give up because of the pain. The first time you experience DOMS symptoms is the worst. From then on, you\u2019ll feel less and less pain because you\u2019re getting stronger and your stamina is increasing!<\/p>\n As an athlete or avid gym goer, you may suffer from an injury at one point in your life. If this happens, don’t stress! Remember that you’ll do more harm to yourself if you exercise when you’re injured than if you take a couple of days off and recover.<\/p>\n If you do find yourself suffering from an injury, don’t despair! There are a number of ways that you can help your body recover from this. These methods include accupuncture, reflexology and massage. However, the best – and most well-known – way of helping your muscles recover from an injury is:<\/p>\nHow\u00a0to deal with sports-related injuries<\/h2>\n
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