Doms Case

The arrival of spring brings often brings with it an increase in physical activity and the initiation of new workout programs. Starting out in a new workout routine can bring about many beneficial changes, but also can bring some pain and discomfort in the initial stages. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the temporary pain or discomfort felt following exercise. It usually appears within 24-72 hrs. post exercise and will last for 48-72 hrs. Although often attributed to lactic acid build-up, the actual cause of delayed onset muscle soreness remains unknown. What is known is that the eccentric portion (lowering the bar in a bench press for example) often leads to the most severe cases of DOMS. This is due in part to the increase in micro-damage to the muscles during the eccentric portion as opposed to the concentric portion (pushing the bar in a bench press) . One study suggests that it is the remodeling of muscle following exercise, and not the physical damage to cells that causes DOMS .

Symptoms include stiffness, ache, decreased range of motion, and decreased strength. In more aggravated instances of DOMS, general fatigue and chills may also occur. Be aware however, sharp pain is not a symptom of DOMS and should always be evaluated by a health care professional as a potential injury.

While the only proven method for curing DOMS is rest (yeah right), there are ways to deal with the problem and continue your workout.

1) Post workout Ice or Contrast Bath. Many athletes swear by a post heavy day ice-bath. The method is simple 1) Put ice in tub 2) Get in tub 3) Wait as long as you can (hopefully at least 10 minutes)

2) Massage. While massage has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of DOMS following strenuous exercise, it is hardly a cost effective tool on a day to day basis. I recommend the use of either foam rollers or “the stick” by Intracell post workout to achieve