If you've ever experienced muscle soreness a day or two after a MMA training session or strength training session , you might have experienced Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This condition, common among athletes and fitness enthusiasts, can be uncomfortable and even prevent you from working out for a few days. In this blog, we'll delve deeper into the causes of DOMS, ways to avoid it, and how to treat it effectively. So, read on to learn more about this common condition and how to deal with it!
Here’s a recent whatsapp conversation with a new student.
Me: Hi, Is everything fine, you missed a few classes?
She: Hi, After first two classes, I could barely walk, this never happened while I did exercises at home.
Me: Oh! That’s part of training, as we informed you. The muscle soreness happens when we start a new workout, Gradually it fades away and muscle and bone strengthen with training.
She: Yes! But……
Muscle soreness after a new workout is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and here is everything you need about D.O.M.S simplified under 2 minutes 45 seconds.
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Let’s Simplify.
Did you ever do some weighted squats, which felt awesome? However, after a day or two, you feel immense pain in your legs. It's a classic example of Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS.
DOMS is muscle pain that happens a day or two after an intense exercise due to tiny tears that occur in the fibres that make our muscles. DOMS is our body's coping mechanism for these muscle fibre tears, causing inflammation, pain and soreness.
While any intense activity may cause DOMS, exercises that tense and lengthen a muscle are frequent triggers, for example, Hill Sprints, Squats and Bicep Curls.
What to do after soreness?
While some consider taking a day off from training, or, in some extreme cases, people even plan to quit. Continuing easy movements and stretches are the best way to reduce the soreness.
Thus, speak to your coach and ask them to help you stretch and move.
"Thus, speak to your coach and ask them to help you stretch and move."
Treatment of Severe Soreness
In severe cases, consider the following treatment options.
Ice or Cold Bath
Massage or Foam Rolling
Warm Bath
Topical Analgesic Spray or Gels may relieve some pain
Let us debunk some myths related to muscle soreness.
Myth #1 - A Good workout should result in DOMS.
We are a likely candidate for DOMS when we are new to workouts. However, as we progress, the soreness hardly hits us. DOMS is not a necessary outcome of good training.
Myth #2 - DOMS is linked to Lactic Acid Build Up.
While many coaches connect the buildup of lactic acid to DOMS, research has concluded that lactic acid buildup does not cause exercise-induced DOMS. The Lactic Acid buildup is a byproduct of the body's energy production without using oxygen. Refer to Anaerobic exercises (Simplified here).
Myth #3 - Home Workouts do not result in DOMS.
We generally go easy on ourselves during home workouts. Working out in an intense atmosphere under a coach in a different beast. Thus chances of DOMS are higher.
Keep Showing Up
Are you starting Kickboxing/ MMA classes or strength training? Build it up slowly and stay hydrated. Tell your coach about your progress and soreness, and keep showing up.
What is the next complicated term you want us to break down? Shoot in the comment section. Keep training hard.