What Are DOMS ?
When we train we can experience something called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness aka DOMS. DOMS is muscle pain that begins after you’ve worked out. It normally starts a day or two after a workout, up to 24-48 hours post. You won’t feel DOMS during a workout.
Pain felt during or immediately after a workout is a different kind of muscle soreness. It’s called acute muscle soreness. Acute muscle soreness is that burning sensation you feel in a muscle during a workout due to a quick buildup of the buildup of metabolites during intense exercise. It usually disappears as soon as or shortly after you stop exercising. DOMS are most commonly caused by High-intensity exercises that cause tiny, microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. Your body responds to this damage by increasing inflammation, which may lead to a delayed onset of soreness in the muscles, which then lead to the rebuild of new and stronger fibers with the help of good nutrition and a balanced intake of protein.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MUSLCE SORENESS
There are many ways to help with delayed onset muscle sorness after an intense training session. Here are some of the best ways to will help wth muscle sorness:
Hydration: Lack of electrolytes contributes to muscle soreness so you need to make sure you are staying hydrated throughout your workout. Your muscles are working harder and so they demand more oxygen and therefore need more blood pumping around – around 82% of your blood volume actually consists of water, so hydration is much more important and effective than simply quenching your thirst
SLEEP: Sleep is a really powerful tool for preventing DOMS and for muscle building, and is also key for a wellness lifestyle. Muscle-building chemicals such as Human Growth Hormone are naturally produced by your body in the deep stages of sleep. Aim for a minimum of 7 hours sleep to really help your body to recover from exercising.
active recovery: Probably the last thing you feel like doing when you experience DOMS is moving your sore muscles. However, active recovery where you perform gentle, restorative movements can be one of the most effective tools you can use to dramatically decrease the amount of muscle soreness you experience. Light exercise that can help to stretch the sore muscles provides some pain relief by keeping your muscles moving. Even going for a walk, or taking the stairs instead of the lift, will help…so get moving!
Protein intake: Protein helps to strengthen the muscle fibres that have been torn during exercise, refuelling the muscles and reducing the impact of delayed onset muscle soreness. After a workout, you should consume protein-rich foods or drinks to prevent and aid muscle soreness and help the repair, maintenance and growth of muscles.