By Team PowerMax / 22 Jul 2024
After a vigorous and hectic workout if you ever feel an excruciating pain in your muscles then you have experienced DOMS. But what is DOMS?! And how does it affect your body? DOMS is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It is the ache or soreness you feel after an intense workout, to your muscles. It lasts for 1-2 days when your muscles feel tender and stiff after a vigorous workout. It is mainly because of two reasons viz: one which is usually due to increase in the intensity of the workout or another reason would be the starting of new exercises like Plyometric exercises and downhill running which causes muscle soreness due to change. To avoid DOMS, gradually increase workout intensity and include proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching routines. Staying hydrated and getting sufficient rest also helps in reducing muscle soreness. you can also read our blog on bodybuilding tips so you can achieve your bodybuilding goals ASAP.
Your body is used to handling certain pressure, and if you exert tension beyond that limit or by any unusual activity, then it reacts to your muscles feeling the burn and inflammation.
DOMS has several myths that are commonly believed; that it is an indication of a good workout and worse still harmful. However, it only means your muscles are adjusting to the new exercise routine. It does not mean muscle injury or that one has overworked oneself either. Instead, it is just a routine phase in the body’s journey to becoming more powerful.
The time it takes for DOMS to set in differs from person to person, normally it starts anywhere between six and eight hours after working out, peaks at twenty-four or seventy-two hours, and ends by day five. The level of pain one experiences in this period is contingent upon how hard you trained or simply recovered from past activities.
It may not always be possible to avoid DOMS, especially when one starts a new training routine or increases workout intensity. Therefore, rest is necessary as it helps your body regenerate and repair the damaged muscles while relieving you from the pain associated with DOMS. Along with rest, your body must move and perform basic movements to reduce the soreness of muscles. For that, a massage chair is required so it helps in reducing the stiffness of your body. Nevertheless, there are various ways you can use to ease its symptoms and hasten the healing process:
It is important to move your muscles at least a bit to remove the stiffness of your body. Doing some light activity after a day of vigorous workouts proves beneficial. Regular everyday workouts can be implemented as they also help move your muscles resulting in reduced DOMS.
When you work out, your blood flow rate to the muscles increases. It implies that getting involved in activities is shortening your healing process. This would not cause any further damage to the muscles, rather it will help in the speedy recovery of your muscles.
Exercises that are gentle, which means they are not intense such as walking as well as swimming play a role in improving circulation on the parts of the body that have been injured. This will in turn assist in minimizing the muscle pains and stiffness that occur after doing rigorous workouts. It is commonly known as active recovery.
Stretching is the most common technique used by the experts. It is popularly given as a bodybuilding tip to stretch out your body whenever possible. For stiff muscles, stretching for 15-30 seconds will help relieve your pain. Focus on stretching on the muscles which are particularly sore so it works wonders on your body.
As a part of bodybuilding, you must be aware that many professional massagers are known especially to relieve painful burns due to extremely intense workouts. It helps to increase the blood flow and helps in muscle tightness. If not a professional massager, you can also use a foam roller on the affected muscles to relieve the tension. Massaging for 20-30 seconds with a foam roller is recommended.
An Age-old Remedy is an Ice Treatment. Ice is known for reducing the pain of every injury. Applying Ice for 15-20 minutes reduces inflammation which helps in relieving the burning sensation of your muscles. It is also recommended to take Ice baths or cold water baths at 10-15 ° C to calm your muscles down. Cold Water showers also increase the blood circulation of our body. Even though Cold showers are not just a cakewalk, it is proven and very effective.
On the Contrary, Warm baths have also been of proven benefit for sore muscles. We have usually seen many experts giving a bodybuilding tip to take hot showers after an intense workout. Hot or warm baths, Heating pads, and Warm wrap, right after your workout will reduce DOMS as it will start working on your body immediately right after your workout.
There are many medications available that will help reduce the soreness of muscles. Popularly known medicines like ibuprofen can help with burning sensation and inflammation. Although, you must follow the recommended dosages and instructions on the tablet. If there is excessive burn and pain, you must consult a doctor. Another good way to relieve pain and support your recovery is by post-workout recovery supplements. Again, you need to consult an expert for proper guidance for it.
Apart from exercising, there is no real way to prevent DOMS.
However, there are certain parameters which you can consider:
Hydration is the key: Drinking plenty of Water is a must as it helps in the smooth running of all bodily functions. Proper hydration helps remove metabolic waste that may contribute to soreness.
Warm-up: For any workout, Warm-up is essential as it helps your body to wake up and prepares it to do all the intense workouts. It is recommended by experts to spend about 5 minutes warming up before the training. Quality fitness equipment can also be used to warm up your body.
Nutrition: A healthy and balanced diet that consists of protein, minerals and vitamin-based food supports muscle recovery and pain. Diet and Nutrition go hand in hand for speedy recovery of muscles.
Sleep: Sleep has a healing power. Rest and Sleep are required so your body is at ease and it also recovers from the pain and stiffness of your muscles. Sleep in general is a proven factor for the overall well-being of your body.
Step by Step progress: To avoid more muscle damage upon resuming exercise after DOMS, you should begin with lower intensity and later on improve it both in terms of intensity and time without straining your body beyond a certain point.
Immediate Shift: According to a study conducted in the year 2012, doing some light cycling after engaging in more strenuous exercises involving the legs was found to be effective in relieving sore muscles compared with the other control group. It might take at least a couple of minutes to perform gentle movements just after completing resistance exercises to alleviate pain and stiffness.
The Right Equipment: The right equipment holds so much importance for a fitness journey. If you correctly use your fitness equipment appropriately, there are fewer chances of your muscles getting sore. Also, if you experience DOMS, only proper fitness equipment will help you relieve your sore muscles. There are affordable fitness equipment available in the market which you can opt for.
DOMS is a part of physical training and development, and it is not a sign of damage or overexertion. It is important to follow the 3 aspects - warming up, consistent workout routine, and then progressively increasing the intensity of workouts. In essence, love what you do at the gym while monitoring your body indications regarding endurance levels and step-by-step advancements in your health regime. Ultimately, the goal is to enjoy your workouts. But as they say “No Pain, No Gain!
