Post created by Mary
Have you ever had a great workout and then two days later cannot make it down the stairs without waddling like a duck? That uncomfortable feeling is called DOMS. Delayed onset muscle soreness occurs roughly a day after your workout and can be felt for days to come. The soreness comes from the muscle having microscopic tears that then turn into inflammation. This isn’t where DOMS comes in. DOMS makes its grand appearance when the body begins repairing itself. Delayed onset muscle soreness is especially present when someone chooses to try a new workout or gets back into an exercise routine after taking some time off. Is this due to lactic acid? Nope. Lactic acid is present during the workout. It is that uncomfortable burn you experience when doing anaerobic exercise. What is really causing this that the damage is occurring in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Having a tear in the SR causes calcium to leak out. With a missing element for muscle contraction, you are left with a wonky waddle walk for the next few days.
One thing that people should be aware of is the condition rhabdomyolysis. This occurs when the muscle tissue releases “the protein myoglobin into the bloodstream and can lead to kidney damage and even, in some cases, total kidney failure” (Domonell, 2017). So, if after a workout you feel the DOMS and it feels like you have the worst case of the DOMS, accompanied with flu like symptoms, and dark urine…it is a good idea to get checked out.
The best way to minimize DOMS is to slowly incorporate new exercise moves over a length of time. Allow your body to adjust to these new moves instead of bombarding your muscles.
Domonell, K. (2017, September 4). This Is Why You Have Sore Muscles Two Days After You Work Out. Retrieved from https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/body/exercise/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness-muscle-pain
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https://www.skokiepodiatry.com/blog/post/muscle-soreness-vs-injury.html