Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentCopingSummary

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Summary

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a painful, aching soreness that occurs after new and unfamiliar exercise or strenuous activity. DOMS typically appears a day or two after you complete a vigorous or new workout.

People experiencing DOMS may feel a little sore after a workout, then experience a more intense soreness that peaks a day or two post exercise, when they might normally begin to recover.

While any exercise or activity can causemuscle exhaustion and soreness, DOMS usually happens after doing movements that cause eccentric contractions, such as running or walking down a hill, lowering weights, and the downward motion of squats or push-ups.

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Person exercising in gym resting against a mirror wall

Several theories exist as to why these motions cause DOMS and what causes the intense pain. Scientists believe the muscles and connective tissue are involved in the inflammation and muscle cell damage that produces this intense soreness.

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness Symptoms

DOMS symptoms are more intense than the type of muscle soreness you might experience after a typical workout.

People experiencing DOMS may find that their performance in sports or other activities is reduced and that regular movement such as sitting down or walking becomes more difficult.

Signs of DOMS include:

How Long Does DOMS Last?The pain and inflammation of DOMS reaches its peak at 24 to 72 hours post-activity. The soreness then begins to dissipate, and after five to seven days it goes away.

How Long Does DOMS Last?

The pain and inflammation of DOMS reaches its peak at 24 to 72 hours post-activity. The soreness then begins to dissipate, and after five to seven days it goes away.

Strenuous or extreme exercise that focuses on eccentric movements (exercises that cause lengthening of the muscle-tendon complex) such as running downhill or squats tend to cause DOMS the most.

When DOMS occurs the muscle fibers become torn and inflamed, which produces soreness, pain, and a reduced range of motion.

DOMS is also believed to affect the connective tissue orfascia(the thin covering of connective tissue) around the muscles. One study found that DOMS not only causes micro tears to the muscles but also causes micro tears to the deep fascia around the muscles. This in turn causes pain and inflammation.

How to Get Rid of Sore Muscles: 10 Relief Tips

Is DOMS Good for the Body?

While the saying “no pain, no gain” may be a familiar one when it comes to physical and athletic training, pain is not always good for the body.

Soreness from exercise happens becausesmall muscle tears occur that then heal and make the muscle bigger and stronger. Some soreness is a sign that the body is transforming and adapting to the exercise. This is a good effect on the body.

With DOMS, there’s a fine line between the benefits of soreness and injury. People with DOMS may see that their performance and strength decrease. While this decrease may be temporary, if training continues at intense levels injury is more likely to occur.

For people who are just beginning to work out or move their body, experiencing DOMS can make you less likely to continue exercising regularly which is important for overall health.

Complete recovery from DOMS takes time. Allowing the body to rest after intense exercise can give muscles the space they need to repair themselves.

Rest for DOMS does not always mean stopping movement completely. Active recovery can be an important part of DOMS treatment.

Active recovery is a less intense form of movement and may include activities such as walking, stretching, and other gentle movements that do not put more strain on the sore muscles.

For example, if you’re experiencing DOMS from running downhill, a gentle swim that focuses more on the arms may be a good choice for active recovery.

Coping With DOMS

While time and recovery are the besttreatment for DOMS, there are other things you can do that may alleviate pain and help your muscles recover, such as:

DOMS causes pain and inflammation in the body and may make you more susceptible to injury. Rest and active recovery are important to the treatment of DOMS. Other modalities such as massage and analgesics can also help you cope with and recover from DOMS. DOMS typically disappears after five to seven days.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wilke J, Behringer M.Is “delayed onset muscle soreness” a false friend? The potential implication of the fascial connective tissue in post-exercise eiscomfort.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(17):9482. doi:10.3390/ijms22179482Hotfiel T, Freiwald J, Hoppe MW, et al.Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): part I: pathogenesis and diagnostics.Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2018;32(4):243-250. doi:10.1055/a-0753-1884Zeng C, Luo G, Xu S, Li Y.The application of DOMS mechanism and prevention in physical education and training.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:9654919. doi:10.1155/2022/9654919Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P.Eccentric muscle contractions: risks and benefits.Front Physiol. 2019;10:536. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00536Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B.An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2018;9:403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403Peake JM, Roberts LA, Figueiredo VC, et al.The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.J Physiol. 2017;595(3):695-711. doi:10.1113/JP272881Veqar Z, Imtiyaz S.Vibration therapy in management of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(6):LE01-LE4. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/7323.4434Huang C, Wang Z, Xu X, Hu S, Zhu R, Chen X.Does acupuncture benefit delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2020;11:666. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00666Singla N, Desjardins PJ, Cosca EB, et al.Delayed-onset muscle soreness: a pilot study to assess analgesic study design features.Pain. 2015;156(6):1036-1045. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000109

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wilke J, Behringer M.Is “delayed onset muscle soreness” a false friend? The potential implication of the fascial connective tissue in post-exercise eiscomfort.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(17):9482. doi:10.3390/ijms22179482Hotfiel T, Freiwald J, Hoppe MW, et al.Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): part I: pathogenesis and diagnostics.Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2018;32(4):243-250. doi:10.1055/a-0753-1884Zeng C, Luo G, Xu S, Li Y.The application of DOMS mechanism and prevention in physical education and training.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:9654919. doi:10.1155/2022/9654919Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P.Eccentric muscle contractions: risks and benefits.Front Physiol. 2019;10:536. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00536Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B.An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2018;9:403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403Peake JM, Roberts LA, Figueiredo VC, et al.The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.J Physiol. 2017;595(3):695-711. doi:10.1113/JP272881Veqar Z, Imtiyaz S.Vibration therapy in management of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(6):LE01-LE4. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/7323.4434Huang C, Wang Z, Xu X, Hu S, Zhu R, Chen X.Does acupuncture benefit delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2020;11:666. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00666Singla N, Desjardins PJ, Cosca EB, et al.Delayed-onset muscle soreness: a pilot study to assess analgesic study design features.Pain. 2015;156(6):1036-1045. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000109

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Wilke J, Behringer M.Is “delayed onset muscle soreness” a false friend? The potential implication of the fascial connective tissue in post-exercise eiscomfort.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(17):9482. doi:10.3390/ijms22179482Hotfiel T, Freiwald J, Hoppe MW, et al.Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): part I: pathogenesis and diagnostics.Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2018;32(4):243-250. doi:10.1055/a-0753-1884Zeng C, Luo G, Xu S, Li Y.The application of DOMS mechanism and prevention in physical education and training.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:9654919. doi:10.1155/2022/9654919Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P.Eccentric muscle contractions: risks and benefits.Front Physiol. 2019;10:536. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00536Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B.An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2018;9:403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403Peake JM, Roberts LA, Figueiredo VC, et al.The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.J Physiol. 2017;595(3):695-711. doi:10.1113/JP272881Veqar Z, Imtiyaz S.Vibration therapy in management of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(6):LE01-LE4. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/7323.4434Huang C, Wang Z, Xu X, Hu S, Zhu R, Chen X.Does acupuncture benefit delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2020;11:666. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00666Singla N, Desjardins PJ, Cosca EB, et al.Delayed-onset muscle soreness: a pilot study to assess analgesic study design features.Pain. 2015;156(6):1036-1045. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000109

Wilke J, Behringer M.Is “delayed onset muscle soreness” a false friend? The potential implication of the fascial connective tissue in post-exercise eiscomfort.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(17):9482. doi:10.3390/ijms22179482

Hotfiel T, Freiwald J, Hoppe MW, et al.Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): part I: pathogenesis and diagnostics.Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2018;32(4):243-250. doi:10.1055/a-0753-1884

Zeng C, Luo G, Xu S, Li Y.The application of DOMS mechanism and prevention in physical education and training.J Healthc Eng. 2022;2022:9654919. doi:10.1155/2022/9654919

Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P.Eccentric muscle contractions: risks and benefits.Front Physiol. 2019;10:536. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00536

Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugué B.An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2018;9:403. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00403

Peake JM, Roberts LA, Figueiredo VC, et al.The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise.J Physiol. 2017;595(3):695-711. doi:10.1113/JP272881

Veqar Z, Imtiyaz S.Vibration therapy in management of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(6):LE01-LE4. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2014/7323.4434

Huang C, Wang Z, Xu X, Hu S, Zhu R, Chen X.Does acupuncture benefit delayed-onset muscle soreness after strenuous exercise? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Physiol. 2020;11:666. doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00666

Singla N, Desjardins PJ, Cosca EB, et al.Delayed-onset muscle soreness: a pilot study to assess analgesic study design features.Pain. 2015;156(6):1036-1045. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000109

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