Dominic Stone
Muscle soreness is a common phenomenon, and it can involve multiple muscles at the same time, along with ligaments, tendons, and fascia. While the soreness is usually a good sign, indicating that the muscles are healing and getting stronger, it is still an unpleasant experience. The causes of muscle soreness can vary, with acute soreness occurring during or immediately after exercise due to a buildup of metabolites, lactate, or lactic acid. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs 12 to 72 hours after intense or unfamiliar exercise and is caused by microscopic tears and inflammation in the muscles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) |
| Type | Acute (immediate) or Delayed Onset |
| Cause | Temporary muscle damage and inflammation |
| Trigger | Eccentric exercises |
| Pain-free Period | 12-24 hours |
| Peak Soreness | 24-72 hours |
| Treatment | Light exercise, hydration, anti-inflammatory foods, protein consumption |
| Prevention | Warm-up, light cardio, drinking water |
| Supplements | Magnesium supplementation |
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What You'll Learn
Lactic acid buildup
During intense physical activity, your body may struggle to get oxygen to your muscles and other tissues, leading to a higher production of lactic acid. This temporary rise in lactic acid is not dangerous and usually does not cause any symptoms. Your liver and kidneys filter lactic acid out of your blood and break it down into glucose.
The soreness you feel after a workout is due to microtears in your muscle fibres, which is a normal process that helps your muscles grow stronger. This is supported by Dr. Hedt, who states that "muscle soreness occurs because muscle and the connective tissue around it get damaged during exercise. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about, though. In fact, it's needed for muscle growth, since muscle is built back stronger during this repair process."
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a type of muscle strain injury, with a pain-free period of 12 to 24 hours and peak soreness between 24 to 72 hours. DOMS is considered a positive sign, indicating that your muscles are healing and becoming stronger. It is important to differentiate muscle soreness from other types of pain, as the severity of soreness is not always related to the extent of muscle damage.
While lactic acid buildup may not be the primary cause of muscle soreness, it can still play a role in muscle recovery. Dr. Hedt suggests that "lactic acid buildup after a hard workout might actually cue muscle regeneration—acting as a signal to your body that your muscles have worked hard and need to be repaired and rebuilt." Therefore, while lactic acid may not be the direct cause of muscle soreness, it can be a marker for muscle recovery and regeneration.
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Muscle damage
Muscle soreness, also known as myalgia, is extremely common. It is often caused by muscle stress from overuse, including repetitive strain injuries, or traumatic injuries, including sports injuries and accidents.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a type of muscle soreness that occurs one to two days after exercise. It is caused by microscopic tears and muscle damage. This type of muscle soreness can affect anyone, from elite athletes to beginners, whenever they increase their workout intensity, perform eccentric exercises, or try a new kind of exercise.
DOMS is considered a type 1 muscle strain injury, with a pain-free period of 12 to 24 hours and peak soreness between 24 to 72 hours. During this time, the body repairs the muscle fibres, improving them slightly each time, which is how we progressively become fitter and stronger through exercise.
While muscle soreness is usually temporary and not serious, it can sometimes be a sign of a long-term condition that requires medical attention. For example, chronic muscle diseases (myopathies) that attack muscle fibres, such as chronic myositis and muscular dystrophy, can cause muscle pain without damaging the muscles. In addition, certain medications, such as statins, can cause muscle damage as a side effect, and withdrawing too quickly from a medication can also cause muscle pain.
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Inflammation
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a sore, aching, and painful feeling in the muscles after unfamiliar or unaccustomed intense exercise. This soreness is caused by temporary muscle damage and inflammation, commonly triggered by eccentric exercises. Eccentric exercises cause you to tense a muscle while simultaneously lengthening it. For example, the controlled, downward motion as you straighten your forearm after a biceps curl is an eccentric movement. The way your quads tense up when running downhill is another example of an eccentric movement.
During the repair process, the strength and thickness of the affected muscle fibres increase, resulting in stronger muscles. As you continue to exercise at a similar level of intensity, you will notice that your muscles won't get as sore. This is because your body repairs the muscle fibres, improving them slightly each time, which is how you progressively become fitter and stronger through exercise.
DOMS usually involves muscle tightness and tenderness, with the pain-free period lasting 12 to 24 hours and peak soreness occurring between 24 to 72 hours. The pain tends to peak about one to three days after your workout and then usually eases up after that.
To reduce muscle soreness, it is recommended to warm up with light cardio, such as a slow walk or cycling at a low setting, before each workout. Increasing blood flow to the muscles reduces the risk of injury and expedites the healing process. Drinking plenty of water also helps loosen joints and transports nutrients that promote muscle healing.
Foods that are naturally anti-inflammatory, such as watermelon, cherry juice, and pineapple, may also help alleviate some soreness. Additionally, magnesium supplementation has been found to significantly reduce muscle soreness and improve perceived recovery.
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Lack of hydration
Water is essential for nearly every function of the human body, including muscle health and performance. Muscles are made up of about 75% water, so staying properly hydrated is crucial for maintaining their strength, flexibility, and endurance. When the body is dehydrated, the volume of circulating blood decreases, leading to reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. This disruption can cause muscular responses to become slower, weaker, and less coordinated, resulting in decreased physical performance and difficulty in completing routine movements.
Dehydration also affects the balance of electrolytes in the body, which are crucial for regulating muscle contractions and relaxation. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, need to be adequately balanced for muscles to function properly. When dehydration occurs, the body loses more water and salt through sweating, disrupting the delicate balance and increasing the risk of muscle cramps and spasms.
Additionally, dehydration slows down the removal of waste products such as lactic acid, which accumulate during physical activity. This can lead to increased muscle soreness and a longer recovery period. Chronic dehydration can result in ongoing muscle pain, stiffness, and reduced flexibility of the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding and supporting the muscles.
It is important to prioritize fluid intake, especially during physical activity, to support muscle recovery, prevent cramping, and reduce the likelihood of muscle pain. Implementing recovery strategies and maintaining proper hydration can help prevent and manage delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is a common occurrence after intense or unfamiliar exercise.
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Connective tissue injuries
Muscle soreness is often a result of muscle damage and inflammation caused by unfamiliar or intense exercise. This is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). While DOMS is a common and normal occurrence, it is important to differentiate it from other types of pain.
Connective tissues, which include ligaments, tendons, and fascia (thick bands of tendons), hold the structures of the body together. They are made up of two proteins, collagen and elastin. When these connective tissues become inflamed, they can cause harm to the proteins and surrounding areas of the body, resulting in connective tissue injuries.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome is a chronic condition that affects the muscles and the fascia (thin connective tissue) surrounding them. It is triggered by muscle injuries, repetitive movements, and risk factors such as muscle weakness, lack of muscle activity, emotional stress, and vitamin deficiencies. The condition causes trigger points or knots in the muscles, resulting in localized or referred pain.
Connective tissue disorders are a broad category of diseases that affect the tissues connecting and supporting organs and body structures. These disorders can cause musculoskeletal pain, weakness, and stiffness, as well as systemic symptoms like fatigue. Rheumatoid arthritis, relapsing polychondritis, myositis, Sjögren's syndrome, and lupus are examples of autoimmune connective tissue disorders. Lupus, in particular, can cause inflammation in any or all of the connective tissues.
In summary, connective tissue injuries, including disorders and chronic conditions, can contribute to muscle soreness and pain. Myofascial Pain Syndrome, for example, affects the fascia surrounding muscle tissue, leading to trigger points and pain. Additionally, connective tissue disorders, such as lupus, can cause inflammation and pain in the connective tissues throughout the body.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle soreness can be caused by several factors, including muscle tension, overuse, injury from exercise, or physically demanding work.
There are two main types of muscle soreness: acute and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Acute muscle soreness is felt immediately after exercising and is caused by a buildup of waste products such as lactate and hydrogen ions within the muscles during high-intensity exercise. DOMS, on the other hand, usually starts about 12-24 hours after a workout and peaks around 48 hours post-workout.
DOMS is caused by microscopic tears and muscle damage that occur during intense or eccentric exercises. This damage triggers an inflammatory response in the body, which may lead to delayed onset muscle soreness.
There are several ways to relieve muscle soreness, including light exercise, drinking plenty of water, and consuming foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as watermelon, cherry juice, and pineapple. Additionally, proper hydration is crucial in reducing muscle damage.
While there is no consensus on completely preventing muscle soreness, implementing recovery strategies and proper warm-up routines before intense exercise can help reduce its intensity. Warm-up exercises increase blood flow to the muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
