DOMS refers to delayed-onset muscle soreness. When you wake up in the morning after an intense run and say “oh, my muscles are so sore,” you are experiencing this muscle soreness.
There is a misconception that this type of soreness only happens to those who are sedentary and decide to start exercising. Many believe that they are healthy and fit enough that their muscles should not get sore, but that is very far from the truth.
Many runners do have to deal with DOMS from time to time, and that includes some elite level runners who decide to bump up their training routine.
DOMS Explained
You should consider delayed-onset muscle soreness as the good soreness that shows you are really challenging your muscles and making them stronger.
It is believed that tiny tears are made in the muscle when they are pushed to beyond their current strength level. These tiny tears create some pain and soreness known as DOMS.
The good news is that those small tears will be replaced by the body within a few days of the intense workout session. As they are repaired, the muscles will be built up stronger than they were before. This means they will be able to handle even more intense training the next time the runner heads out for a run.
DOMS tends to feel the worse the two days directly following an intense workout. A severe case may last a day or two longer, but many runners find themselves healed and feeling stronger within a couple days.
Common Causes
Delayed-onset muscle soreness comes from challenging muscle in ways that it is not accustomed to being challenged. This is why even elite level runners can develop this type of good soreness.
They may be excellent at their sport, but there are still plenty of motions that their bodies are not routinely trained to handle. When they add more strength training into their routines or start venturing into rougher terrain, their muscles will be challenged, the small tears will develop, and they will wake up the next morning very sore.
Any time you do something that your muscles are not expecting and are not quite strong enough to handle, you will stimulate the tearing process that leads to delayed-onset muscle soreness. The good news is you will be stronger for it in a couple days.
Treatment Options
If you go through a grueling workout and feel your muscles are going to be sore the next day, make sure to stretch the muscles out right after the workout. You might want to use a foam roller or some other tool to help stretch and lengthen the muscles so they do not contract and contribute to more pain.
Over the next couple of days, allow your muscles to rest while doing less intense exercise. If the soreness is severe, you may choose to take a day or two completely of exercise. If you do not want to do that, then consider cross training with a gentler sport.
Spending some time swimming is a good idea, since you can work the entire body while eliminating virtually all strain on the muscles. The goal should be to remain active, but keep the pressure from the muscles so they have a chance to repair those tears and recover.
Some people recommend treating DOMS with massage, but that may not work for everyone. It may take some of the tension out of the muscles in the short term so you feel better, but it won’t necessarily completely relieve all soreness in the muscles.
How to Prevent
Short of never challenging your body to new degrees, there is no proven way to ensure you never go through a case of DOMS.
Some people advocate thorough stretching of the body after intense exercise, while others will use tools like foam rollers to prevent soreness. This may work for some, or it may work to at least lessen the amount of soreness experienced the next day. For many, it is not enough to prevent the soreness after a very intense workout.
It may be better for beginning runners and runners pushing it to new heights to learn how to deal with their DOMS and how to tell the difference between delayed-onset soreness and other common running injuries that can come with pain.
The difference is mainly that delayed-onset muscle soreness comes with soreness, but other running injuries come with more severe pain and aching.
Do you want to get more tips on how to prevent and cope with running injuries? You should give Running Doc’s Guide to Healthy Running
Recommended further reading:
- How to prevent achilles tendonitis
- How to prevent ankle sprains
- How to prevent blisters
- How to prevent hamstring injuries
- How to prevent muscle cramps
- How to prevent overtraining syndrome
- How to prevent plantar fasciitis
- How to prevent shin splints
- How to prevent stress fractures
Return from DOMS to Running Injuries
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