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Experiencing DOMS Doesn’t Mean Squat

 

16Why DOMS isn’t an effective indicator of workout effectiveness...

 

There is a growing body of evidence that is challenging the long-held notion that delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is essential for muscle growth. While the origination of this belief is unknown, it is clearly deeply rooted in the minds of many. If you listen closely, you will hear people making comments similar to the following:

“If it doesn’t hurt, you’re doing it wrong.”

“If I don’t get sore post-workout, I feel like I’ve wasted my time.”

“If you’re not walking funny after a leg work out, you need to lift more.”

Certainly, I am not suggesting that muscle soreness isn’t a worthwhile pursuit, but I am questioning if DOMS is worthy of the praise being bestowed upon it. In looking at the evidence, it’s clear to me that muscle soreness is not an indicator of muscle growth—at least not directly.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why DOMS occurs if it isn’t essential for muscle growth. And, to you I say, good question. Let’s discuss, shall we?

What is DOMS?

The soreness or DOMS experienced post-workout is your body’s reaction to microscopic tears in muscle tissue which have been caused by exercise. Before you freak out, this tearing and rebuilding process is completely normal. The body’s inflammatory response, coupled with localized swelling and pressure, results in heightened pain sensations.

Research shows that DOMS is more pronounced after unaccustomed exercise, especially if that exercise involves eccentric (muscle lengthening) contractions. Put another way, you are more likely to experience muscle soreness after resistance training versus carrying your book bag or purse.

The DOMS process normally starts within 4 hours of exercise, peaks at 72 hours and decreases at 96 hours. It should be noted, however, that DOMS is highly variable from person-to-person. Some people experience DOMS after each workout, whereas many experience it infrequently, if at all. Research shows that there is also no meaningful difference between men and women when it comes to muscle soreness. Both sexes are prone to DOMS, which is often characterized by painful muscle stiffness lasting for 2-3 days.

Given that DOMS is so variable, and unrelated to muscle growth, is it an indication of anything? Ah, another great question.

What DOMS Indicates

If you performed the math in your head from the previous section, you probably noticed that the symptoms of DOMS (e.g., muscle soreness) will actually subside a few days prior to the inflammatory process running its full course. Recent research also shows that caffeine can lessen the symptoms associated with DOMS. And, as you know, caffeine use among Americans is at an all-time high.  Ultimately this means that the DOMS process can actually occur undetected within your body and serves to better highlight why muscle soreness is a poor indicator of workout effectiveness.

There is little doubt that DOMS is associated with muscle damage, but the correlation does not imply causation. In fact, researchers have determined that muscle growth can occur independently of muscle soreness or elevated creatine kinase—two commonly accepted indicators of muscle damage. The recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology concluded that increases in muscle volume were found to occur without symptoms in a group of healthy male and female college students over eleven weeks.  

Researchers in another study reached the same conclusion, stating that DOMS is a poor reflector of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation. They also stated that changes in indirect markers of muscle damage and inflammation were not necessarily accompanied with muscle soreness.

So what’s the takeaway? I’m glad that you asked. Based upon our current understanding, it seems that DOMS may provide exercisers nothing more than the mental satisfaction of a job well done.

 

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Am J Phys Med Rehabit
2002 Nov; 81 (11 Suppl): S52-69
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol. 12, Issue 6, pages 337–346, December 2002
Journal of Experimental Biology, 2011, 214, 674-679
National Strength and Conditioning Association
, Volume 35, Number 5, October 2013

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