Have you ever woke up on the morning after a workout with muscle pain? How could the pain be so much worse 24 or even 48 hours after a hard day of running? This phenomenon is known as “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” (DOMS) and it can make the day after a hard training session miserable.
The cause of DOMS is unknown. One theory is that the pain is caused by micro tears in the muscle fibers. The healing process in the days following a hard workout causes muscle pain. Another theory argues that DOMS is caused by the body’s process of strengthening the muscle to adapt to increased training. The mechanism of building the muscle tissue in the days following a workout causes swelling in the muscle cells, which causes pain.
Whatever the cause DOMS, the most important thing is to cure it when you have it. Here are some tips to lessen the pain caused by DOMS:
- The best way to reduce soreness is to ice the affected muscle. Try to apply ice to the painful area for 10 minutes at a time.
- Try to to gently stretch the muscles in order to increase flexibility and promote healing. Be sure not to overstretch the muscle, as you will do more harm than good.
- Massage the affected muscle. Either visit a professional masseuse, or try self-massage. To properly self-massage, lightly rub the muscle with your fingers. When you find an especially painful spot, gently dig your thumb into the area for about 10 seconds. Repeat until the muscle feels looser.
- Take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. Inflammation is part of the healing process, but it can also cause painful swelling. Medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen help to limit the swelling.
In order to prevent DOMS, make sure that you properly warm up before a workout or race and cool down after you are done. The warm up and cool down should be at least 5-10 minutes each. Although the last thing that most runners want to do after a hard run is cool down, it is so important in helping to prevent soreness in the following days.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Wanhoff.
