DOMS typically appears a day or two after you complete a vigorous or new workout.
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.
Westend61 / Getty Images
The soreness then begins to dissipate, and after five to seven days it goes away.
This in turn causes pain and inflammation.
Is DOMS 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.
Treatment
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.
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.
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.
2014;8(6):LE01-LE4.
A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Physiol.
2015;156(6):1036-1045. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000109
