DOMS

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the pain in the muscles felt in the hours/days after exercise. There are various theories regarding the cause of DOMS, but the most widely accepted current theory is that when we exercise, small micro tears in the muscle tissue occur. Scar tissue forms over these tears during the healing process, and when we use the muscle again we stretch this scar tissue, causing slight pain.

This is only a theory. The truth is, we don’t know for sure what DOMS actually is, or what causes it. We do know however it is not caused by lactic acid build up, nor is it an indication of how hard a muscle has worked. DOMS is often noted after a change in exercise type, for example after a change in exercise program or after trying a new sport or activity.