D is for DOMS in the Running ABC's
Todays we are looking at the letter D, with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS
This should not be confused with general muscle soreness you experience after a tough workout DOMS is the pain you feel 24 to 72 hours after exercise which can prevent you from doing any more training. Runners are prone to DOMS due to the fact that running involves a lot of eccentric stress, especially downhill running, and when it hits, the pain will usually last between two and four days.
So let's be clear, if your muscles are hurting immediately after a marathon, this is not DOMS.
There has been a lot of research on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness with limited success, but research has found some ways to limit the effect it has on you.
Firstly, where does the soreness actually come from. A lot of people actually think the soreness is caused by a build up of lactic acid in the muscles. This isn't the case as lactic acid levels will go down to those of your resting state within 20 to 40 minutes of you finishing a workout. Even though it will cause some soreness, it will be felt immediately after exercise.
The higher the intensity of the workout, and the more you are not used to, like a hill repeat or track interval session, will be the cause of your DOMS as these types of sessions can damage the integrity of the muscle cell membrane causing micro tears in the muscle fibre which then lead to inflammation, soreness, fatigue, stiffness and reduced range of motion.
To treat or limit the effects of DOMS, research has shown it is more important to make sure your muscles are warm before a workout. The will make sure your muscles are better prepared to handle the workout. Getting comfortable with tough workouts will also make sure your body is used to it, so making sure that you are training to adapt to hard training instead of avoiding them.
If you missed my earlier posts, you can see them at the following link:
https://steemit.com/running/@run.vince.run/the-abc-s-of-running-the-letter-a
https://steemit.com/health/@run.vince.run/running-abc-s-b-is-for-bq
https://steemit.com/running/@run.vince.run/the-running-abc-s-c-is-for