Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

beewgee1969
beewgee1969 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys -

Any recommendations for DOMS other that NSAIDs for soreness after a hard run or ride?

Thanks!

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,183 Member
    Keep moving, mildly: Sitting around just makes things tighten up more, IME.

    Other things to try: Self-massage (foam roller, tennis ball, etc.), alternate cold then heat, OTC liniments, hydration and maybe electrolytes, Epsom salts bath, stretching, getting a professional massage from a credentialed massage therapist, making sure to warm up and cool down before/after the workout as needed.

    NSAIDs actually might be counterproductive: Inflammation is part of healing/recovery, and NSAIDs counter the inflammation.

    Usually severe DOMS only happens with new or dramatically increased exercise, and as long as one keeps repeating similar (or sensibly progressive) workouts on a regular schedule, the discomfort will drop to a much milder experience. (That's been my experience, anyway.)

    Best wishes!

  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    edited April 15
    I remember reading a while back that tart cherry juice also helps.

    I just had a look, and found the study that article was probably based on:
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874510/

    I did buy a few bottles of the juice for the weekend of my first marathon - I still felt sore the next day ^^ But I can't judge if it would have been worse without the juice or not; I just figured it couldn't hurt.

    ETA: personally, I always felt like foam rolling makes it worse, but most people seem to find it helpful, so I guess you have to experiment with that yourself.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,978 Member
    Moving around and epsom salt bath.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,214 Member
    Keep moving, light stretching, hot tub.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 914 Member
    Dynamic stretches, movement warmups to get your muscles awake and going, active recovery. Also proper fueling and hydration.
  • ssauvageot
    ssauvageot Posts: 3 Member
    Before working out, I'll typically do some stretches. Near the end of my workout, I'll slow down gradually. Once finished, I'll try to stay active. If I sit for long periods, I tend to get stiff/sore. When backpacking or doing long endurance activities, vitamin I (Ibuprofen) does wonders, but I try not to use it too often.

    A long hot soak in a tub or hot tub also works wonders.

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,600 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Moving around and epsom salt bath.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
    Does Epsom actually help? Can you outline the mechanism? I’m all for a hot bath but I’ve never actually tried Epsom salts - just use a bubble bath!
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,845 Member
    ssauvageot wrote: »
    Before working out, I'll typically do some stretches.
    For clarity, if you're lifting, static stretches beforehand are a bad idea. It doesn't prevent injury and it reduces lifting performance. Better to do more warm-up sets with full range of motion. Dynamic stretches are OK before lifting too, and static stretches after the lifting are fine.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,183 Member
    claireychn074 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Moving around and epsom salt bath.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
    Does Epsom actually help? Can you outline the mechanism? I’m all for a hot bath but I’ve never actually tried Epsom salts - just use a bubble bath!

    IMU the science is . . . limited at best, mostly anecdotal support. The concept is that magnesium is released from the Epsom salts and absorbed through the skin, then replenishes magnesium in the cells. Magnesium levels can affect some muscle symptoms/concerns. The evidence for transdermal absorption being useful is what's more limited.

    This is an overview of that point from the journal Nutrients (2017):

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579607/

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