Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Causes and Relief

Do you struggle to walk down stairs two days after starting a new training programme? This is a common condition known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS in the medical literature. The answer to how muscle soreness goes away lies in managing expectations and using effective recovery methods. In this article we cover the causes of DOMS, its typical course and the methods that may help ease it.

What is DOMS and why does it happen?

DOMS is a state of pain and tenderness that develops from microscopic damage to muscle fibres, particularly after an unfamiliar or higher-intensity workout. The pain does not appear during training but usually starts 12-24 hours later and peaks between 24 and 72 hours. Eccentric contractions, where the muscle produces force while lengthening (for example walking downstairs or the lowering phase of a squat), cause DOMS more often.

The typical course of DOMS

Timing	What to expect
0-12 hours	Usually no noticeable pain; a mild feeling of fatigue may occur
12-24 hours	Pain and tenderness begin; restricted movement may be felt
24-72 hours	Pain peaks; a temporary drop in muscle strength may be seen
After 72-96 hours	Pain gradually fades and in most cases disappears completely

This course varies with the individual, the type of training and experience level. In regular exercisers, DOMS severity usually drops when the same movement is repeated, a phenomenon known as the repeated bout effect.

Telling DOMS from injury

• DOMS: Usually symmetrical (similar on both sides), a diffuse aching feeling; it may ease with movement and resolves within 3-5 days.
• Injury (muscle strain, tear): Mostly one-sided, sharp or stabbing pain; swelling or bruising may accompany it and it may worsen over time.
• When to see a doctor: Always consult a doctor for severe swelling, dark-coloured urine, extreme weakness or pain lasting more than a week; suspected rhabdomyolysis, a rare but serious condition, is associated with these symptoms.

Methods that can help ease muscle soreness

1. Light active movement: Low-intensity activities such as walking or easy cycling support blood flow and can bring a feeling of relief.
2. Gentle stretching: Stretches done within a comfortable range, without forcing the sore muscle, can reduce tightness.
3. Heat: A hot shower can increase blood flow to the muscles and create a feeling of relief.
4. Enough sleep and hydration: Tissue repair happens largely during sleep, and adequate water intake supports the process.
5. Light massage or self-myofascial release: Gentle pressure with tools such as a foam roller can bring relief for some people.

Common mistakes

• Staying completely inactive until the pain is gone: Too much rest can make you miss the relief that light movement can provide.
• Loading the sore muscle group at the same intensity again: Hitting the same muscle group with maximal load while DOMS persists can delay recovery.
• Training through pain with painkillers: Suppressing the pain signal and continuing to push can delay noticing an underlying injury.
• Seeking maximum intensity in every workout: Constantly training at very high intensity can make DOMS chronic and cause general fatigue.
• Inadequate warm-up: Going straight into intense movement with cold muscles can raise both the risk and severity of DOMS.

Ways to reduce the risk of DOMS

Moving gradually into a new type of exercise or higher intensity can significantly reduce the risk of DOMS. For example, spending the first week of a new pilates or strength programme at low intensity and building up lowers the chance of sudden, severe DOMS. A dynamic warm-up before training and gentle stretching afterwards can also help.

Who should be careful

• People with severe, one-sided or stabbing pain should see a doctor or sports physiotherapist to assess for injury rather than DOMS.
• If symptoms such as dark urine, excessive swelling or weakness are present, urgent medical evaluation is needed.
• People with chronic musculoskeletal conditions should get a doctor's or physiotherapist's opinion before starting a new training programme.

How do you track progress?

Noting DOMS severity daily on a simple 1-10 scale can help you see which types of training cause you more soreness. Seeing the severity fall over time with regularly repeated movements is a sign that your body is adapting to them. This information provides a useful reference for deciding when you can raise the intensity.

A sample weekly recovery table

Day	Session	DOMS management
Monday	New or intense strength training	Light walk and stretching the next day
Tuesday	Light activity	Hot shower
Wednesday	Reformer Pilates (low intensity)	Gentle range of motion
Thursday	Rest	Enough sleep and hydration
Friday	Gradually raise intensity	Take care with warm-up and cool-down

Light movement and DOMS management

During a period of DOMS, light movement is usually more useful than complete rest. A low-tempo walk or easy cycling can support blood flow without loading the joints. If you suspect an acute injury, it should be assessed before applying heat. Since there is no pool in Beytepe, those who prefer swimming can use another facility in Ankara.

Support after DOMS at O'Wellness Beytepe

O'Wellness Beytepe offers options that help you lighten your training while you have DOMS. Deep Stretch Yoga and Mobility & Stretching classes can help you keep your range of motion without stressing the sore muscle groups. If the pain is severe or persistent, you can get an assessment from our Sports Physiotherapist service.

Nutrition and DOMS

Adequate protein intake is one of the key nutrients contributing to muscle repair. A balanced meal or snack after training can support recovery. Foods with debated anti-inflammatory properties, such as those containing omega-3, come up in discussions, but there is no firm, generalisable conclusion; getting support from a dietitian for a personalised plan is a more reliable approach.

Possible causes of DOMS: micro-damage and inflammation

Although the exact mechanism of DOMS is still debated, the generally accepted explanation is microscopic structural damage to muscle fibres and the mild, local inflammatory response that follows. Contrary to what was once believed, it cannot be explained by lactic acid build-up alone; lactic acid leaves the body shortly after exercise and does not by itself explain the delayed onset. Micro-damage is a natural part of the muscle repairing itself and becoming more resilient over time, so DOMS can be seen not as a side effect to avoid completely but as a sign of the adaptation process.

Eccentric movements and DOMS risk

Eccentric movements, in which the muscle produces force while lengthening, cause DOMS more often than concentric ones, in which the muscle shortens as it contracts. For example, the lowering phase of a squat can cause more micro-damage to muscle fibres than the rising phase. Walking downstairs, running downhill or lowering a weight slowly are therefore examples that raise the risk of DOMS. Increasing eccentric load gradually when starting a new programme can reduce the chance of sudden, severe DOMS.

DOMS differences by experience level

People new to exercise generally experience more severe DOMS than regular exercisers. The reason is an adaptation mechanism known as the repeated bout effect: when the same movement or a similar muscle group is worked again, muscle tissue develops some protection against the earlier micro-damage. This effect can last a few weeks and is not fully permanent; DOMS can become noticeable again when you return to a movement after a long break. That is why it matters to raise intensity gradually when returning to training after a holiday or a long gap.

A sample four-week gradual intensity increase

A commonly used approach to managing DOMS risk is to raise training intensity gradually. The general framework below can be a starting point for people beginning a new programme.

Week	Intensity	Focus
Week 1	Low (60-70%)	Learning movement form; mild DOMS is expected
Week 2	Moderate (70-80%)	DOMS eases through the repeated bout effect
Week 3	Moderate-high (80-85%)	Volume is increased gradually
Week 4	Target intensity	Move into a regular routine

This table is a general example; it should be adapted to your fitness level, previous training experience and trainer guidance. Your trainer can adjust the volume and intensity of the next session according to the DOMS you feel that week; this flexible approach gives more sustainable results than sticking rigidly to a fixed programme. Especially for beginners, giving the body time to adapt instead of speeding up the programme out of enthusiasm both lowers injury risk and protects motivation in the long run. Raising intensity early may look like quick progress in the short term, but it usually ends in longer recovery times and interrupted training; patience and planned progression are the most often overlooked components of development.

DOMS severity by type of training

DOMS does not appear with the same severity in every type of training. Workouts with high eccentric load and unfamiliar movement patterns usually cause more noticeable soreness, while repetitive, low-impact movements are milder. The table below gives a general summary of the typical DOMS tendency of some class formats offered at O'Wellness Beytepe; values vary from person to person.

Class / training type	Typical DOMS tendency	Note
Booty Class	Medium-high	High eccentric load on the glutes and leg muscles
Tabata / O'Hiit	Medium-high	High intensity and unfamiliar movement combinations
Reformer Pilates	Low-medium	Controlled range of motion; beginners may feel mild soreness
O'Ride Cycle	Low	Mostly concentric, low impact on the joints
Vinyasa Yoga	Low	Static positions may create mild tension in some muscles

When joining a new class format for the first time, knowing its general intensity profile can help you manage your DOMS expectations. You can browse the content of all formats on our group classes page.

Heat and cold: which one and when?

Heat and cold have different uses in DOMS management and are not interchangeable.

• Heat (hot shower): Can increase blood flow and contribute to muscle relaxation and a feeling of relief; can be preferred during the 24-72 hour peak of DOMS. Avoid heat if acute swelling or trauma is suspected.
• Cold (ice, cold shower): Can help limit swelling in the first hours after an acute injury; however, because of debate that it may slow muscle adaptation, it is not routinely recommended after every workout.
• Contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold): Some people report relief; however, the level of scientific evidence is limited and it should be judged by personal experience.

People with heart or circulatory conditions should consult their doctor before starting intense heat or contrast therapy.

Example scenario: managing DOMS when starting a new programme

Imagine someone who has not trained regularly before and starts attending group classes three days a week for the first time. By the end of the first week, noticeable DOMS is normal, especially after classes that work the lower body. In week two, instead of dropping the same classes completely, lowering the intensity a notch (for example with unweighted variations) and carrying on allows you to benefit from the repeated bout effect while protecting motivation. From week three, as the body starts adapting to the same movements, DOMS severity is expected to drop markedly. Sharing the process with your trainer helps adjust the programme to your pace of adaptation.

Frequently asked questions

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