What Are DOMS

DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness is the pain or soreness you feel in your muscles after a workout. They usually start anywhere between 24 and 42 hours after your workout and depending on the intensity of your workout they can last for one to three days.

It is said that it is caused my microtrauma in the muscles. Essentially very tiny tears and the muscle. While this sounds bad it is what causes your muscles to grow because whne your body repears itself it grows the muscles back stronger in preparation for them to become torn again.

Many people when they first start working out and are not used to it may think it is a physical injury. Although technically DOMS are an injury they are necessary for building muscle.

Are DOMS Necessary And How Often Should I Be Getting Them?

In my experience yes, DOMS are necessary and mean you are on the right track to building muscle. However too much is not good either. Your muscles should not be so sore you cannot function for a few days afterwards. That can be a sign of over training which is actually doing more harm than good.

What Do DOMS Feel Like?

DOMS cause your muscles to almost feel stiff especially if you have been sitting around for a while. It can be a dull aching pain when you first stand after a leg day. The pain fades however after you have been moving around for a while. The affected muscles can sometimes feel sore to the touch as well.

How Should You Prevent DOMS From Being Overwhelmingly Painful?

While you will never be able to prevent DOMS 100% of the time, there are things you can do to minimize the pain.

1. Drink Lots Of Water - Water is very important to a diet. In fact, it's so important we have our own calculator that allows you to calculate how much water you should be drinking. Water is essential for building muscle and staying hydrated is one of the most important aspects of building muscle. 
2. Make Sure You Are Taking In Enough Protein - Since protein is what your body uses to repair and maintain its muscles it's best to have an adequate amount of protein in your diet. It's always better to have a surplus of it than not enough.
3. Stretch - Stretching, especially before and after your workout is one of the most effective way to deal with DOMS. It will alleviate some of the pain to loosen up the muscles and reduce the tightness in them.
4. Foam Roll - Your muscles can become knotted which will further impede their repair. Foam rolling is a sort of manual way of massaging them and removing knots.
5. Make Sure You're Taking In BCAAS - Taking in Branch Chain Amino Acids as well as less common vitamins are also a good way to keep your body as prepared as possible for the muscle soreness that is about to come.
6. Use A Topical Treatment - Icy Hot and other topical treatments also have a good effect on sore muscles. Warming them up with a heating pad also helps as well. Warming the muscles helps loosen them up for better as quicker repairs.