Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in Atheletes

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is different from the pain experienced during a workout. It typically affects a person 12-24 hours after the exercise took place, and is most painful between 24 and 72 hours afterward.  It is primarily caused by a type 1 muscle strain, a minor degree of fiber damage. It is predominantly as a result of “more than usual” exercise. These tears lead to temporary inflammation, which then contributes to soreness, fatigue, and decreased range of motion.

A common misconception is that lactic acid accumulation causes DOMS. Lactic acid or lactate are not responsible for the soreness, but are a natural metabolic process that occurs during intense workouts. When oxygen supply is insufficient, your body needs to move into anaerobic mode — stored energy in your body is broken down into a compound called pyruvate, and pyruvate into lactate to fuel the muscles. This part of the process is called “lactic acid fermentation”  and is what causes the “burning” sensation during a workout. The lactate concentration triggered by a higher intensity workout will lower to normal levels within twenty to forty minutes after completing the exercise, while DOMS sets in hours, or perhaps days, later.

DOMS is also commonly mistaken for exercise-induced muscle damage, which is a true injury and needs medical attention. While a correlation between DOMS and muscle damage is a possibility, DOMS is not the best indicator, and it is important to recognize the difference and treat each accordingly.

The good thing about DOMS and the human body is that after completing a rigorous workout and contending with the soreness that follows, the next time muscles perform a similar activity, it doesn’t hurt as badly. It’s the body’s way of adapting to its environment, and it does exactly what it was created to do in such an efficient way.

How Massage Alleviates DOMS

A growing number of research studies tout the benefits of massage therapy for many conditions. The American Massage Therapy Association created a list of 25 reasons to get a massage.  Among these reasons are benefits in helping exercise performance and increasing range of motion.

Researchers have dedicated years to the study of DOMS and the best prevention and treatment methods. A key to prevention is having repeat activities in your exercise plan. The science is not completely certain as to why soreness is reduced by routine exercise. Research has shown the immune system plays a role in how the muscles repair themselves and how it protects against additional damage. Exercise science researchers at Bringham Young Univeristy produced evidence that showed for the first time specific immune cells, T-cells, aiding in this phenomenon.

Even experienced athletes suffer from DOMS, as of course do the weekend warriors. When prevention hasn’t sufficed, massage can help!.  A study was done and published in the Journal of Athletic Training in July-September 2005 issue. A standard 10-minute sports massage was performed on the exercised muscles by a qualified massage therapist 3 hours post-exercise. The researchers found that massage was effective in alleviating DOMS by approximately 30% and reducing swelling.

Other treatment plans abound, including micro-therapy, icing, fish oil, whole body vibration, and countless others. However, at its core, massage is the most natural and least invasive way to aid muscle recovery and accelerate healing.

Types of Massage

While there are many different types of massage, some prove better for athletes than others when it comes to recovering from DOMS. When dealing with muscle recovery, it is important to target the muscles that need the improvement the most and choose the type of massage that will best aid in relaxation and healing.

Methods that use targeted pressure along with muscle movement  tend to relieve muscle adhesions that may build up after frequent repetitive exercise. There are many names of techniques where the massage therapist will anchor muscle and fascia tissue and ask the client to assist in movement. Generally the work is known as structural integration.

Swedish massage is a well-known technique but more in association with general relaxation and pampering. However, a Swedish massage is very efficient when it comes to muscle recovery. This technique uses long strokes of various pressure to release muscle tension, increase blood flow, and stretch the muscles. With severe DOMS sometimes that is all that a person’s body can handle. These strokes can help to relax, and relieve tension and soreness without damaging the muscles further.

With several clients, we have found success with using hot stones in conjunction with the long fluid Swedish massage, and several of our athletes performed their best the day after their massage, using this method.

The benefits of massage as management for pain in athletes are innumerable. Massage stimulates the body’s own biochemical and physiological processes, from the production of mitochondria which promotes faster recovery, to the production of T-cells which reduce inflammation. Massage therapy is a healthy, non-invasive way address sore muscles, relax the entire body, and create a healthy life-style.