Caused by microscopic tears that damage the muscle during exercise, delayed onset muscle soreness, otherwise known as DOMS, is the familiar dull ache we all know. Most common after a new, or more intense workout, I have known it to cause days of pain. The day after my first parkrun, I woke with an ache in my back. It gradually moved down my body to leave, via my feet, approximately four days later.
While some people – usually your confident and highly motivated members – may welcome DOMS as a necessary part of the journey towards a fitter, stronger body, it can act as barrier to those who are new to exercising.
If DOMS is the result of the muscle damage required to increase muscle size, is there a way to gain muscle mass without soreness? And if so, could this encourage more people to take out a gym membership?
