( Life by DailyBurn ) -- You just crushed a really hard workout . You upped the load of your training , or you stepped out of your routine and tried a new activity . You feel great -- until you wake up the next morning , barely able to move . Enter delayed onset muscle soreness , better known as DOMS . It 's an acronym that athletes and fitness buffs wear with pride . As its name suggests , `` DOMS is muscle soreness that becomes evident six-to-eight hours following activity , peaking around 24 to 48 hours post-training , '' says Jon Mike , an exercise scientist at the University of New Mexico . While the symptoms will often start to diminish at about 72 hours , `` the precise time course and extent of DOMS is highly variable , '' Mike says . DOMS is most pronounced when you introduce a new training stimulus -- a new activity , increased intensity or volume -- or if you are new to physical activity in general . `` Your body is making adaptations to better prepare your muscles to do that activity again , '' says Lauren Haythe , certified Kinesis Myofascial Integration Practitioner and yoga teacher . That 's why on Day 1 at the gym , after doing squats or lunges with 10-15 pound weights , you can be brutally sore the next day . `` But , as you continue on , you can build up from there , and you wo n't be so sore , '' she says . While all kinds of muscular contraction can cause soreness , eccentric contraction -- where the muscle lengthens as it contracts -- is most often associated with DOMS , according to Mike . This includes movements such as running downhill , lowering weights or lowering down into a squat or push-up position . `` There is also some evidence that upper body movement creates more soreness than lower body exercises , '' says Mike . Muscle discomfort is the most common characteristic of DOMS , but there are other symptoms . According to the American College of Sports Medicine , these may include reduced range of motion and joint stiffness , local swelling and tenderness , and diminished muscle strength . These symptoms appear gradually following exercise ( not to be confused with acute pain that may arise during physical activity ) . No pain , no gain . Lactic acid build-up . An indicator of muscle growth . These are all phrases that we tend to associate with DOMS . While you may think you know everything you need to know about the condition that has you waddling like a duck , you may be surprised by what 's actually happening in your body . Myth # 1 : DOMS is caused by the build-up of lactic acid . The verdict : Not true . During exercise , your body needs energy , and it breaks down molecules to get that . As a result of this metabolic process , your cells naturally become more acidic which makes your muscles feel like they 're burning . But this is n't caused by lactate . Lactate is actually a by-product of the metabolic process and serves as a buffer and slows down the rate at which the cells become acidic . `` People produce lactate all the time , even at rest . It clears your system 30-minutes to one-hour after working out , '' says Mike . A study in Clinics in Sports Medicine found that DOMS is the result of microtrauma in the muscles and surrounding connective tissues , which causes inflammation . The reason that eccentric muscle contraction ( think lowering a dumbbell back down in a biceps curl ) is more likely to be the culprit is because it places a higher load on your muscles compared to concentric contraction . `` It 's the active lengthening of muscle fibers under load . It 's like you 're pulling on a rope , and there 's so much force that the rope starts to tear and pull apart , '' says Mike . Daily Burn : 5 exercise machines that are n't worth your time . Myth # 2 : It 's not a good workout unless you get DOMS . We often wear our DOMS as a badge of honor and believe that if we 're not sore , we 're not doing enough during out workouts . But that 's just not true . `` It does n't mean that you 're not getting as good of a workout because you 're not crippled the next day , '' says Monica Vazquez , NASM certified personal trainer . `` You should feel [ soreness ] 24 hours to three days after the activity . If , after three days , you try to do the same exercise and you can not because you go immediately to muscle failure , you 've done too much . '' According to Mike , studies have shown that soreness itself ( using a scale from 0 to 10 to assess the level of soreness ) is poorly correlated as an indicator of muscle adaptation and growth . There are many factors that influence how DOMS presents itself in individuals . `` There is great variability , even between people with similar genetics and even among highly-trained lifters [ and athletes ] , '' he says . So while comparing notes ( and commiserating ) is all part of the process , soreness and DOMS is n't the best gauge of how effective your workout was or who 's in better shape . Myth # 3 : The more fit you are , the less susceptible you are to DOMS . It 's true that you will start to feel less sore as your body adapts to your workouts and learns to distribute the workload across your muscle fibers more effectively . That 's why you should regularly change up your exercise routine . However , there is also a genetic component to how sensitive we are to pain and soreness . `` People can be no-responders , low-responders or high-responders to soreness , '' says Mike . If you 're a high-responder , you will experience DOMS more acutely than someone who is a no- or low-responder when given the same training load . While you ca n't change your genes , it is important to know where you fall on the spectrum to understand how your body may respond to changes in your workouts . Daily Burn : How to do a pull-up ( or add more reps ) Myth # 4 : Muscle damage is a bad thing . Yes , DOMS appears to be caused by trauma to your muscle fibers , but it 's not a definitive measure of muscle damage . In fact , a certain degree of soreness seems to be necessary . `` When muscles repair themselves , they get larger and stronger than before so that [ muscle soreness ] does n't happen again , '' says Vazquez . While these mechanisms are not completely understood , Mike notes that some muscle trauma is needed to stimulate protein production and muscle growth . Myth # 5 : Pre- and post-workout stretching is a good way to prevent and treat DOMS . Unfortunately , no . A review of studies for the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews on the effects of stretching before or after exercise on the development of delayed-onset muscle soreness found that pre- and post-workout stretching did not reduce the effects of DOMS in healthy adults . In fact , research has found that static stretching prior to working out does not safeguard you against injury and may actually decrease your power and strength . While you may not be able to avoid soreness altogether , ACSM suggests advancing slowly with a new workout , giving your muscles time to adapt and recover . Vazquez recommends always including a proper warm-up ( including dynamic stretching ) , and cool-down period as part of your routine . Stop waddling : How to recover from DOMS . There are a number of ways to alleviate those can't-make-it-up-the-stairs symptoms . A sports massage is one good way to reduce the effects . `` A massage will move the fluid and blood around in your body which can help heal the microtrauma in your muscles better , '' says Haythe . A study in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found massage to be beneficial on both gait and feelings of post-workout soreness . Other common ways to treat DOMS include foam rolling , contrast showers ( alternating between hot and cold water ) , Epsom salt baths , increased protein intake ( to increase protein synthesis ) and omega-3 supplementation ( to reduce inflammation ) , and sleep . New research in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that supplementing with saffron may also help to alleviate DOMS . Regardless of your preferred Rx , Haythe recommends looking at your diet to make sure your taking in nutrients to help your body heal . `` Find a diet that can really help you feel the best that you can feel , '' she says . Daily Burn : Are you foam rolling all wrong ? When it 's more than just DOMS . There may be times when you overdo it with your workout and feel bad . Really bad . But when should you be concerned ? `` If your level of soreness does not go down significantly after 72 hours and into the 96 hours mark , '' says Mike . ACSM advises that if the pain becomes debilitating , you experience heavy swelling in your limbs or your urine becomes dark in color , you should see your doctor . If it 's an injury , you 're more likely to feel it immediately during your workout -- something that should never be ignored . Soreness , on the other hand , will appear gradually , often the next day . `` An injury will likely limit your range of motion and last longer than three days , '' says Haythe . When all is said and done , DOMS should n't be avoided or revered . But it should n't be your only gauge of your level of fitness or strength . `` People think that the only part of their workout that matters is the hard part , '' Vazquez says . `` But , you can do more of the hard part if you do n't injure yourself . '' Long-term , Haythe says , `` You 'll build more muscle , strength and endurance if you give your muscles a chance to take a deep breath and recover . ''
` ` DOMS '' is an acronym for delayed onset of soreness . This happens when you introduce a new stimulus or increase the intensity , volume . It can also cause decreased range of motion and joint pain .