Don't Be Discouraged by Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

As I sit writing this article, nearly every muscle in my body aches.  I can’t help but ask myself, “Did I over-do the workouts this week?”  After all, I have been incredibly motivated lately and I’ve had some of the most intense workouts that I’ve experienced in a long time. 

Athletes and muscle enthusiasts who are sensitive to their bodies and scrutinize every aspect of their physical, mental and environmental conditions can easily become discouraged when faced with excessive, unexpected delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).  Some consider muscle soreness on the days following a workout to be an indication of the quality and effectiveness of the workout.  There is no doubt that delayed onset muscle soreness assures the exerciser that the muscles were exposed to stress.  

However, the existence, or lack of, DOMS is not a good indicator of how good a workout was.  In fact, legendary power lifter Fred Hatfield once stated that he almost never experienced DOMS, yet he continued to increase his lean muscle tissue and strength levels year after year.

The purpose of this article is to set the athlete’s mind at ease who is concerned about the onset of muscle soreness beyond what is typically experienced.  Overtraining, poor nutrition, inadequate nutrition or supplementation or lack of rest is not always the reason that a muscle enthusiast experiences significant DOMS.  The body is a mysterious machine and sometimes unexpected physical reactions occur that cannot be explained. 

As with most other muscle enthusiasts, I am constantly analyzing my nutritional needs and requirements, adjusting my supplement intake and brainstorming on how to enhance my recovery so that I may achieve the most out of my program in the most efficient way possible.

While assessing my daily nutrition intake, I typically come to the conclusion that I am consuming sufficient calories and the appropriate nutrient ratio to expedite recovery and feed my body.  When I perform monthly body composition analysis I am usually pleased to find that I increase my lean tissue, even if I do not lose an appreciable amount of body fat. 

I have always held the belief that sleep and down-time is critical to mental and physical recovery from regular, grueling workouts.  I typically sleep 8-9 hours per night and take a 30-45 minute nap during the day.  For the record, my wife and I both work fifty hours per week at our full-time jobs and have a very energetic 18-month old running around.   One of the primary reasons I am able to maintain a workout program with a busy lifestyle is because I built a gym in my home’s two-car garage.  I explain the research and purchase process of my home gym in the article How My Home Gym Saves Me Money, Time and Energy.

About three months ago I decided to back off on my supplementation a little bit.  Creatine monohydrate, glutamine, whey protein and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA’s) have always been a mainstay in my nutrition and supplementation regimen.  And, as I explained in the article Making the Case for Vitamin Supplementation, using a quality multivitamin supplement daily is a must for, well, just about everyone. 

So, is my reduction of nutritional supplementation resulting in the unusual, excessive delayed onset muscle soreness that I am experiencing?  I doubt it.  I believe that supplements like creatine monohydrate tend to enhance my workouts in the gym by making the compounds available for my body to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP).   As I've explained in previous other articles, creatine monohydrate also creates an environment that positively impacts muscle cell volume and size. 

Glutamine and branched-chain amino acids occur naturally in whey protein.  By consuming sixty to eighty grams of quality whey protein daily, I am confident that I am consuming adequate quantities of both glutamine and bcaa’s for recovery. 

So, I’ve determined that I am eating plenty of nutritious foods in the right quantities, getting plenty of rest and supplementing adequately.  So, have I over-done the workouts this week?  I don’t believe that I have.   Perhaps the existence of unusually noticeable DOMS is simply unexplainable.

I speak to many athletes, bodybuilders and casual exercisers regularly and some panic when they experience greater muscle soreness than usual.  They often blame themselves for poor nutrition, lack of rest or overtraining.  These factors may be the culprit in some cases; but I have found that, more often than not, all appropriate measures are being taken to prevent overtraining and enhance recoverability. 

As uncomfortable as it may be, delayed onset muscle soreness is often the cost of doing business.  An unusual, unexpected bout of DOMS should not concern the disciplined athlete or muscle enthusiast, as long as all aspects of nutrition, supplementation and rest are addressed.  The mind should be left at ease with the understanding that continued discipline and adherence to sound principles of nutrition and recovery will result in continued progress.  

Also Read:

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Athletic Preparation and Motivation: The Psychological Advantage