Understanding Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is commonly triggered by new or intense workouts, especially those involving eccentric muscle contractions like the downward phase of a squat. During eccentric contractions, less muscle mass is utilized compared to concentric contractions, leading to higher tension on active muscle fibers and potential mechanical disruption to the muscle and connective tissue. While the exact nature of DOMS as a muscle injury is debated, most muscle injury classification systems consider DOMS as a grade 0B injury, occurring at the muscle-tendon junction without MRI evidence of muscular damage.