Sore After a Workout? What DOMS Is, How Long It Lasts, What Helps, and Whether to Train Through It
Two days after your first proper leg session you cannot sit down for namaz without wincing. Is that a good sign? Here is what delayed-onset muscle soreness actually is, how long it lasts, which remedies the research supports, and when it is fine to train through it.
By Taha Raza
Published
Almost everyone who starts training meets it in the first week: stairs become a negotiation, bending for namaz or sajda hurts, and lifting your arms to comb your hair feels like a workout. Some people take it as proof the session worked and chase it every time; others are put off the gym for good. Both reactions come from misunderstanding what soreness is.
What DOMS is, and what it is not
DOMS is caused by tiny disruptions in muscle fibres and the inflammation and sensitivity that follow, mostly from eccentric work — the lowering phase of a squat, the downhill part of a walk, the slow return of a dumbbell curl. It is not lactic acid: lactate is cleared from muscle within an hour or so of finishing, long before the soreness starts. It is also not a sign of injury on its own; it is the normal response to a stimulus your muscles are not used to.
| Time after the workout | What you feel |
|---|---|
| 0–12 hours | Usually little or nothing |
| 12–24 hours | Stiffness starts |
| 24–72 hours | Peak soreness: tender to touch, worst when you first start moving, eases as you warm up |
| 3–5 days | Fading |
| More than 7 days | Not DOMS — get it checked |
Why it gets better so fast
A single bout of unfamiliar exercise protects the muscle against damage from the next similar bout — the 'repeated bout effect', reviewed by McHugh in 2003. That is why the first week of a new programme is the worst and the third week is easy, even at heavier weights. It is also why the first session of anything should be gentler than you think: one or two sets per exercise, stopping well short of failure, then building up week by week as described in our progressive overload guide.
Soreness is not a measure of progress
A 2013 review in the Strength and Conditioning Journal by Schoenfeld and Contreras concluded that muscle soreness is a poor indicator of how much a workout will build muscle. Experienced lifters grow with little soreness, and new or unusual exercises make you sore without necessarily being more effective. Chasing soreness — new exercises every week, endless lowering, punishing volume — mostly leaves you too sore to train well next time.
What helps, and what does not
| Remedy | What the research found | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Massage and foam rolling | A 2018 meta-analysis of 99 studies found massage the most effective technique for reducing DOMS and perceived fatigue | The best option |
| Light activity | Active recovery — easy walking, cycling, light sets — reduced soreness in the same meta-analysis | Yes — keep moving gently |
| Cold-water immersion | A 2012 Cochrane review found modest reductions in soreness from 24 to 96 hours, from low-quality trials. But a 2015 trial found that a 10-minute ice bath after every strength session for 12 weeks led to smaller gains in strength and muscle | Occasionally, around competitions — not after every lifting session |
| Compression garments | Helped perceived fatigue in the 2018 meta-analysis | Optional |
| Stretching | A 2011 Cochrane review found stretching before or after exercise reduced soreness by about half a point to one point on a 100-point scale | Does not relieve DOMS — stretch for mobility, not soreness |
| Sleep and protein | Recovery happens while you rest and needs building material | Always |
| A hot shower or bath | Feels good; little evidence it speeds recovery | Fine if you enjoy it |
| Painkillers | Not needed for normal DOMS | Occasional use is fine for most people; ask a pharmacist if you have stomach, kidney or heart problems |
Should you train when you are sore?
- Mildly sore: train. The soreness usually eases within the warm-up, and moving the muscle helps.
- Very sore in one area: train the other muscles, or do a lighter version of the session for the sore one.
- Never try a maximal lift on a very sore muscle. Your form changes to protect it, which is where injuries come from.
- If you are so sore you cannot move normally, the previous session was too much. Cut the sets next time rather than skipping a week.
How beginners can avoid being wrecked
- Week one: one or two sets per exercise, three or four reps short of failure.
- Add a set per exercise each week rather than starting at full volume.
- Do not start with lots of slow lowering work, long downhill walks or a hundred jumping lunges.
- Train the same exercises for several weeks so the repeated bout effect can do its work.
- Eat protein at every meal and sleep seven to nine hours.
When it is not DOMS
- Sharp pain during the exercise, or pain in a joint rather than the muscle.
- Swelling, bruising or pain on one side only.
- Pain that is still there after a week.
- Severe pain and swelling with weakness and dark, tea- or cola-coloured urine after an unusually brutal session — this can be rhabdomyolysis, where damaged muscle floods the blood. It needs urgent medical care, not rest at home.
This article is general information, not medical advice. See a doctor or physiotherapist for pain that is sharp, one-sided, in a joint, or lasts more than a week, and seek urgent care for severe muscle pain with dark urine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does DOMS last?
It usually starts 12–24 hours after the workout, peaks between one and three days, and fades within about five days. Pain that is still there after a week, or that is sharp or in a joint, is probably not DOMS and is worth getting checked.
Should I work out if I am still sore?
Usually yes, if it is mild — the soreness often eases during the warm-up and gentle movement helps. If one area is very sore, train other muscles or do a lighter session for it, and avoid maximal lifts on a very sore muscle.
Is muscle soreness a sign of a good workout?
No. A 2013 review concluded that soreness is a poor indicator of muscle growth. New or unusual exercises make you sore without necessarily being more effective, and experienced lifters grow with little soreness.
What is the fastest way to get rid of sore muscles?
Massage has the best evidence — a 2018 meta-analysis found it the most effective technique for DOMS and fatigue — followed by light activity such as walking. Sleep and protein help recovery. Ice baths reduce soreness a little but, used after every lifting session, can reduce strength and muscle gains.
Does stretching help sore muscles?
Hardly at all. A Cochrane review found stretching before or after exercise reduced soreness by about half a point to one point on a 100-point scale. Stretch for flexibility and mobility, not to relieve DOMS.
Why am I so sore after my first gym session?
Your muscles are not used to the load, especially the lowering part of each movement. A single session protects them against the next — the repeated bout effect — so the soreness drops sharply in the second and third weeks. Start with one or two sets per exercise and build up.
Sources
- Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B. Is postexercise muscle soreness a valid indicator of muscular adaptations? Strength and Conditioning Journal, 2013
- McHugh MP. Recent advances in the understanding of the repeated bout effect. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2003
- Dupuy O et al. An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 2018
- Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011
- Bleakley C et al. Cold-water immersion (cryotherapy) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012
- Roberts LA et al. Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. Journal of Physiology, 2015
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