Sore Muscles After a Workout? What DOMS Is and What Actually Helps

You feel fine right after a new workout. Then the next morning, getting out of bed is an adventure, and the day after can be worse. That is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. It is normal, it is temporary, and some popular remedies work much better than others. Here is what the research says.

What DOMS is

DOMS is the tenderness and stiffness that shows up hours after unaccustomed or intense exercise, typically building over the first day and peaking a day or two later. It is most common at the start of a training season, after a break, or when you try a new type of exercise.

Eccentric movements, where a muscle lengthens under load, cause the most soreness. Think of lowering a heavy weight, running downhill or the down phase of a squat. A 2003 review concluded that DOMS likely comes from a combination of tiny muscle injuries, connective tissue strain and the inflammation that follows, rather than any single cause. The old idea that it comes from lactic acid has not held up.

What actually helps

A 2018 meta-analysis of 99 studies compared recovery techniques after exercise:

The stretching result is backed by a Cochrane review of 12 studies, which found that stretching before or after exercise reduced soreness by only about one point on a 100-point scale, too small to notice. Stretch for mobility, not for soreness.

A practical plan for sore muscles

• Keep moving. Light activity eases soreness, even if the relief is temporary.
• Use massage or a foam roller on the sore areas.
• Go lighter for a day or two, or train other muscle groups while the sore ones recover.
• Ease into new exercises over one to two weeks, especially eccentric-heavy ones.
• Remember the repeated bout effect. The first session of a new exercise usually causes the worst soreness; the next ones cause much less.

Soreness is not a measure of a good workout. You can make excellent progress with very little of it.

Where PeptiStrong fits

PeptiStrong is a network of peptides made from fava bean protein, and its first human trial was built around DOMS. In 2023, 30 healthy men aged 30 to 45 took 2.4 g of PeptiStrong or a placebo daily for 14 days, then did a hard workout designed to cause muscle soreness. Over the following 72 hours, the PeptiStrong group recovered strength better than the placebo group, measured across the whole period, and reported less muscle fatigue. For the bigger recovery picture, read how to speed up muscle recovery.

When soreness is something more

Seek urgent medical care for severe muscle pain with swelling, weakness or dark, cola-colored urine after exercise, which can signal a serious condition called rhabdomyolysis. See a physician for sharp pain, pain in one specific spot or joint, or soreness that is not improving after a week. Talk to your physician before using PeptiStrong if you have G6PD deficiency or a history of favism, a legume allergy, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 or take prescription medication.

How Vita Bloom fits

Our PeptiStrong Muscle Peptides deliver 2.4 g of PeptiStrong® in four capsules a day, the amount used in the 2023 recovery trial, as the only active ingredient. Take them daily with water, alongside your training, and give it at least eight weeks.

Frequently asked questions

How long does DOMS last?

It usually builds over the first day, peaks a day or two after exercise and fades over the next several days.

Should I work out when I am sore?

Light activity is fine and often helps. Hold off on hard training of the very sore muscles for a day or two, or train other muscle groups.

Does stretching help sore muscles?

Not much. A Cochrane review found stretching reduced soreness by only about one point on a 100-point scale.

Does PeptiStrong help with muscle soreness?

Its 2023 trial measured recovery after a soreness-inducing workout and found better strength recovery and less fatigue over 72 hours compared with placebo.

PeptiStrong® is a registered trademark of Nuritas Ltd. Vita Bloom Labs uses the branded ingredient and is not otherwise affiliated with Nuritas.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.