What Causes DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)?
By Sandy Sommer RKC on in Training Tips & Tricks
Let me first say that it isn’t caused by lactic acid as it very commonly supposed. Lactic acid is metabolic product resulting from intense exercise. As long as your uptake of oxygen is sufficient to use glucose as fuel then you operate at what’s known at your lactic acid threshold and you don’t feel that burning sensation. As soon as oxygen uptake catches up, then the burning feeling is diminished.
In the RKC community we talk about the WTH(What the heck) effect? Let me explain. The performance enhancements many of us get with kettlebells is pretty astounding. As an example, I’ve enjoyed a huge improvement in my golf swing and distance without playing tons of golf.
Another area I’ve experienced the WTH effect is when I add new exercises or movements to by workout regimen. In the last 6 months, I’ve added barefoot sprints, barbell deadlifts, Tactical Pull Ups and Slow Push Ups to my sessions and never experienced ANY DOMS with these additions. Anecdotally, I feel that it’s a result of my RKC kettlebell practice and is an indication of how fully my workouts use all major muscles and help me get more resilient than ever before.
And for the naysayers who say “no pain, no gain” I ask you to look at my enhanced performance. I continue to get stronger and stronger with virtually no DOMS. DOMS is most likely caused by microscopic tears in muscle fiber but it seems you don’t have to have soreness to get stronger and many seem to think you if you don’t experience pain you aren’t working hard enough. Those folks usually change their routine up often to create the pain they seek at the sacrifice of getting stronger. Strength is a skill.
Before I used kettlebells, I used to get DOMS whenever I introduced a new exercise to my program. Now I never get sore and it’s not at the expense of strength. 6 months ago, I wasn’t doing dead lifts nor was I doing Tactical Pull Ups. As I mentioned, I didn’t get sore when I started doing them yet I continue to improve my power.
Please share your thoughts and comments on this. What has been your experience?
6 Comment(s)
By Kris Wragg on Oct 4, 2009 | Reply
MC recently wrote a couple of articles on DOMS:
http://www.begin2dig.com/2009/09/doms-part-1-what-is-delayed-onset.html
I recently thought I was suffering from DOMS but I am coming to the conclusion now that it was actually due to a viral infection that was draining most of my bodies resources and swinging KB’s around just wasn’t helping matters.
Took a few weeks off and now I’m slowly working back up to my usual pace
By Sandy, RKC on Oct 4, 2009 | Reply
Kris,
Thanks for your comment. MC’s article is interesting but like I said, new levels of intensity as well as new movements have allowed me to avoid any soreness for at least 12 months and I attribute that to my kettlebell training.
Train Hard,
By Jennifer on Oct 8, 2009 | Reply
You know, Sandy, I have often commented that I just don’t get sore after a workout–no matter how hard I beat myself up (or how badly Mr. Whitley beats me up)–since I started working with kettlebells years ago. It’s one of the reasons I love them so!
By Sandy, RKC on Oct 8, 2009 | Reply
Jennifer,
Amazing in my opinion. I gave a talk last night to the Baltimore Ski Club and the resilience factor really was important to those in attendance.
Train Hard,
By Wheeler on Oct 21, 2009 | Reply
DOMS is still not very well researched but definitely not something absolutely needed for improving strength beyond the initial adaptation to the exercise.
I do, however, dislike it when people throw around the “Strength IS a skill” line as it means they miss the obvious that strength (ie ability to do work) in a particular “function” increases with skill, as does CNS coordination, muscle recruitment etc, but raw strength itself is NOT a skill it is a physical force and no matter how much skill you have your strength will always be limited by genetics — ie the underlying structures within you body. You will never out lift a 300lbs Olympic lift no matter how much better your technique and CNS conditioning, but you can certainly out lift someone with equal force potential with proper training and technique.
Yes I know “Master” Pavel says it’s all mental but it’s NOT there are underlying mechanisms that are not negotiable.
By Sandy, RKC on Oct 21, 2009 | Reply
Wheeler,
Thanks for the comments.
There is still work to be done of DOMS research for sure. But there is unquestionable evidence that it is not cause by lactic acid.
I’ve never heard Pavel Tsatsouline ever claim that strength is mental. He does, however, state strongly that it is a skill that is developed. The average person is able to recruit approximately 20-30% of their muscular capacity to do work. Top powerlifters are able to recruit about 50% of their capacity. The ability to recruit is something that you get more skilled at.
If a muscle’s cross sectional size is the same in two athletes, then they should both be able to generate the same amount of work capacity and that just isn’t so.
Train Hard!