MOVEMENT 2
Movement – Question 2
Sara has worked out with Tommy for the first time and now has complaints of severe
soreness to her muscles for the past 24-72 hours. It is important to provide her with an
explanation and education related to both what the soreness is and why she is experiencing it at
this time. If the explanation doesn’t help her to understand, she may very well fire Tommy as her
trainer, due to becoming sore from their workout. Trainers being fired by their clients due to the
soreness they experience after a workout is one of the main experiences that trainers have had, as
their clients often do not realize the extent of what it is they signed up for.
Sara is currently experiencing a condition called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or
DOMS which typically takes anywhere from 24-48 hours to present itself after one completes a
strenuous workout or is unaccustomed to the exercises that they perform (Powers, et al., 2021).
This condition is a common one that is typically experienced in individuals who are new to
exercising but can also be felt by those who have been working out for awhile when they
perform exercises that their bodies aren’t accustomed to. There are many theories as to the main
cause of DOMS is, with some theories noting DOMS as being a byproduct of the lactic acid
build up that happens in the muscle tissue during a workout, that it is the result of spasms that
happen in the muscles after a strenuous workout, or that Sara may be experiencing pain that is
due to tears in the connective tissue of the muscles from the exercises she completed (Powers et
al., 2021). Many of the current theories about the reason for DOMS have, through research, been
debunked, with the most current research suggesting that DOMS occurs as a result of muscle
tissue being injured when excessive force is exerted on them which then results in trauma to the
tissue (Powers et al., 2020). The research that has been done to determine the origin of DOMS
provides evidence using electron micrographs of the muscles of individuals who are suffering
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from DOMS that show micro tears present within the muscle fibers (Powers et al., 2021). Even
though there is research to support why DOMS happens, there are still questions as to how and
why a person experiences DOMS, although there is a significant amount of support for the
current viewpoints gathered from the research.
What is currently known about DOMS is that is occurs in a pretty streamlined manner,
beginning with strenuous contractions of the muscle, most especially eccentric contractions that
cause the muscle to have structural damage. After that happens, membrane damage, including
damage to that of the sarcoplasmic reticulum happens which then leads to a leakage of calcium
out of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and into the mitochondria which leads to the inhibition of ATP
production (Powers, et al., 2021). The next step is the activation of enzymes, due to the calcium
build up. These enzymes cause cellular proteins, which include contractile proteins, to degrade.
This leads to damage of the cell membrane which, when combined with muscle proteins being
broken down, causes the inflammatory process to happen which results in the increase in various
things in the body, including prostaglandins, free radicals, and histamines being produced
(Powers et al., 2021). The final step that is noted to take place in DOMS is the individual
experiencing pain due to the increased accumulation of histamines and edema from the
inflammation in the surrounding muscle tissue that causes the pain receptors to increase pain
sensations (Powers et al., 2021).
After explaining to Sara what she is experiencing and why, she states that she had heard
on a podcast one day that DOMS is the result of hyperplasia of the muscle fibers, as there is an
increase due to the resistance training, she performed. An explanation of why DOMS is not due
to hyperplasia is necessary to dispel what Sara is currently thinking is true about DOMS. While
DOMS has been noted to occur in animals as a result of hyperplasia, it has yet to be proven to
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take place in humans. It is safe to say that Sara is not experiencing DOMS due to muscle
hyperplasia.
It will be rather difficult for Sara to avoid DOMS, as it tends to occur following an
instance of intense exercise of muscle groups, especially in an individual who isn’t familiar with
working the specific muscle groups, the intensity of the workout, or a combination of both. The
risk of DOMS is further increased when the eccentric phase of exercises is being completed, as
compared to the concentric phase of the exercise (Powers et al., 2021). While it might not be
easy for Sara to avoid DOMS altogether, there are some things that she can do that will help
reduce the likelihood of having severe muscle soreness after her workouts. The first tip to give
Sara would be to slowly integrate exercises in the first five to ten sessions, as the slow
introduction to the exercises allows for her muscles to adapt to the exercise which results in less
strain and stress on them and a potential reduction in DOMS symptoms (Powers et al., 2021).
Additionally, Sara could integrate the RICE treatment when she is experiencing severe pain to
help decrease both inflammation and swelling of the muscles that are affected. RICE stands Rest,
Ice, Compression, and Elevation and helps the individual to allow the affected muscles time to
recover from the activity so as to not continue to be in pain and decrease the amount of time it
takes to heal. Additionally, Sara might benefit from the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) as these can also aid in the reduction of pain and inflammation in the affected
areas, that is if she wants to take them. If she chooses not to take any medications, she may be
able to utilize compression garments during her workouts that can help to keep lactic acid from
building up in the muscles which will help improve her performance while decreasing the
amount of time it takes her to recover and her level of pain.
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It is important to understand that DOMS is something that many beginners experience
when they first start working out or when those who have been working out for awhile do an
exercise that their body isn’t familiar with. DOMS has not been proven to be the result of
hyperplasia in humans, only in animals. To aid in decreasing how severe DOMS is for an
individual, taking new exercises slow for the first five to ten sessions is important, while the use
of NSAIDs and compression garments may also aid in a reduction of pain severity. Finally, the
use of the RICE treatment method can also be highly beneficial in an individual who is
experiencing DOMS related pain.
