Delayed muscle soreness: Etiology and treatment

  • Cláudia Roberta Vilela do Nascimento Programa de Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio da Universidade Gama Filho - UGF
  • Simone Figueiredo Máximo de Arruda Programa de Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio da Universidade Gama Filho - UGF
  • Reury Frank Pereira Bacurau Programa de Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio da Universidade Gama Filho - UGF. Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio - IBPEFEX
  • Francisco Navarro Programa de Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio da Universidade Gama Filho - UGF. Instituto Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Ensino em Fisiologia do Exercí­cio - IBPEFEX
Keywords: Delayed onset muscle soreness, Inflammation, Cytokines, Exercise, Treatment

Abstract

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS may occur to sedentary individuals who have recently started some physical activity or even to high level athletes who might have changed movement patterns, due to a particular period of training, or when they began activities which they aren’t adapted. The characteristics of DOMS are: it is often felt 8(eight) hours after exercise (activity), seeing intensified after twenty-four to forty-eight hours and decreasing progressively after seventy-two hours. It occurs in physical exercises that eccentric contractions are predominant and presents symptoms to follow: muscular stiffness, sensitivity to touch, decreasing movement amplitude and there is incapacity to generate maximum force. The presence of innermuscular proteins in the blood, cytokines in tissue and in blood, and migration of leukocytes to injured area, confirms the hypothesis that plasmatic membrane injuries and microinjuries in the muscular structure lead to an inflammatory response causing pain. It has been believed that inflammatory response is similar to stimulus intensity and pain is a protective mechanism to body, indicating if stimulus is being “nocive” to body. With these questions and with small efficiency of treatments until this moment, it is necessary more researches about this subject, for example showing if inflammatory process leads to adaptation, or discovering advantages to interrupt or to decrease DOMS.

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Published
2011-12-09
How to Cite
Nascimento, C. R. V. do, Arruda, S. F. M. de, Bacurau, R. F. P., & Navarro, F. (2011). Delayed muscle soreness: Etiology and treatment. Brazilian Journal of Exercise Prescription and Physiology, 1(2). Retrieved from https://www.rbpfex.com.br/index.php/rbpfex/article/view/21
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 2 (2007)
Section
Scientific Articles - Original

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