DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

DOMS is the muscle soreness that develops 12-72 hours after unaccustomed training. Peaks at 48 hours, resolves by 96 hours.

Mechanism — Microscopic muscle damage and the subsequent inflammatory response. Eccentric loading produces more DOMS than concentric. Adaptation occurs within 1-2 sessions — the 'repeated bout effect.'

Use case — A signal of novel stimulus. Useful for tracking new-program response. Mitigation: gradual ramp-up, omega-3s, sufficient sleep, hydration.

Caveats — More DOMS ≠ better training. Chronic high DOMS is overreaching. Persistent DOMS at 5+ days needs more recovery before training the area again.