Why does delayed onsite muscle soreness vary so much?

In my previous article, I explained what delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is.

So does DOMS mean my workouts are more productive?  

You don’t need to experience DOMS to know your work outs are productive or building muscle.  The reason is that although DOMS is general indicator of the degree of muscle tissue damage it various significantly from person to person and therefore it is not a reliable indicator.

So why does DOMS vary so much?

The short answer is because no two bodies are identical, just like our personalities our bodies are unique. Below is a list of the factors that influence this variation:

  1. Athletic condition, age & the muscle system
  2. Structural damage to muscle tissue and tendons
  3. Inflammatory response

The young are more susceptible to DOMS because their bodies as not yet developed enough to handle intense workouts.  While the old are more susceptible because of the hormonal changes associated with ageing and the decreased recover rate.  Structural damage to muscle tissue and tendons contributes to the body’s inflammatory response.  This inflammatory response created swelling and pain.

References

Brad J Schoenfeld & B Conteras, 2013, Is post exercise muscle soreness a valid indicator of muscular adaptions?, Journal of Strengthening & Conditioning Research, vol 35, (5) pp16-21

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