So how can we reduce muscle soreness? Without going into too much detail, the key to attenuate soreness is to decrease inflammation. Inflammation begins right after you damaged the muscles, and is the first phase of tissue repair. During the inflammation phase, the body cleans up the damaged and dying cells to prepare for the repairing phase. This is an important process for tissue repair, but inflammation is aggressive and can also damage healthy cells, which is called “secondary damage.”^1,2

The inflammatory process also produces multiple markers (like prostaglandin and substance P) that stimulate pain nerves, which results in more pain. Less inflammation results in less pain and less muscle damage, and thus a quicker recovery.³

3 Ways to Control Muscle Inflammation: 1. The Zingiberaceae Plant Family

This plant family consists of ginger, turmeric, cardamom, and laos, which can be found in any supermarket. The effects of ginger and turmeric have been thoroughly tested by scientists. They have anti-inflammatory qualities and have been successfully used to reduce muscle soreness.^4,5,6 In fact, some it was shown that a mixture of turmeric and ginger was more effective in reducing inflammation than an NSAID. Try adding 2-3g of dried ginger or turmeric to your smoothie or tea each day.

3 Ways to Control Muscle Inflammation: 2. Breathing Exercises

You can also lower inflammation by turning on the right part of the nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is responsible for the “fight or flight” modus, making you ready to attack or run. One of the ways it does that is by releasing (nor)adrenaline, which is a major anti-inflammatory factor. With breathing exercises, you can stimulate the SNS, trigger the release of (nor)adrenaline and lower inflammation.^7,8

Research from the Radboud University in the Netherlands even showed that a breathing technique was able to prevent test subjects from getting sick. During the study, two groups were injected with dead bacteria, after which the control group got flu like symptoms within an hour, whereas the test group was able to fight the sickness with breathing exercises. The scientists concluded that the increase of adrenaline in the breathing group caused a lower inflammatory response, resulting in reduced sickness.^7,8

To stimulate the SNS, do 30 breaths focusing on breathing in, a form of hyperventilation. Inhale deeply and exhale shortly. This will produce some light-headedness and tingling in the hands and feet. After 30 breaths, exhale and try to hold your breath for as long as you can (should be more than 90 seconds). Repeat one or two times.

3 Ways to Control Muscle Inflammation: 3. Ice Baths

Symptoms of inflammation include redness, swelling, increased temperature, and loss of function. Did you see that the first three of those symptoms are highly influenced by blood flow? By restricting blood flow, the inflammatory response dampens.^9,10 Cold therapy is a great way to do that. Besides ice baths, you can also take a cold shower or use cold packs. This has been widely studied, and scientists have concluded that ice baths reduce muscle soreness and also cause a lower strength deficit 24-72 hours after training.^9,10,11,12 One disclaimer: don’t do it directly after strength training, because your body needs a little bit of inflammation. It’s better to do ice baths 45min or 60min after training.¹³ Try ice baths with a temperature of 10°C/50°F for 10min.

References:

1. MacIntyre, Donna L., W. Darlene Reid, and Donald C. McKenzie. “Delayed muscle soreness.” Sports Medicine 20, no. 1 (1995): 24-40.

2. Smith, Lucille L. “Acute inflammation: the underlying mechanism in delayed onset muscle soreness?.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 23, no. 5 (1991): 542-551.

3. Lapointe, Benoît M., Jérôme Frenette, and Claude H. Côté. “Lengthening contraction-induced inflammation is linked to secondary damage but devoid of neutrophil invasion.” Journal of Applied Physiology 92, no. 5 (2002): 1995-2004.

4. Ramadan, Gamal, and Omar El?Menshawy. “Protective effects of ginger?turmeric rhizomes mixture on joint inflammation, atherogenesis, kidney dysfunction and other complications in a rat model of human rheumatoid arthritis.” International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 16, no. 2 (2013): 219-229.

5. Mashhadi, Nafiseh Shokri, Reza Ghiasvand, Gholamreza Askari, Awat Feizi, Mitra Hariri, Leila Darvishi, Azam Barani, Maryam Taghiyar, Afshin Shiranian, and Maryam Hajishafiee. “Influence of ginger and cinnamon intake on inflammation and muscle soreness endued by exercise in Iranian female athletes.” International Journal of Preventive Medicine 4 (2013).

6. Wang, Shaopeng, Caihua Zhang, Guang Yang, and Yanzong Yang. “Biological properties of 6-gingerol: a brief review.” Natural Product Communications 9, no. 7 (2014): 1027-1030.

7. Kox, Matthijs, Lucas T. van Eijk, Jelle Zwaag, Joanne van den Wildenberg, Fred CGJ Sweep, Johannes G. van der Hoeven, and Peter Pickkers. “Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, no. 20 (2014): 7379-7384.

8. van Middendorp, Henriët, Matthijs Kox, Peter Pickkers, and Andrea WM Evers. “The role of outcome expectancies for a training program consisting of meditation, breathing exercises, and cold exposure on the response to endotoxin administration: a proof-of-principle study.” Clinical Rheumatology 35, no. 4 (2016): 1081-1085.

9. Ascensao, Antonio, Marco Leite, António N. Rebelo, Sérgio Magalhäes, and José Magalhäes. “Effects of cold water immersion on the recovery of physical performance and muscle damage following a one-off soccer match.” Journal of Sports Sciences 29, no. 3 (2011): 217-225.

10. Pournot, Herve, François Bieuzen, Julien Louis, Jean-Robert Fillard, Etienne Barbiche, and Christophe Hausswirth. “Time-course of changes in inflammatory response after whole-body cryotherapy multi exposures following severe exercise.” PloS one 6, no. 7 (2011): e22748.

11. Elias, G., M. Varley, V. Wyckelsma, C. Minahan, M. McKenna, N. Stepto, and R. Aughey. “Cold water immersion is most effective for recovery of repeat sprint ability and reducing fatigue post an Australian football game.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 13 (2010): e16.

12. Rowsell, Greg J., Aaron J. Coutts, Peter Reaburn, and Stephen Hill-Haas. “Effect of post-match cold-water immersion on subsequent match running performance in junior soccer players during tournament play.” Journal of Sports Sciences 29, no. 1 (2011): 1-6.

13. Roberts, Llion A., Truls Raastad, James F. Markworth, Vandre C. Figueiredo, Ingrid M. Egner, Anthony Shield, David Cameron?Smith, Jeff S. Coombes, and Jonathan M. Peake. “Post?exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long?term adaptations in muscle to strength training.” The Journal of Physiology 593, no. 18 (2015): 4285-4301.

The post Get Back At It: 3 Ways to Reduce Muscle Soreness appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The good news is by understanding DOMS you can take steps to reduce its intensity and prevent more serious cases. So let’s delve into what DOMS is, why it happens, and how to train through it.

You know that moment. You wake up a few days after a workout and think to yourself, “Ah, now I feel it.” The technical term for this post-workout evidence of hard effort is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Its presence is unmistakeable and, in some cases, unbearable.

The good news is by understanding DOMS you can take steps to reduce its intensity and prevent more serious cases. So let’s delve into what DOMS is, why it happens, and how to train through it.

What Is DOMS?

DOMS happens when you work your muscles harder than they are used to working. That’s the simple explanation, but on a biological level there’s a lot more going on. Coach Doug Dupont outlined some of these cellular effects of exercise in his analysis of a fascinating study on they body’s response to exercise.

The researchers who designed the study put the subjects through a rigorous workout, followed by a series of blood tests. The research team found an increase in injury markers, as well as higher levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes, which play an important role in immune response.

“The research team found an increase in injury markers, as well as higher levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes, which play an important role in immune response.”

The results of this study make sense. When we work our bodies harder than they are used to, the response is inflammation (as indicated by the increase in injury markers). The next natural step is an immune response. When our bodies can’t deal with exercise-induced muscle damage, we experience DOMS.

As noted in coach Becca Borawski Jenkins’s article,Just How Sore Are You? Scientists Use Infra-Red to Measure DOMS, temperature regulation plays a crucial role in whether or not you experience DOMS. Jenkins reported on a study that measured post-exercise muscle damage with infra-red imaging.

…researchers determined infra-red imaging could be an effective way to measure DOMS for future study. Researchers hypothesized the increase in temperature is likely due to friction between exercised muscle fibers, a boosted metabolism, and increased blood flow to the damaged muscle. Undamaged muscle would return to normal temperature, whereas damaged muscle would not due to the elevated circulation.

Is It Good or Bad?

Many people see DOMS as a sign of hard work and a job well done. Others avoid it like the plague. So is it good or bad? Coach Will Levy analyzed a research article by Brad Schoenfeld and Bret Contreras that provided interesting insight into what DOMS really means for your training:

While “the exact mechanisms are not well understood,” the paper by Schoenfeld and Contreras explained, “DOMS appears to be a product of inflammation caused by microscopic tears in the connective tissue elements that sensitize nociceptors and thereby heighten the sensations of pain…”

To summarize, let’s just say DOMS appears to occur due to connective tissue microtrauma. It’s also worth mentioning that while most exercise can induce some DOMS, exercise with a greater emphasis on the eccentric phase (the lengthening or stretching phase) plays the most significant role in the manifestation of DOMS.

In short, feeling sore and getting swole don’t necessarily go hand in hand. A little muscle damage is good and necessary for growth. But as Levy noted in his article, DOMS: The Good, the Bad, and What It Really Means for Your Training, when DOMS causes a decrease in force production or negatively affects your motivation to work out, the disdvantages outweigh the benefits.

Recovery Is Essential

Smart recovery can prevent DOMS from derailing your training. In her article, Does Aerobic Exercise Help Get Rid of DOMS? coach Katherine Derbyshire reported on a fascinating study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The researchers suggested moderate aerobic exercise after strength training may help reduce DOMS and can even enhance the effects of lifting weights.

“Keeping moving enables the muscles to contract and assists the heart in pumping. It allows the vessels to contract slowly and expire the waste products as carbon dioxide.”

Of course, strength training isn’t the only thing that can cause DOMS. Coach Simon Kidd described how to prevent DOMS after endurance training in his article, The Importance of Cooling Down After a Race or a Workout:

If you stand still, then the heart has to all the work by itself. If you continue to move, then the action of the muscles will assist pumping fluids around the body. Keeping moving enables the muscles to contract and assists the heart in pumping. It allows the vessels to contract slowly and expire the waste products as carbon dioxide.

A good cool down will typically last between five to ten minutes, depending upon the level of activity. Clearly, it is impractical to connect up a breathing mask at the end of an event. However a good guide will be your heart rate. The point when your heart rate starts to stabilize is indicative of your body returning to normal, although it will remain elevated for some time.

Supplements

A lot of supplement companies claim their products prevent DOMS. If you’re wondering which ones actually work, check out the following articles that outline the science behind these claims:

• BCAAs and Taurine Reduce DOMS: A combination of taurine and BCAAs reduced soreness two days after exercise.
• Caffeine Decreases Muscle Soreness: Caffeine improved performance and reduced fatigue after a brutal set of bicep curls.
• DHA Aids Recovery After Intense Eccentric Exercise: DHA decreased muscle soreness in the first four days after exercise.
• Anti-Inflammatories: Green Tea, Ginger, and the Athlete: Ginger supplementation reduced soreness in athletes by 25%.
• The Effect of Pomegranate Juice on Soreness in Trained Athletes: Pomegranate juice was recommended for seasoned athletes due to its effects on soreness and strength preservation.

What are your secrets to avoiding the DOMS slump? Share in the comments below!

You Might Also Enjoy:

• What Do Inflammation Markers After Intense Exercise Tell Us?
• Anatabine Not as Effective as Hoped for DMS
• Healing the Adrenal System: The Effectiveness of Massage Therapy
• What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post DOMS: Why You’re So Sore and How to Make It Better appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

• Gets out of bed: “Ow, my legs. Yeah, good squat session yesterday!”
• Puts on pants: “Ahh, yep, okay, those deadlifts really did the trick!”
• Sits on toilet: “Maybe I can I just hold off. Stupid Romanian deadlifts!”
• Drops keys: “Oh, bloody lunges!”

This is the classic delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which tends to kick in from as soon as six to eight hours post-exercise, and peaks around the 48 hour mark, though there is much individual variation of this timeline. And while lower body soreness tends to be more inhibiting and memorable, the phenomenon certainly isn’t limited to the legs. DOMS can occur anywhere in the body that has recently been exposed to unfamiliar or intense physical activity.

Despite the inconvenience of a significant bout of DOMS, a commonly held belief among trainees is that this soreness translates to progress, a job well done, and your ticket to inevitable Gainz. But is this correct? Is there any evidence to support the idea that muscle soreness serves as a valid indicator of muscle hypertrophy?

A recent article by Brad Schoenfeld and Bret Contreras from the Strength and Conditioning Journal examined exactly this idea.¹ So first let’s review their findings, and then I’ll give you something practical to take away.

What Causes DOMS?

The archaic theory for the mechanism of DOMS being a build-up of lactic acid and toxic metabolic waste products has largely been rejected. So first of all, let’s just take that one of the table, and move on.

While “the exact mechanisms are not well understood” the paper by Schoenfeld and Contreras explained, “DOMS appears to be a product of inflammation caused by microscopic tears in the connective tissue elements that sensitize nociceptors and thereby heighten the sensations of pain.” From there the article goes deep into the biochemistry describing noxious chemicals and different nerve afferents, the likes of which I’m sure you really needn’t concern yourself with if your goal is simply to find out how DOMS relates to your goal of getting fitter, stronger, healthier, and looking better naked.

To summarize, let’s just say DOMS appears to occur due to connective tissue microtrauma. It’s also worth mentioning that while most exercise can induce some DOMS, exercise with a greater emphasis on the eccentric phase (the lengthening or stretching phase) plays the most significant role in the manifestation of DOMS.

Does Getting DOMS Mean I’ll Build More Muscle?

Quick answer: No. Though it may enhance it, to an extent.

Longer answer: This really begs a different question of what does in fact cause hypertrophy, which leads us to another paper by Schoenfeld, The Mechanisms for Muscle Hypertrophy, and Their Application to Resistance Training.² Here’s the super quick summary to that one:

The three key mechanisms for hypertrophy are:

1. Mechanical tension
2. Metabolic stress
3. Muscle damage

For the purpose of our discussion on DOMS, we’re most interested in number three, muscle damage, as there is a strong correlation between DOMS and exercise-induced muscle damage. And for brevity’s sake, I’m going to drastically oversimplify this explanation: muscle damage is a contributing factor to muscle hypertrophy, though not a necessary one (hypertrophy can still occur without it, via mechanisms one and two). However, there is a point of diminishing returns, and extreme muscle soreness can be counterproductive. First, severe soreness can significantly decrease force-producing capacity, which will be detrimental to performance in subsequent workouts. Second, motivation levels can take a hit when you’re hindered by crippling muscle soreness. Neither of these will be beneficial for your long-term muscle building prospects.

Now, I can already hear the sadists protesting that they’re well accustomed to DOMS from training and that it won’t affect their motivation to train. That may be all well and good, but let’s just be clear that this isn’t a case of if you can handle it, then more will be better. On whether or not there is a causal link between DOMS and muscle hypertrophy, the authors go on “…it remains debatable as to whether DOMS is an accurate gauge of muscle damage.”

So while you may think that getting sore from training means you get to tick that muscle damage box, DOMS might not necessarily be an accurate indicator of muscle damage anyway. As Schoenfeld and Contreras wrote, “So although DOMS may provide a general indication that some degree of damage to muscle tissue has occurred, it cannot be used as a definitive measure of the phenomenon.” So no, you don’t need to experience muscle soreness after a training session to build muscle, and you probably shouldn’t rely on it as an accurate indicator of productiveness.

Practical Applications

Now let’s take a fairly standard training template for an intermediate trainee hitting the gym four times per week on an upper/lower body split, who wants to get bigger and stronger, and move, feel, and look better. Here’s how I look at the program (assuming an appropriate warm up prior, most likely consisting of some foam rolling, mobility drills, and light activation and movement patterns, of course).

We’ll take the lower body session for our example:

1A) Trap Bar Deadlift – 3 x 5; 1 x 10
Why: Our major strength exercise.

Mechanical tension: Very high.

Metabolic stress: Moderate. More in the final high rep set.

Muscle damage and DOMS: High. There’s a significant eccentric stress.

1B) Half Kneeling Pallof Press – 3 x 6/side

Why: Anti-rotation core work.

Mechanical tension: Low

Metabolic stress: Low
Muscle damage and DOMS: Low

2A) DB Reverse Lunge from a Deficit – 3 x 10/side

Why: Our secondary lower body exercise, a single leg variation.

Mechanical tension: Moderate.

Metabolic stress: High.

Muscle damage and DOMS: Very high. Especially thanks to the extra ROM from the deficit.

2B) Fit Ball Roll Out – 3 x 10

Why: Anti-extension core work.

Mechanical tension: Moderate

Metabolic stress: Low-moderate.

Muscle damage and DOMS: High, due to the eccentric stress on the abdominals. The first time performing these – correctly – can render laughing, coughing, and sneezing very uncomfortable.

Leg Superset:
3A) Single Leg RDL – 3 x 8/side

3B) Single Leg Hip Thrust – 3 x 12/side

3C) Goblet Squat – 3 x 12

Rest 60 seconds back to 3A

Why: A high volume leg finisher.

Mechanical tension: Low.

Metabolic stress: Very high (high volume and short rest periods).

Muscle damage and DOMS: Respectively, high, low and moderate. Net result: you’ll probably be sore. The SLRDL in particular is the culprit for many tender hamstrings for days afterwards, thanks to its significant eccentric stress.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully that provides a simple overview of what DOMS is and its role in muscle hypertrophy, and serves as a practical example of how to consider its effects – both positive and negative – when designing a training program for yourself or for your clients.

(Author’s note: Please recognize that the content in the first portion of this article was essentially a short commentary on the articles mentioned and linked below. For a better understanding and a full list of references I highly encourage you to check out the original articles by Brad Schoenfeld and Bret Contreras.)

References:

1. Brad J. Schoenfeld and Bret Contreras, “Is Postexercise Muscle Soreness a Valid Indicator of Muscular Adaptations?” Strength and Conditioning Journal, vol. 35 No. 5 pp. 16-21 (2013)
2. Brad J. Schoenfeld “The Mechanisms for Muscle Hypertrophy, and Their Application to Resistance Training” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 24(10) (2010)

Photo 1 courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

Photos 2 & 3 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post DOMS: The Good, the Bad, and What It Really Means to Your Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

One of the major components of DOMS is inflammation of the tissues. For this reason, anti-inflammatory strategies like massage, supplementation, or over-the-counter drugs are frequently suggested for reducing symptoms. In a recent study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, researchers looked at the anti-inflammatory effects of anatabine supplementation as a possible method for reducing DOMS.

Anatabine is an alkaloid found in the Solanacaea family of plants, which includes eggplant and peppers. It is, however, better known for being chemically similar to nicotine, and can be found in tobacco. Anatabine has recently been making waves for its ability to reduce inflammation, including brain inflammation that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers in this study proposed that it may also be a boon for frequent DOMS sufferers.

There are many studies out there dealing with DOMS and how to best alleviate it. There are many more home remedies you’ve probably heard from a guy at the gym. While some of these remedies may seem to speed up recovery, nothing seems to work as well as we’d all like. The researchers of this study thought anatabine would be different.

But alas, much like those remedies that came before it, anatabine failed to show a benefit. The researchers didn’t look at just pain. They also examined resting joint angle, strength, blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle circumference. But in the end, they were forced to conclude that the anatabine pills shouldn’t start rolling off the trucks to your local supplement stores. And I mean it when I say that, since a few of the researchers worked for pharmaceutical and nutrition companies, one of which was the primary reviewer and designer of the study.

Unless these companies were trying to knock out a competitor, it looks like the evil powers that sometimes control the results of studies like this took the day off. Nothing magical here. DOMS is still a problem we will have to resolve with a massage and time.

The good news is, we won’t start seeing cigarette and eggplant flavored workout shakes at the gym. Anatabine isn’t the holy grail of eliminating DOMS. However, the researchers did suggest further study into the effects of anatabine on chronic inflammation, which is often found in obese people, to improve overall health. The future may hold bright things for anatabine, but for now, it will remain on the sidelines.

References:

1. Nathaniel Jenkins, et. al., “The effects of anatabine on non-invasive indicators of muscle damage: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:33.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Anatabine Not as Effective as Hoped for DOMS appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Aside from the discomfort, delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) undermines athletic performance. Athletes, coaches, and trainers all have an interest in understanding what causes it and how to minimize its effects. While the cause is straightforward – muscle damage due to unaccustomed exercise, particularly large quantities of eccentric muscle actions – studies of recovery strategies have been inconclusive. Ice, massage, dietary interventions and other forms of passive recovery all seem to work to some degree, at least for some people.

Active recovery strategies, such as aerobic exercise, have not been studied as extensively, though their theoretical foundation seems plausible. Aerobic activity increases blood flow, removing the metabolic waste products responsible for DOMS and delivering more nutrients to the affected tissues. Moreover, aerobic exercise should be able to increase blood flow without causing further muscle damage. James J. Tufano and coworkers at California State University, Fullerton, sought to quantify the benefits – if any – of aerobic exercise for recovery.

The test subjects, twenty-six college-age women, were asked to perform a DOMS-inducing workout consisting of six sets of ten maximal eccentric actions of the right knee extensors, with one minute of rest allowed between sets. They were then randomly assigned to one of three recovery post-exercise recovery protocols. The control group simply sat on a stationary bicycle for 20 minutes. The other two groups pedaled for 20 minutes at either low or moderate intensity (30% or 70% of estimated maximum heart rate, respectively). The test subjects were asked to continue with their normal diet and daily activities, but to avoid other physical activity outside of the study. They were also asked to avoid stretching, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs or other recovery interventions. Researchers measured subjective pain levels (1-10 scale) as well as peak isometric and peak dynamic torque of the right quadriceps before and after the workout, then daily for the next four days.

Both pain and dynamic torque were at their worst levels immediately after the workout, then declined gradually over the next several days. This portion of the test partially validated the old coaching adage that “how you feel is a lie.” Dynamic torque returned to baseline within 2-3 days, while noticeable discomfort lingered for the full 4 days of the study. Unfortunately, the result was the same across all three groups, independent of the recovery protocol. Aerobic exercise neither helped nor hindered the subjects’ return to baseline levels of discomfort or dynamic torque. 

The moderate aerobic exercise group did, however, see improvements in isometric torque. Not only did isometric torque not decline as sharply in this group, it recovered to slightly above the baseline value by the third day. The researchers hypothesized that the volume of the testing procedure itself – 3 maximal isometric and 6 maximal dynamic muscle actions per day – produced a short-term training effect in the moderate recovery group.

The mixed results and the artificial nature of the test protocol make it difficult to draw practical conclusions from this study. In the real world, athletes are likely to perform more than one workout per week, and will try any and all recovery methods that appear to work. It is difficult to isolate the effect of any single intervention. However, this study does offer some evidence that moderate aerobic exercise does not impede recovery from resistance exercise, and may help to enhance short-term training effects. It does not, however, offer relief from the discomfort and performance degradation that DOMS can bring.

References:

1. James J. Tufano, et. al., “Effect Of Aerobic Recovery Intensity On Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness And Strength,” J. Strength and Cond. Res., 26(10), 2777-2782 (2012) 

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Does Aerobic Exercise Help Get Rid of DOMS? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

For researchers investigating methods for the prevention or treatment of DOMS the procedures for data collection have proven difficult. Attempts at measuring DOMS all involved subjective tools, like the visual analog scale (VAS), and more objective measures were determined impractical or dangerous.

Recently researchers at Loma Linda University decided to use thermal infra-red imaging to measure DOMS. Their work was published in written and video form through the Journal of Visualized Experiments.

In the study, researchers focused on the biceps. Only one arm of each subject was tested; the other arm was used as a control. Infra-red images of each arm were taken before exercises were prescribed and also at 24 hours and 48 hour post exercise.

Appropriate weights were selected after tests using a strain gauge to determine each subject’s strength. Subjects were then asked to perform four sets of 25 repetitions of bicep curls with the same arm, taking 90 seconds of rest between sets.

In addition to the infra-red imaging, subjects were also asked to score their subjective soreness on a visual analog scale – ranging from “no pain” to “extremely sore.” Myoglobin was also measured through blood analysis.

Test Results:

• A noticeable increase in temperature of the exercised arm at the 24 hour mark.
• Pre-exercise temperature was 32.80 degrees Celcius, at the 24 hour mark arm temperature was 33.96 degrees Celcius.
• No change in temperature for the un-exercised arm at any point.
• A large increase in pain level reported on the VAS – from 3.6 pre-exercise to 36.3 at the 24 hour mark.
• High levels of pain were reported on the VAS at the 48 hour mark, as well.
• Myoglobin levels increased at the 48 hour mark by 147 nanograms per millimeter.

Based on this analysis researchers determined infra-red imaging could be an effective way to measure DOMS for future study. Researchers hypothesized the increase in temperature is likely due to friction between exercised muscle fibers, a boosted metabolism, and increased blood flow to the damaged muscle. Undamaged muscle would return to normal temperature, whereas damaged muscle would not due to the elevated circulation.

Researchers believe this information will help future researchers more effectively study prevention and treatment of DOMS as well as offer an opportunity for athletes to be more aware of damage they are incurring at practices.

Infra-red photo courtesy of Al-Nakhli, H. H., Petrofsky, J. S., Laymon, M. S., Berk, L. S. The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. J. Vis. Exp. (59), e3551, DOI: 10.3791/3551 (2012).

The post Just How Sore Are You? Scientists Use Infra-Red To Measure DOMS appeared first on Breaking Muscle.