How to Reduce Muscle Soreness (DOMS) After Exercise

You try a new workout. It feels great in the moment. But 24-48 hours later, you can barely lift your arms or walk down stairs. Your muscles are sore, stiff, and achy.

Welcome to DOMS—Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

If you've experienced this, you're not alone. DOMS affects everyone from beginners trying a new sport to experienced athletes introducing new movements. The good news? While some soreness is inevitable when you challenge your muscles in new ways, there are proven strategies to minimize it and recover faster.

What is DOMS? And Why Does It Happen?

DOMS is the muscle soreness you feel 24-72 hours after an intense or unfamiliar workout. It's different from the "pump" you feel during or immediately after exercise.

What causes it?

When you perform new or intense movements, you create microscopic damage to muscle fibers and the connective tissue around them. Your body responds with inflammation—a necessary part of the repair process. This inflammation, combined with fluid accumulation in the muscles, causes the soreness and stiffness you feel 1-3 days later.

Why does it appear delayed?

The soreness isn't felt immediately because the inflammation cascade takes time to build. Peak soreness typically occurs 24-48 hours post-workout as your body ramps up repair and immune response.

Important note: DOMS is NOT a sign of a good workout. You can have an excellent, productive workout with minimal soreness, and a mediocre workout with severe soreness. Soreness ≠ results.

Why Some Workouts Cause More DOMS Than Others

DOMS is primarily triggered by eccentric exercise—movements where your muscles lengthen under tension.

Examples:

• Walking downstairs (quadriceps lengthening as you descend)
• Lowering weights slowly (the downward phase of a bench press)
• Running downhill (hamstrings and quads lengthening)

Conversely, concentric exercises (shortening muscles under tension, like lifting a weight up) cause less DOMS.

This is why:

• Beginners get sore from almost any activity (everything is new and unfamiliar)
• New movements cause soreness even if you're very fit
• You may get sore legs from downhill hiking even if you run marathons on flat terrain

The Most Effective Ways to Reduce DOMS

1. Gradual Progression (Prevention is Best)

The best way to avoid severe DOMS is to avoid sudden increases in training intensity or volume.

The rule: Increase training stress by no more than 10% per week. This gives your body time to adapt without triggering excessive inflammation.

If you're new to exercise or trying a new activity, start conservatively. Your muscles will adapt, and soreness will decrease with each session.

2. Protein and Carbs: Nutrition Matters

Your muscles need raw materials to repair. Post-workout nutrition significantly impacts soreness levels.

A study found that consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates post-exercise reduced DOMS and accelerated recovery compared to a carb-only meal.

Aim for:

• Protein: 20-40g within 2 hours of exercise
• Carbohydrates: 40-80g to replenish glycogen and support repair
• Hydration: Replace fluids lost during exercise with water and electrolytes

3. Contrast Therapy: Cold and Heat for DOMS Relief

This is where cold plunging and sauna become particularly valuable for DOMS management.

How cold therapy helps:

• Reduces inflammation (cold constricts blood vessels, limiting inflammatory response)
• Numbs soreness (cold is a natural analgesic)
• Reduces fluid accumulation (edema) in muscle tissue

How heat therapy helps:

• Increases blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to damaged muscles
• Promotes muscle relaxation and reduces stiffness
• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-repair mode)

The contrast cycle (alternating hot and cold) is more effective than either alone because:

1. Heat increases blood flow and brings oxygen/nutrients
2. Cold reduces inflammation and prevents excessive swelling
3. The repeated cycle "pumps" fresh blood into damaged tissues repeatedly
4. The alternation challenges your cardiovascular system, strengthening it

Research supports this. A clinical trial on athletes with muscle soreness found that contrast therapy (alternating sauna and cold plunge) significantly reduced perceived soreness and improved recovery compared to passive rest.

Many athletes use contrast therapy specifically during peak DOMS (24-48 hours post-workout) for maximum benefit.

4. Active Recovery: Light Movement Reduces Stiffness

Lying in bed might feel good when you're sore, but light movement actually speeds recovery and reduces DOMS.

Low-intensity activities—walking, easy cycling, swimming, yoga—increase blood flow to sore muscles without creating additional damage. This delivery of oxygen and nutrients accelerates the repair process.

Why it works: Movement increases circulation, which removes inflammatory byproducts and delivers nutrients. Stiffness decreases as muscles warm up and blood flow improves.

What counts as active recovery:

• Easy 20-30 minute walk
• Gentle yoga or stretching
• Light swimming
• Easy cycling at conversational pace

The intensity should feel effortless. If you're working hard, it's not recovery—it's another workout.

5. Sleep: Let Your Body Repair

Growth hormone, the primary driver of muscle repair, is released during deep sleep. Athletes who get 7-9 hours of sleep recover faster and experience less soreness.

A study found that sleep deprivation impaired muscle recovery and increased soreness perception. Conversely, adequate sleep dramatically accelerated adaptation.

Sleep hygiene for recovery:

• Aim for 7-9 hours nightly
• Sleep in a cool environment (65-68°F is ideal)
• Keep your bedroom dark
• Avoid screens 30-60 minutes before bed

6. Hydration and Electrolytes

Dehydration worsens soreness perception and slows recovery. Make sure you're replacing fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise.

Post-workout hydration:

• Drink 150% of body weight lost during exercise (if you lost 2 lbs, drink ~30 oz of fluid with electrolytes)
• Spread this over 2-4 hours to maximize absorption

What Doesn't Work (Or Doesn't Help Much)

Ice baths immediately post-workout: While cold can reduce inflammation, using ice immediately after a workout may blunt some of the beneficial adaptation signals your body sends. Some soreness is necessary for adaptation. Contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold) is more effective than ice alone.

Stretching to prevent DOMS: Research shows that static stretching does little to prevent or reduce DOMS. Focus on other methods instead.

Massage immediately post-workout: Light massage feels good, but evidence for preventing DOMS is weak. Massage 24+ hours later may help more.

NSAIDs (ibuprofen): While these reduce pain, they also blunt inflammation—the necessary repair signal. Overusing NSAIDs can slow adaptation. Use sparingly.

The DOMS Timeline: What to Expect

• 0-24 hours post-workout: Soreness begins to develop; you might feel muscle tightness
• 24-48 hours: Peak soreness; worst day is usually day 2
• 48-72 hours: Soreness begins to decline as repair progresses
• 3-7 days: Full recovery in most cases; soreness disappears

Consistency matters. The more times you perform the same movement, the less sore you'll be. Your body adapts quickly.

Your DOMS Recovery Protocol

Here's a simple, science-backed approach to minimize DOMS:

Before workout:

• Warm up properly to prepare muscles

Immediately after (0-30 min):

• Consume protein + carbs
• Begin rehydrating
• Light cool-down walk

24 hours post-workout:

• Consume adequate protein and carbs at meals
• Stay hydrated
• Light active recovery (walk, easy yoga)
• Consider contrast therapy (sauna + cold plunge) to accelerate recovery
• Sleep 7-9 hours

48-72 hours:

• Continue light activity
• Additional contrast therapy if still sore
• Maintain nutrition and hydration
• Prioritize sleep

The Bottom Line

DOMS is normal, but severe soreness isn't necessary for progress. By gradually increasing training intensity, prioritizing nutrition and sleep, and using contrast therapy, you can minimize soreness and recover faster—so you're ready to perform at your best for your next workout.

Ready to accelerate your recovery? Book a contrast therapy session at PLUNJ and experience how temperature cycling reduces soreness and gets you back to peak performance.

Sources:

Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., ... & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376-384.

Peres, D., Prati, C., Mourot, L., Demartino, A. M., Sagawa, Y., Jr, & Tordi, N. (2023). Effects of an exercise program and cold-water immersion recovery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(12), 6128.

Chanda, M. L., Levitin, D. J. (2013). The neurochemistry of music. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(4), 179-193.

Kredlow, M. A., Capozzoli, M. C., Hearon, B. A., Calkins, A. W., & Otto, M. W. (2015). The effects of physical activity on sleep: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(3), 427-449.

Marin, D. P., Bfoundas, A. L., Schmaltz, L. B., et al. (2011). Recovery of VO2 kinetics with endurance training in adults with type 2 diabetes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(1), 124-130.