After an intense or unusual sports session, or when resuming a physical activity, it's not uncommon to experience muscle soreness, the characteristic muscle pain that occurs several hours after exertion. Muscle soreness, or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) as it is scientifically known, is mainly the result of micro-lesions in muscle tissue caused by strong or unusual muscular contractions, leading to a local inflammatory reaction.
This pain, often perceived as stiffness or increased sensitivity of the muscle involved, generally reaches its maximum intensity between 24 and 72 hours after exercise, then gradually subsides, disappearing on average in five to seven days, depending on the intensity of the effort, the muscle area involved, the level of training and the body's ability to recover.
The duration of muscle soreness can vary from 1 or 2 days to a week, but its persistence beyond this period may indicate a more serious muscular injury, such as a tear, requiring the advice of a sports physician.
Understanding the causes, duration and ways of relieving or avoiding these muscular aches and pains is essential for optimizing recovery, preventing injury and improving sporting performance. In this article, we explore why muscle soreness occurs, how long it lasts, and tips and tricks for limiting its appearance.
Why do aches and pains occur?
Aches and pains mainly appear after unusual, intense physical effort, or when resuming sporting activity, particularly after exercises that place heavy demands on the muscles, such as muscle strengthening, running or high-intensity sports.
Contrary to popular belief, muscle soreness is not caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle. Lactic acid, produced during intense physical effort, is rapidly eliminated by the body, generally within an hour of stopping exercise, well before the onset of muscle soreness, which occurs between 12 and 48 hours after exercise.
The real mechanism(1) behind muscle soreness lies in the occurrence of micro-lesions within muscle fibers, known as microtrauma or muscle micro-tears. These lesions occur particularly during eccentric muscle contractions, i.e. when the muscle contracts while stretching, as when descending stairs or braking.
These microtraumas partially damage muscle tissue, triggering a local inflammatory reaction. This stress-induced inflammation of the muscle is an essential part of the repair and healing process of the damaged tissue, but it is accompanied by widespread muscle pain, a feeling of stiffness, and even difficulty in performing certain daily movements.
The appearance of muscle soreness is therefore a sign that the muscle has undergone unusual stress and is entering a phase of repair and adaptation, aimed at strengthening the muscle structure and limiting the risk of injury during similar efforts in the future.
The pain felt is not immediate, as muscle fibres do not have pain receptors: it is the inflammatory substances released during the repair process which, by reaching the nerve endings, trigger the painful sensation, generally 12 to 48 hours after the effort.
It's important to distinguish muscle soreness from other muscular pains such as cramps or contractures. Cramps are sudden, involuntary muscle contractions, often due to lack of hydration, mineral imbalance or acute muscle fatigue, and occur during or just after exercise. Contractures, on the other hand, correspond to a state of prolonged, involuntary contraction of a muscle, which can be painful and may require prolonged rest or specific treatment.
Now that we know a little more about muscle soreness, we'll move on to the main question of the article: how long does muscle soreness last?
How long do aches and pains last?
Pain peaks between 24 and 72 hours, then gradually diminishes, disappearing completely in 5 to 7 days(2) in the vast majority of cases.
The peak of pain typically occurs between the second and third day after sporting activity: muscles become sensitive, stiff and sometimes swollen, and certain daily movements can be painful, particularly in the legs, back or the muscle groups most in demand. There are a number of different ways of relieving aches and pains.
In most cases, aches and pains are benign and require no special medical attention.
However, you should be concerned and consult a doctor if the pain does not subside after 3 to 7 days, if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, severe swelling, unusual redness, difficulty moving or resting the muscle, or if the pain is very intense and persistent. Pain that persists beyond a week, worsens or occurs suddenly during a simple movement may be the sign of a more serious muscular injury (muscle contracture, muscle tear, overtraining) requiring specific treatment and a longer rest period, which may also mean stopping all sporting activities.
Tips to prevent muscle soreness
To prevent muscle soreness after a sports session, it's important to adopt a global approach, combining preparation, progressiveness, hydration and a healthy lifestyle.
- Progressive warm-up: before any physical exercise, it's important to prepare the body for exertion with an appropriate warm-up. A few minutes of gentle activity, followed by dynamic stretching, raise muscle temperature, stimulate blood circulation and reduce the risk of muscle soreness by preparing muscle cells for the effort.
- Progressive training: gradually increasing the intensity and duration of training sessions enables the muscle to adapt and strengthen its resistance to microtrauma. It is not advisable to take up sport too intensively, or to change the type of exercise abruptly, as this can lead to stronger and longer-lasting muscle soreness.
- Optimal hydration: drinking water before, during and after exercise helps maintain water balance, promotes the elimination of metabolic waste products and limits muscle fatigue. Good hydration protects muscle tissue and helps prevent muscle soreness and cramps.
- Consume a dose of fast-acting protein after intense exercise. Whey is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, helping to optimize tissue repair of muscle fibers in the post-exercise phase, thus reducing the appearance of muscle soreness.
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- Relaxation and active recovery: end the session with a few minutes of low-intensity activity (brisk walking, gentle cycling) to reactivate blood circulation, increase oxygen flow to muscles and accelerate the elimination of waste products responsible for inflammation.
- Listening to the body and rest: respecting fatigue signals, avoiding overtraining and allowing the body sufficient rest phases are key elements in limiting the onset of muscle soreness and preventing injury.
If, despite these precautions, muscle soreness appears, it is essential to check for the presence of the fundamentals of muscle recovery These include quality sleep, adequate hydration, a diet rich in quality proteins and essential nutrients, and active recovery. These elements speed up the healing process, help to heal damaged muscle cells and reduce the duration and intensity of pain.
Conclusion
Muscle soreness is an integral part of sport, whether you're a beginner or a top-level athlete. They are the natural consequence of intensive training, unusual exertion or a change in routine, and result from muscular micro-lesions that trigger an inflammatory reaction.
While their appearance can be painful and sometimes a cause for concern, it's important to remember that they are part of a process of muscle repair and strengthening, helping the body adapt to new efforts.
The central question in this article concerned the duration of muscle soreness. As a general rule, aches and pains occur a few hours after exercise, reach their peak between 24 and 72 hours, and then gradually diminish, disappearing in an average of five to seven days.
Last but not least, quality sleep, the right diet and a healthy lifestyle are key to optimizing the recovery phase, boosting the immune system and preventing muscle soreness during the next sports session.
