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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Meaning

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, commonly referred to as DOMS, is the characteristic muscular pain, stiffness, and tenderness that becomes noticeable and often peaks between 24 and 72 hours following unaccustomed or strenuous physical activity. This physiological response is clinically recognized as an indication of microscopic structural damage within the muscle fibers and surrounding connective tissue. DOMS is fundamentally a transient inflammatory response initiating the repair and adaptation process, not an accumulation of metabolic byproducts.