DOMS: What It Is, What Causes It, and How to Recover

Page last updated: 26th October 2026

What Is DOMS | Causes | Good or Bad Sign | Duration | Recovery Tips | Recovery Plan | Prevention | Training With DOMS | FAQs

DOMS delayed onset muscle soreness is the muscle pain and stiffness you can feel in the days after a workout, especially when you've done a new movement, a heavier weight, or more reps. It can feel uncomfortable, but DOMS after a workout isn’t necessarily a sign that anything’s wrong – and it’s usually temporary.

In this guide, we'll explain what causes DOMS muscle soreness, how long it lasts, how to recover, and whether you should keep training when you're sore.

Quick Summary

• DOMS usually develops several hours after exercise and often peaks 24-72 hours later
• It's more common after new or intense exercise, particularly eccentric movement
• Severe DOMS doesn't necessarily mean you had a more effective workout
• Gentle movement, good nutrition, hydration and adequate rest can help with DOMS recovery
• Gradually increasing training intensity is one of the best ways to prevent severe DOMS

What is DOMS?

If you've ever struggled to walk downstairs two days after leg day, you've experienced DOMS.

DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It's the muscle pain, stiffness and tenderness that develops after exercise, usually several hours later rather than immediately. It’s important to know that DOMS is different from the discomfort you might feel while you’re doing the exercise.

DOMS is particularly common when you do a new exercise, increase your training volume or intensity, or return to exercise after a break. It's linked to the muscle's response to unfamiliar physical stress, particularly the small amounts of muscle damage and inflammation that can occur during exercise.

What causes DOMS?

The exact mechanisms behind DOMS are complex, but experts now know that it's not simply caused by lactic acid building up in your muscles.

DOMS is associated with the stress placed on muscles during unfamiliar or intense exercise, especially eccentric movements where the muscle lengthens under tension. This includes movements like the lowering phase of a squat, or running downhill.

Your body responds to this stress with processes including inflammation and tissue repair, and these can contribute to the soreness and stiffness you feel afterwards.

The good news is that your body adapts. When you do a particular type of exercise regularly, you're less likely to experience severe DOMS from it. This also explains why you can get DOMS after your first intense training session back after a break.

Is DOMS a good sign or bad sign?

There's an ongoing debate in the fitness world about whether DOMS is a sign of a great workout, or just an unnecessary inconvenience. Some people think DOMS is a good sign after exercise (“no pain, no gain”) but this isn’t really true.

While DOMS can be a sign that you've challenged your muscles, when it comes to building muscle, there doesn't appear to be good evidence to suggest that experiencing it indicates greater strength and hypertrophy gains to come.

Getting DOMS occasionally is nothing to worry about, especially if you’ve upped the weights or switched up your routine. However, it’s not something you should be trying to achieve. Here’s why:

DOMS isn’t an automatic sign of progress

Getting DOMS doesn’t necessarily mean you trained smart, and you can definitely have a productive workout without getting DOMS. This is especially true for anyone who has been training for at least 2-3 months as consistent training should lead to a reduction of DOMS symptoms over time.

 If you find that you've been doing the same routine for several months but still experience intense DOMS after each session, the intensity of your workouts may be putting excessive stress on your body and increasing your risk of overtraining. While challenging yourself to do your best and progressing your workouts over time is good, keep in mind when you need to take a step back in your training.

DOMS could affect your next workout

Severe DOMS can make it harder to do your next workout properly and might even mean you have to skip a planned session. If this happens all the time, you’ll likely start to plateau.

DOMS can be a sign of overtraining

If you find that you've been doing the same routine for several months but still experience intense DOMS after each session, the intensity of your workouts may be putting excessive stress on your body and increasing your risk of overtraining. While challenging yourself to do your best and progressing your workouts over time is good, keep in mind when you need to take a step back in your training.

DOMS might flag poor recovery habits

As DOMS may indicate inflammation in the body, among other things, excessive DOMS could be a sign that your nutrition or rest routines aren't up to scratch. DOMS can be a useful reminder to reassess your nutrition, hydration, sleep, and rest routines.

How long does DOMS last?

This is the answer everyone with DOMS is desperate to know! DOMS typically develops 12-24 hours after exercise and is often at its worst 24-72 hours afterwards. It should gradually improve over the following days.

How long DOMS lasts depends on the exercises you did and how used to them you are. It can also be impacted by factors like tiredness, dehydration, and poor nutrition. Severe or persistent pain isn't DOMS, and if you’ve also got significant swelling, weakness or sharp pain it’s time to get it checked out.

How to recover from DOMS 

Sadly there’s no instant way to get rid of DOMS, but there are things you can do to speed up the recovery. Here’s how to treat DOMS and make recovery more comfortable:

Keep moving

Gentle activity like walking, easy cycling, stretching or mobility exercises increases nutrient-rich blood flow to the muscles, helping with recovery without placing more stress on sore muscles. While it might be sore at the time, movement is one of the best ways to speed up DOMS.

Prioritise recovery

Sleep, rest, hydration, and good nutrition support your body's recovery process. Make sure you're eating enough protein and carbohydrates to support your training.

Gentle massage

Massage or foam rolling can ease the soreness by loosening stiff areas and encouraging blood to the muscles. It’s not an instant fix, but it might help you move more easily and reduce the time you experience DOMS.

Hot and cold therapy

Alternating between hot and cold treatments like sauna and ice bath encourages the blood vessels to relax and dilate, sending fresh blood to the muscles. It can also help with inflammation and soreness.

DOMS recovery plan: a step-by-step guide 

If you’re feeling the familiar signs of DOMS after heavy training, use these DOMS recovery ideas:

Day 0 – training day: cool down properly, rehydrate, stretch, and eat a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates.

Day 1 – soreness starts: keep moving with gentle walking or mobility work. Prioritise sleep, hydration, and nutrition.

Day 2–3 – peak soreness: avoid training the same muscles if movement is restricted. Gentle activity is fine if it feels OK.

Day 3 onwards – recovery: as soreness improves, gradually return to normal training rather than jumping straight back into max intensity.

How to prevent DOMS

You can't always prevent DOMS, but you can reduce your chances of severe soreness.

• Start with a proper warm-up, especially before unfamiliar movements. Increase training volume and intensity gradually rather than making big jumps.
• Progressive overload is a smart way to train as this gives your body time to adapt to increasing volume or load.
• Eating enough to support your training and getting enough rest between hard training sessions can also help.

Should you exercise or work out with DOMS?

Lots of people are keen to know whether you train with DOMS, and this depends on how it’s affecting you. If you're mildly sore and can move normally, you can usually continue exercising. Consider training a different muscle group or reducing the intensity.

If you're very sore or your technique would be affected, take a rest or recovery day instead. Training with DOMS should never mean forcing yourself through significant pain.

FAQs about DOMS

What does DOMS stand for and what causes it?

DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It happens after new or strenuous exercise, especially eccentric muscle contractions.

Is DOMS a sign that your workout was effective?

Not necessarily, you can have an effective workout without DOMS, and severe soreness isn't a sign of better gains. 

How long does DOMS last and when should it go away?

DOMS usually peaks within 24-72 hours and gradually improves from there. If pain is severe, persistent or unusual, get it checked out.

What's the best DOMS recovery plan after leg day?

Keep gently moving, stay hydrated, eat enough protein and carbohydrates, prioritise sleep, and give your legs time to recover before another intense session.

Should I work out if I have DOMS?

You can usually exercise if soreness is mild and your movement isn't affected. If you're very sore or your technique would suffer, take a rest day or do gentle activity.

Ready for a progressive training plan?

DOMS is a normal part of adapting to exercise, but you don't need to be sore to make progress. Talk to one of our expert PureGym Personal Trainers for a progressive training plan to minimise DOMS. Find your nearest PureGym to get started.