What are DOMS and how long do they last?

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) refers to the sore muscles you get after doing new or higher intensity exercise.

When starting a new exercise regime, change an existing one or increase the intensity or length of your workout, you break down muscle fibres and lengthen your muscles which causes very tiny tears.

The soreness you feel as a result of these micro-tears are part of the repair process in adapting to exercise. In the long run, as your muscles repair and grow, you become stronger, making DOMS a physical sign of progression.

How long will DOMS last?

DOMS can last around two to three days, depending on the intensity of the exercise you were doing.

It usually peaks within 24-48 hours after your exercise session. Once your muscles adapt to the exercise, you shouldn’t feel as sore. However, once you start to push your body again by upping the intensity or starting something new, you feel the aches reappear.

This process of building and strengthening muscles is called OVERLOAD - ADAPTION - PROGRESSION and is completely natural and normal.

What is the antidote to DOMS?

DOMS can become disheartening as breaks in your fitness regime can feel unproductive, however allowing your muscles to recover is a key part of the ADAPTION phase of the OVERLOAD - ADAPTION - PROGRESSION process. Whilst DOMS are natural (and even desirable; don't forget it's a sign you are progressing), the aim is to shorten your recovery time.

This is where high compression comes into play.

iGD Sport high compression sportswear is designed to increase blood flow to the specified muscle groups by gripping the sore parts of your body as you wear the garments.

This gripping encourages blood flow to the area, giving you graded compression to the areas of your body that need a recovery boost the most, thus decreasing the time you need to spend recovering.

All of our garments also feature wicking properties to reduce sweat pooling and reduce wind chill, keeping the athlete -you - warm. Our 'squat-proof' 4-way stretch fabric allows complete freedom of movement for any activity you tackle.

In summary...

Don’t let the discomfort of DOMS put you off working towards your goals. It is a natural part of progression, so let iGD Sport high compression sportswear do the job and enable you to recover faster and train harder.