How to Get Rid of Soreness in Your Muscles, According to Experts

It’s the day after you sprinted a few extra hill repeats, made it through a long-overdue squat session, or finally got back into your regular cycling routine, and your muscles feel like rocks lodged between your bones. That is due to a condition known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Here, we explain the causes and effects of DOMS, as well as how to get rid of soreness and get back on the bike to ride your best.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Causes

 

Soreness after a long ride is normal, even if it appears a day or two after you’ve stopped pedalling. The achy sensation you feel 24 to 48 hours after exercise is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness, and the cause is unknown. Many people believe it’s due to exercise-induced muscle damage or microscopic tears caused by eccentric movement (when the muscle lengthens versus shortens, known as concentric).

Pushing down on the pedals, for example, is an eccentric movement for your hamstrings, which lengthen with each stroke. DOMS is common in cyclists as a result of that movement, particularly after harder workouts, according to Oliver Witard, Ph.D., senior lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at King’s College London and a member of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute’s extensive network of experts.

Muscle soreness may also be caused by inflammation, which is a normal part of cellular repair and recovery and diminishes as we adapt to exercise. However, your DOMS discomfort does not have to be so severe that you avoid training because of it.

“DOMS is a natural occurrence, but you can control it so it doesn’t interfere with your workout the next day,” says Gary Guerriero, co-owner of the US Athletic Training Center. Adopting smart strategies that are tailored to your lifestyle can make a significant difference in your pain levels. “Whatever you’re doing, if you’re consistent, it will help you,” Guerriero adds.

The Consequences of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

 

Although some soreness is normal, DOMS should not be celebrated. “Feeling sore after a workout can feel like validation that you worked hard,” Blair Callaghan, D.P.T., says. “DOMS is a symptom of damage and exhaustion.”

“If you sprain your ankle, you’ll walk differently; if you have DOMS, you’ll exercise differently,” she adds. “You sit in the saddle differently, you pedal differently, and you exert energy differently—and that’s how you end up injured. There is no long-term or short-term benefit to being sore, so allow your muscles to recover. “Just because you’re not in pain doesn’t mean you’re not getting stronger.”

We enlisted the help of a panel of experts, including Witard, Guerriero, and Callaghan, to help you avoid DOMS and figure out how to get rid of soreness through nutrition and lifestyle changes, riding techniques that produce less soreness, and post-ride recovery tricks. Prepare to get rid of sore muscles and stick to your training schedule.

What to Eat to Avoid DOMS

 

1. Consume more antioxidants

Although the claim that antioxidants reduce inflammation has been called into question, significant research suggests that antioxidants reduce cell damage by strengthening the immune system and interrupting the domino-like damaging effects of free radicals that contribute to initial soreness and DOMS. However, foods high in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E—blueberries, pomegranates, and cherries, according to Witard—provide benefits other than antioxidants, so you might as well dig in.

2. Increase your intake of healthy fats.

Fat aids in the maintenance of our cells. “Omega-3s, such as those found in fish oil, incorporate themselves into the cell membrane of the muscle and form a barrier, possibly preserving the cell membrane’s integrity,” Witard says.

Leaky cells, on the other hand, release an enzyme called creatine kinase into your system, which contributes to muscle aches and cramps. Fatty fish (rather than fish oil supplements) contain the most omega-3s, but those who dislike fish can substitute flax seeds and spinach.

3. Consider taking vitamin D supplements.

Witard also suggests including vitamin D in your diet to help with soreness, as studies have shown that it is an important factor in accelerating muscle repair. Other studies have found that vitamin D improves muscle function and protects against injuries. Choose vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish and dairy products.

4. Consume protein

According to Nate Dunn, a USAC Level 1 certified coach, eating protein throughout the day will help you limit DOMS. Every three hours, aim for 20 to 30 grammes of protein. When you “dose” with protein throughout the day, you provide your muscles with a steady supply of amino acids—the building blocks of healthy muscle. Snack on Greek yoghurt, nuts, or whatever protein source you prefer instead of a complicated protein shake.

How to Prevent DOMS During Workouts

 

1. Begin slowly.

The most basic rule for removing and preventing muscle soreness is to use progression. “DOMS occur when you bite off more than you can chew while training,” Dunn explains. “Determine your starting point and work from there.” Are you slim? Overweight? Active? Recovering from an injury? Assess your current situation honestly.”

If you’re getting off the couch, he recommends riding three times per week for a total of 60 to 90 minutes. A steady, progressive loading strategy is ideal for building strength without overburdening your body.

2. Spin rather than pushing

Maintaining a higher cadence reduces “the amount of torque transferred to your joints and overall stress on your muscles,” according to Dunn. “You want to stay in the 90-rpm range and get used to it before you start doing sprint intervals.” That means gearing down and spinning faster rather than gearing up and stomping on the pedals.

3. Recognize and test your limits

“There’s nothing wrong with overreaching and giving yourself a big workout or a hard week of training,” says Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., a McMaster University professor of kinesiology and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American College of Nutrition. “You have to scale back after pushing the limit so you don’t go over the edge and end up with a muscle injury. If you can do that, you’ll have improved fitness in a week or two because your muscles have been pushed and have had time to rebuild. Consecutive big weeks are exhausting. And doing too much is overtraining.”

4. Make an effort to cross-train.

For many of us, saddle time is sacred, but we can improve our riding skills by supplementing (or even exchanging) cycling with other activities.

“It’s really difficult to say, ‘I’ll skip my ride and go to the pool and swim,'” Callaghan explains. “However, if you commit to lifting weights and supporting stabilising muscles one or two days a week, you’ll be a healthy, well-rounded athlete, and I guarantee you’ll see improvement on the bike.” She advises cyclists to weight train, do yoga, swim, jog, or walk fast one or two days per week to vary muscle utilisation and reduce stress on cycling-specific muscles.

What to Do After a Ride to Avoid DOMS

 

1. Refuel in the proper manner

Protein amino acids are used by our bodies to repair muscle damage caused by exercise. Nanci Guest, Ph.D., R.D. recommends supplementing that process with a protein-packed snack between 30 and 60 minutes after working out, and then continuing “dosing” to minimise DOMS by eating around 20 grammes of protein after your workout for optimal recovery. Choose whey protein snacks for the best results; whey contains the amino acid leucine, which aids in the initiation of muscle protein synthesis.

2. Roll the pain away with foam.

After exercise, muscle fibres can knot up, but we can help them function more smoothly by breaking up these adhesions and scar tissue with self-massage with a foam roller.

“I’m a big fan of the foam roller,” says Callaghan. “It simulates a soft tissue massage, increases blood flow and nutrition to injured muscles, and speeds up healing.”

Most foam rollers are less than $50 and come in a variety of sizes; that initial investment is well worth it when you can soothe and prevent aches anywhere, at any time. Roll out on the go or in front of your favourite Netflix show for a fraction of the cost of a traditional professional massage. “There’s no reason not to do it,” says Callaghan.

What to Do If You Feel Pain 1. Avoid using pain relievers.

 

Witard advises against relying on anti-inflammatory drugs or other pain relievers to get through a workout while recovering from DOMS. It’s tempting to reach for the Advil after a long ride, but anti-inflammatories can cause more harm than good; rather than solving your problem, these medications simply mask it, allowing you to do more damage and feel worse later. Delaying soreness does not make it go away.

Seek assistance

If you experience DOMS after every workout, look for a physical therapist who has experience working with cyclists. According to Guerriero, there are a plethora of (less accessible) alternative therapies available, ranging from cryotherapy to acupuncture to electric-stim massage to floatation therapy.

“The difficult thing is finding someone good who does these things,” he adds, so consider your options before signing up with the nearest PT, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about how they deal with DOMS.