# Doms - Good, bad or irrelevant?



## Gerry_bhoy

*DOMs...*​
Good 2755.10%Bad 510.20%Neither1734.69%


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## Gerry_bhoy

I orignally had thought that delayed muscle soreness was a sign that i'd given myself a good battering, and therefore a good thing.

Whats the opinions on them here?

Are they the sign of a good training session?

Are they a negative effect e.g overtraining?

Or neither good nor bad.


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## big_jim_87

if im not sore the next cpl days then it was a shyt wrk out!


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## ryoken

Im gonna say there a good sign as like big jim said if im not sore then i do look at it like i havent done enough/workout was crap!


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## Themanabolic

I agree with big jim, if it doesn't hurt it wasn't good


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## lshannon41

Agreed


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## robisco11

Irrelevant imo.


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## Willie

They aren't a reliable indicator - some people's muscles get used to being stressed and so don't really get doms despite a hard workout, whereas others get doms at the drop of a hat. Having them is strangely satisfying though.


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## Dsahna

Irrelevant for strength training but ive found them a great indicator for size gain:thumb:


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## defdaz

Great psychologically, and a good indicator of physical trauma that demands some sort of physiological response - ideally hypertrophy! :thumb:


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## Gerry_bhoy

Nice replies.

Would be interesting to hear from the people that voted 'bad'.


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## SK-XO

Good imo.

After a Leg Workout my I can't walk properly, I actually need help down the stairs or I crawl down the bannister haha. But the next day they are agony (DOMS) in a good way though. Several days later im still feeling it. However my legs are quite big and they are getting bigger and a lot more definition and size so must be doing something right?

I get DOMS more in an area than another, for example I don't get DOMS in my arms much, it's a slight tense pain the next day but it goes away. Chest I get DOMS for a good 2 days.


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## Jux

Chest, legs and tri's. Everything else i dont get doms in.


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## cellaratt

As long as we are only talking about Doms I think it's a good feeling but could be irrelivant, if a overstretched tendon/ligamnet is the source of the pain then that could lead to seriouse problems...I think it's important to be able to identify the differance...


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## ryoken

cellaratt said:


> As long as we are only talking about Doms I think it's a good feeling but could be irrelivant, if a overstretched tendon/ligamnet is the source of the pain then that could lead to seriouse problems...I think it's important to be able to identify the differance...


agreed with the above plus there is a difference aswell between Doms and what i done last week wich was completely fry my traps (overtrained) wich was more of sore/pulled tightness then doms


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## dtlv

I voted 'neither'. Psychologically they feel great but in terms of an indicator as to whether you will grow or get stronger they don't mean anything at all - you can grow and get strong if you don't get them, and you can get them bad and not progress at all.


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## Ak_88

Irrelevant.

Although i enjoy DOMS and definately agree theres a feel good factor in getting them, in terms of the reasons behind getting them, it's no relation to gains.

DOMS are basically a sensation associated with either;

Eccentric Induced Muscle Damage (Negatives)

Inflammatory response

Enzyme level fluctuation (Creatine Kinase)

Theres a few others but i can't remember what they are.


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## Seyyed-Merat

I get doms from grappling and Brazilian jujitsu, doesn't mean I'm going to grow, just I'm effin knackered from the other day, so I think it irrelevant tbh.


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## Kezz

if you dont get doms you train like a pussy


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## gerg

i seem to have doms constantly

i only wish walking up stairs wasn't so hard, shouldn't being stronger make this easier :lol:


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## synthasize

Themanabolic said:


> I agree with big jim, if it doesn't hurt it wasn't good


id say if it doesnt hurt then its possible it wasnt good, but more likely down to the fact that

1) you got enough rest/sleep afterwards

2) you got enough protein and muscle-recovery carbs pwo


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## Themanabolic

synthasize said:


> id say if it doesnt hurt then its possible it wasnt good, but more likely down to the fact that
> 
> 1) you got enough rest/sleep afterwards
> 
> 2) you got enough protein and muscle-recovery carbs pwo


I was going more for the innuendo than anything :lol: :lol:,

I agree its pretty irrelevant... makes me feel ANABOLIC!! though haha:laugh:


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## godsgifttoearth

DOMS is a sign of trauma. that is never a good thing, especially if it lasts for days. we're tying to make the muscle over compensate and grow bigger, not do so much damage to it, that it takes it all the time inbetween training sessions just do undo the damage we did previously. at which point, it wont grow.... its the typical mistake people make. they 'stop feeling' the workout, so think its not doing any good. so add in another set, get DOMS. then another and another. then stall completely. then start getting injuries because their bodies just cant keep up.

im not saying i dont get DOMS, im maybe a bit stiff and tender when i wake up. but the feeling wears off after i start moving. if it stays with me for days. ive ****ed something up. either training, diet or sleep.


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## Propper Joss

I think doms are responsible for the release of oxycontin and endorphin. So essentially if you get doms its like free drugs:cool:


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## freddee

I get doms worse two days later, but it does'nt matter how well I prep my quads after a break once I squat its back with a vengence so now I just get on with it, and in general I think a little is a good thing.


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## freddee

sorry I can't see the conection with doms and endorphins, very much the opposite imo.


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## Uriel

I don't think DOMS is needed for growth but I use it as a way of indicating that I hit the muscle hard enough.

Even after all these years of training - I still over do it sometimes and doms last too long and I can feel shakey and even flu like from a gruelling session.

No DOMS what so ever - and I feel it wasn't intense enough.

Few days pain - onsetting about 24 hours after the session - perfecto


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## Propper Joss

freddee said:


> sorry I can't see the conection with doms and endorphins, very much the opposite imo.


Pain leads the body to produce natural pain killers.

Does anyone know why doms are less bad when supplementing BCAA's?


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## freddee

If I get a endorphin release it is in the gym, and is not easy to get I wish it was, but I have never felt it two days after heavy squats when I can't walk down the stairs!, we now refare to endo morphine as endorphines, I've had morphine for real and it has a feel good factor and totally kills pain, and aparently your body can reproduce this in small amounts, but if you have doms you have doms!


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## Propper Joss

freddee said:


> If I get a endorphin release it is in the gym, and is not easy to get I wish it was, but I have never felt it two days after heavy squats when I can't walk down the stairs!, we now refare to endo morphine as endorphines, I've had morphine for real and it has a feel good factor and totally kills pain, and aparently your body can reproduce this in small amounts, but if you have doms you have doms!


My bad. :beer:


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## dtlv

Propper Joss said:


> Does anyone know why doms are less bad when supplementing BCAA's?


Is because DOMS is largely related to the metabolites of muscle tissue breakdown... now we want muscle breakdown to stimulate adaptation and growth, but unfortunately during the workout muscles also get broken down for energy (not part of the growth process), and the amino acid liberated most for energy is leucine... and supplementing with BCAAs (containing leucine) allows for the supplemented leucine to be used as fuel instead of leucine derived from the muscle. So, BCAAs limit muscle tissue breakdown and so limit part of the thing that causes the DOMS!

EAAs do the same too, largely because all available blends of EAAs contain much more leucine than anything else (up to a third of the entire blend in some cases).


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## Propper Joss

Dtlv74 said:


> Is because DOMS is largely related to the metabolites of muscle tissue breakdown... now we want muscle breakdown to stimulate adaptation and growth, but unfortunately during the workout muscles also get broken down for energy (not part of the growth process), and the amino acid liberated most for energy is leucine... and supplementing with BCAAs (containing leucine) allows for the supplemented leucine to be used as fuel instead of leucine derived from the muscle. So, BCAAs limit muscle tissue breakdown and so limit part of the thing that causes the DOMS!
> 
> EAAs do the same too, largely because all available blends of EAAs contain much more leucine than anything else (up to a third of the entire blend in some cases).


Groovy. Thankyou.


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## Greyphantom

Doms are not related to growth or how well you have worked out... but sure do give a sense of satisfaction...


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## rodrigo

soreness is what i strive for, its a mental thing were in if i feel the muscle i have worked is sore i am doin something right, even if its wrong :confused1:


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## HJL

makes me know ive worked that part of my body, that was the target. hate leg doms bcaus they hurt! but love all others!


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## dasheleboopi

not sure what to think after chest and shoulders days i get real intense DOMS and think yes thats a good sign of future gains, but then after a backand bicep day i dont get them at all but im still gaining in those areas as well as i am in chest and shoulders.

so i dont really know what to think in regards to DOMS apart from that i think it feels good when you press on an area where youre getting it


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## Cheese

I used to get really bad DOMS and i think this was due to over training. I have throttled it back slightly and have spaced out my training more to give time for full recovery and i'm going to see what happens.

5 day DOMS which i had sometimes can't be a good thing especially when i'd be training that body part again in 2 days.


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