DOMS
Sports abbreviation · Fitness and Exercise
| Stands for | Delayed-onset muscle soreness |
|---|---|
| Categories | Sports |
DOMS stands for Delayed-onset muscle soreness, a fitness and exercise abbreviation.
Muscle pain and stiffness that appear 12 to 24 hours after unaccustomed or intense exercise and usually peak at 24 to 72 hours. It is especially common after eccentric movements such as downhill running or slow lowering.
Example: Leg day was Monday and the DOMS hit hardest on Wednesday.
Usage notes
Despite the popular myth, DOMS is not caused by lactic acid, which clears within an hour of exercise; it reflects microscopic muscle damage and inflammation. Soreness lessens as the body adapts to a routine, the "repeated bout effect". Pronounced "doms".
Related abbreviations
More fitness and exercise abbreviations
- BB – Barbell
- BCAA – Branched-chain amino acids
- BMR – Basal metabolic rate
- BW – Bodyweight
- C&J – Clean and jerk
- DB – Dumbbell
- EAA – Essential amino acids
- EMOM – Every minute on the minute
- EPOC – Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption
- FTP – Functional threshold power
- HIIT – High-intensity interval training
- HRV – Heart rate variability