Rab wrote:Ive never found anything to be effective at making a REAL difference to DOMS. loads of protein, loads of carbs, BCAA...hot bath, glutamine. I dotn think there is anything ...gear included that makes a difference to the doms you get. Not an ounce in my experience and im sceptical of it when people say they have found things like this as there's so many variables all the time. The only thing I know that's consistent is that if I have a brutal leg workout im gonna hurt bad no matter what I do pre, during or post training.

I always thought that gear would reduce doms as it makes recovery quicker but it didn't at all for me. I was just as sore for just as long

Dtlv74 wrote:

Rab wrote:Ive never found anything to be effective at making a REAL difference to DOMS. loads of protein, loads of carbs, BCAA...hot bath, glutamine. I dotn think there is anything ...gear included that makes a difference to the doms you get. Not an ounce in my experience and im sceptical of it when people say they have found things like this as there's so many variables all the time. The only thing I know that's consistent is that if I have a brutal leg workout im gonna hurt bad no matter what I do pre, during or post training.

I always thought that gear would reduce doms as it makes recovery quicker but it didn't at all for me. I was just as sore for just as long

I think you are right that it's not just one factor that modifies DOMS, but some folks just seem more prone to it in any case.

I get massive DOMS when coming back after a lay off but within three or four sessions for a bodypart it's hardly ever noticable no matter how hard I'm training. With heavy EAA and BCAA use it's so small I have to think about it to be aware of it.

health4ni wrote:

Dtlv74 wrote:

Rab wrote:Ive never found anything to be effective at making a REAL difference to DOMS. loads of protein, loads of carbs, BCAA...hot bath, glutamine. I dotn think there is anything ...gear included that makes a difference to the doms you get. Not an ounce in my experience and im sceptical of it when people say they have found things like this as there's so many variables all the time. The only thing I know that's consistent is that if I have a brutal leg workout im gonna hurt bad no matter what I do pre, during or post training.

I always thought that gear would reduce doms as it makes recovery quicker but it didn't at all for me. I was just as sore for just as long

I think you are right that it's not just one factor that modifies DOMS, but some folks just seem more prone to it in any case.

I get massive DOMS when coming back after a lay off but within three or four sessions for a bodypart it's hardly ever noticable no matter how hard I'm training. With heavy EAA and BCAA use it's so small I have to think about it to be aware of it.

Since a big part of the concept known as DOMS is lactic acid crystals floating about in your blood (I've seen this in my own blood) and concentrated in the tissues near/in those muscles worked, then reducing the acidic state is a way that seems to work for me. I take 5g sodium bicarb (actually phour salts, but both will work imo) immediately after training, then 1hr later will eat my post-workout nutrition (most often solid food).

I very rarely get DOMS any more. I used to get it bad for years. I did find, at least to start with, that EAAs & BCAAs helped. But after a while that seemed to not work.

I can't say I NEVER get DOMS. I new exercise or a particularly hard session with extra volume esp on the eccentric movement, will give me DOMS.

I know this seems to piss people off talking about alkaline stuff, but for those that are happy to use sodium bicarb, why not give it a go. As a minimum I will take 5g in the morning first thing on an empty stomach, then 5g PWO. Occasionally I'll go for another 5g in the evening.

health4ni wrote:Well, when you see acidic crystals in your blood you realise it has an effect.

I'm not saying it's the only factor. Muscle fibre still get micro tears.

I'm just relaying my finding.

EDIT: whether or not buffering the acidic nature of training directly helps with DOMS I cannot say for sure. I do think that the body will need to do this and so helping it will allow the body to expend more energy into repairing muscles that may well mean DOMS is less and.or last less time. Just my educated guess.

simon m wrote:I've got DOMS in my chest, nothing too bad, but makes me feel like I've trained hard

Branched-chain amino acid supplementation attenuates muscle soreness, muscle damage and inflammation during an intensive training program.

Matsumoto K, Koba T, Hamada K, Sakurai M, Higuchi T, Miyata H.

Saga Nutraceuticals Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Saga, Japan - hiro@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to assess the effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation on muscle soreness, muscle damage and inflammation during an intensive training program. METHODS: Twelve long-distance runners (20+/-1 year-old) participated in a double-blinded crossover designed study conducted during two intensive training periods (three-day). The subjects were provided either a drink containing BCAA (0.8% BCAA in a 3.5% carbohydrate solution; 2,500 mL/day) or an isocaloric placebo drink during each training period. All subjects completed the same training program (total running distance: males: 86 km, females: 64 km), and ate the same meals during the training period. Whole body muscle soreness and fatigue sensation were measured in the morning before and during the training period by Visual Analogue Scale method. Plasma creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and granulocyte elastase (GEL) levels were measured as indicators of muscle damage and inflammation before and after the training period. RESULTS: Muscle soreness and fatigue sensation during the training period in the BCAA trial were lower than those in the placebo trial (-32% and -24%, respectively; P<0.05). The plasma CK, LDH, and GEL levels after the training program in the BCAA trial were lower than those in the placebo trial (-21%, -6%, and -15%, respectively; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that BCAA supplementation during an intensive training program effectively reduces the muscle soreness and fatigue sensation, and that the perceived changes could be attributed to the attenuation of muscle damage and inflammation.