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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a familiar experience to most people who exercise. It affects people who weight train and run particularly, and DOMS can produce anything from mild [[Muscle| muscle ]] soreness to debilitating pain and weakness. DOMS is caused by eccentric stress, where the muscles working to resist lengthening, such as lowering a weight or absorbing the landing forces of running. [[Downhill Running| Downhill running]] is a particular source of eccentric stress. DOMS not only produces delayed soreness, but immediate weakness that generally lasts a similar length of time. DOMS also produces swelling, tense muscles, reduced coordination and a limited range of motion. A key benefit of DOMS inducing exercise is that a bout of DOMS can give protection against similar future exercise, and the protection lasts for months. Running with the correct [[Cadence]] can help prevent DOMS, and [[Nutrient Timing| taking protein]] after DOMS inducing exercise is one of the best treatments, though [[Why compression clothes| compression clothing]], [[Caffeine| caffeine]] and [[Massage| massage]] can also help.
=What is DOMS?=
The soreness of DOMS generally peaks between 24 and 72 hours after unusual or severe exercise, though soreness may occur sooner after running<ref name="Vickers2001"/>. DOMS is particularly related to eccentric exercise, which is where the muscle works to resist becoming longer, rather than working to contract. When you muscles absorb the impact of running, this is eccentric exercise, and [[Downhill Running]] is more eccentric than flat or uphill running. The images below show the damage that occurs from eccentric exercise<ref name="FeassonStockholm2002"/> and marathon running<ref name="Warhol-1985"/>:
