I tend to agree with Herb Silver when he suggests that a problem other than
DOMS may be the cause of this athlete's problems. Firstly, DOMS is
associated with eccentric muscle activity, as was pointed out, and it
appears to me that there is not an eccentric quadriceps action during Speed
Skating although there would be so for the Hamstrings: someone may want to
correct me on that? However, I do not know what kind of training protocols
are being used by the athlete.
Also, DOMS is associated with those who perform an intensive exercise
bout(s) when unconditioned, or a sudden increase in training intensity or
duration. I disagree with Herb Silver only on one point, that DOMS (or the
pain associated with it) should, or does not persist for up to 4 days. Its
appearance is not until 24-48 hrs after exercise, and from personal
experience, it can persist for many days afterwards, depending on the
severity.
Some have suggested that stretching aids in pain relief from mild
occurrences of DOMS and that is my subjective experience and I would like to
know of any research that has looked at this aspect. Finally, as the posture
of the speed skater means that the quads are in a relatively 'fixed'
position, a kind of semi-squat, similar to that of Downhill skiers and
Mountain Bike athletes, consideration should be given to the strength and
conditioning of the quads.
Regards,
Ian
Ian Rogers M.Med.Sci.
232, Broomhall St,
SHEFFIELD S3 7SQ
UK
Tel. 0114 276 1018
E-mail [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Pawikowski <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 16 April 1999 11:52
Subject: Re: Exercise induced muscle soreness
Hi all,
Would you have any protocols or suggestions how to manage exercise
induced
muscle soreness at home. A friend of mine is a competitive inline
speed
skater
and she's got problems mostly with quads. The soreness after training
tends
to
stay even as long as 4 days. Since it is not my area of expertise I
could
not
offer her anything but icing. Thanks in advance.
Tom
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