Here's the English translation of the conclusions on this French-language page about DOMS
(courbatures). The page was pointed out to "fr.rec.courir" by the resident running MD
(speciality=emergency ward) Nothing much new, except it may help people not to talk such [censored] when
explaining DOMS prevost.pascal.free.frcourbatures.htmOpen ↗
Google gives a pretty fair translation if you feel like reading the whole paper.
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Conclusion the severity of the symptoms related to the aches could be limited by:
- the maintenance of a good flexibility at the muscular level, especially of the groups implied in
the physical activity or sport
- the prepacking of the principal muscular groups with some eccentric contractions of high intensity
one or two weeks before the programming of difficult session or competition
- the use of specific exercises for warming-up the principal muscular groups immediately before the
first sessions.
Far from being a traumatism, the aches would seem to be rather a precursory signal of adaptive
mechanisms in the muscle, brought on by the constraints which are imposed upon the muscle. This
mechanism will cause an increase in the capacity of the muscle to resist the constraints which
result, in particular, from the eccentric exercise.