GLOSSARY

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) describes delayed soreness after exercise and approaches to its management. Soreness is not simply residual lactate or a complete measure of recovery.

Unfamiliar or demanding exercise can produce temporary soreness, reduced function and changes in muscle-damage markers. Delayed-onset soreness is not simply accumulated lactate. Creatine kinase and myoglobin vary greatly between individuals, and a single blood value does not independently quantify recovery or diagnose the reason for pain. Strength, movement, symptoms and the time course provide complementary information. Severe pain, marked weakness, swelling or dark urine require prompt medical assessment rather than treatment as ordinary soreness.

Recovery monitoring combines the athlete's symptoms, sleep, perceived readiness and relevant performance measures across time. No universal biomarker or commercial score captures every recovery process. Compare repeated observations under consistent conditions and interpret them alongside the recent training load, illness and nutrition. A low readiness rating can guide a conversation without identifying its cause by itself. Longitudinal patterns are usually more useful than treating a single number as proof that all tissues are fully recovered.