010-111 · Question #226
What tends to cause the symptoms of soreness that occur at 24-48 hours after a single bout of intensive exercise?
The correct answer is C. Muscle fiber damage. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) peaking at 24-48 hours post-exercise is caused by microscopic muscle fiber damage and the resulting inflammatory response, not metabolic byproducts.
Question
What tends to cause the symptoms of soreness that occur at 24-48 hours after a single bout of intensive exercise?
Options
- ALactic acid buildup
- BGlycogen depletion
- CMuscle fiber damage
- DExcessive cortisol secretion
How the community answered
(27 responses)- A4% (1)
- B11% (3)
- C78% (21)
- D7% (2)
Why each option
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) peaking at 24-48 hours post-exercise is caused by microscopic muscle fiber damage and the resulting inflammatory response, not metabolic byproducts.
Lactic acid is rapidly cleared from muscle and blood within 1-2 hours of exercise cessation and does not persist long enough to cause soreness at 24-48 hours.
Glycogen depletion produces acute fatigue and reduced force output during and immediately after exercise, but does not cause localized delayed soreness.
Intense exercise - especially eccentric contractions - causes micro-tears in myofibrils and surrounding connective tissue, triggering a localized inflammatory cascade. This inflammation sensitizes nociceptors in the damaged tissue over a period of hours, explaining why soreness peaks at 24-72 hours rather than immediately after exercise.
Elevated cortisol is a normal acute hormonal response to exercise stress and promotes catabolism, but is not the primary mechanism responsible for localized DOMS.
Concept tested: Mechanism of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
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