Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage

According to our hypothesis, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle. It is caused by the superposition of compression when repetitive eccentric contractions are executed under cognitive demand. The acute compression axonopat...

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Main Authors:	Balazs Sonkodi, Istvan Berkes, Erika Koltai
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	MDPI AG 2020-03-01
Series:	Antioxidants
Subjects:	doms superposition of compression muscle spindle acute compression axonopathy gate control closed gate exercise mitochondrial free radicals
Online Access:	https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/3/212

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spelling	doaj-92514353000445ec818741c15fea4df12020-11-25T02:59:47ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212020-03-019321210.3390/antiox9030212antiox9030212Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle DamageBalazs Sonkodi0Istvan Berkes1Erika Koltai2Department of Health Sciences and Sport Medicine, University of Physical Education, 1123 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Health Sciences and Sport Medicine, University of Physical Education, 1123 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Health Sciences and Sport Medicine, University of Physical Education, 1123 Budapest, HungaryAccording to our hypothesis, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle. It is caused by the superposition of compression when repetitive eccentric contractions are executed under cognitive demand. The acute compression axonopathy could coincide with microinjury of the surrounding tissues and is enhanced by immune-mediated inflammation. DOMS is masked by sympathetic nervous system activity at initiation, but once it subsides, a safety mode comes into play to prevent further injury. DOMS becomes manifest when the microinjured non-nociceptive sensory fibers of the muscle spindle stop inhibiting the effects of the microinjured, hyperexcited nociceptive sensory fibers, therefore providing the ‘open gate’ in the dorsal horn to hyperalgesia. Reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide play a cross-talking role in the parallel, interlinked degeneration−regeneration mechanisms of these injured tissues. We propose that the mitochondrial electron transport chain generated free radical involvement in the acute compression axonopathy. ‘Closed gate exercises’ could be of nonpharmacological therapeutic importance, because they reduce neuropathic pain in addition to having an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, DOMS could have an important ontogenetical role by not just enhancing ability to escape danger to survive in the wild, but also triggering muscle growth.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/3/212domssuperposition of compressionmuscle spindleacute compression axonopathygate controlclosed gate exercisemitochondrialfree radicals
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	Balazs Sonkodi Istvan Berkes Erika Koltai
spellingShingle	Balazs Sonkodi Istvan Berkes Erika Koltai Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage Antioxidants doms superposition of compression muscle spindle acute compression axonopathy gate control closed gate exercise mitochondrial free radicals
author_facet	Balazs Sonkodi Istvan Berkes Erika Koltai
author_sort	Balazs Sonkodi
title	Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage
title_short	Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage
title_full	Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage
title_fullStr	Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage
title_full_unstemmed	Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage
title_sort	have we looked in the wrong direction for more than 100 years? delayed onset muscle soreness is, in fact, neural microdamage rather than muscle damage
publisher	MDPI AG
series	Antioxidants
issn	2076-3921
publishDate	2020-03-01
description	According to our hypothesis, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle. It is caused by the superposition of compression when repetitive eccentric contractions are executed under cognitive demand. The acute compression axonopathy could coincide with microinjury of the surrounding tissues and is enhanced by immune-mediated inflammation. DOMS is masked by sympathetic nervous system activity at initiation, but once it subsides, a safety mode comes into play to prevent further injury. DOMS becomes manifest when the microinjured non-nociceptive sensory fibers of the muscle spindle stop inhibiting the effects of the microinjured, hyperexcited nociceptive sensory fibers, therefore providing the ‘open gate’ in the dorsal horn to hyperalgesia. Reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide play a cross-talking role in the parallel, interlinked degeneration−regeneration mechanisms of these injured tissues. We propose that the mitochondrial electron transport chain generated free radical involvement in the acute compression axonopathy. ‘Closed gate exercises’ could be of nonpharmacological therapeutic importance, because they reduce neuropathic pain in addition to having an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, DOMS could have an important ontogenetical role by not just enhancing ability to escape danger to survive in the wild, but also triggering muscle growth.
topic	doms superposition of compression muscle spindle acute compression axonopathy gate control closed gate exercise mitochondrial free radicals
url	https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/3/212
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Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage

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