Why Do You Get DOMS After Rowing?

You get DOMS after rowing because new or unusually hard work causes tiny disruptions in muscle fibres, and the repair process makes those muscles sore a day or two later. It’s most common in your first week, after a big jump in volume, or after a heavy lifting session.

DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It’s the stiff, tender feeling that makes stairs unpleasant. It’s normal, and it fades, but it isn’t a sign of a good session.

The timeline

Time after session	What usually happens	What to do
0 to 12 hours	Tired but not very sore	Eat, drink, sleep well
12 to 24 hours	Stiffness starts	Walk, move gently
24 to 72 hours	Peak soreness, possible loss of strength	Easy row or rest day
3 to 7 days	Fades steadily	Return to normal training

The muscles feel tender to touch and uncomfortable to stretch or use. Mild swelling and a temporary loss of strength can come with it. As a rule of thumb, leave hard sessions until the peak has passed, because your 2k pace on sore legs tells you nothing useful.

What causes it

DOMS is thought to be linked to tiny disruptions in muscle fibres and surrounding tissue, followed by inflammation and repair. The exact mechanism is still debated. It isn’t caused by lactic acid, despite the old explanation. Lactate clears within a short time after exercise, long before soreness starts.

Why rowing causes DOMS

Rowing has several of the classic triggers:

• New movement. The pattern is unfamiliar at first, so your muscles work in new ways.
• Lengthening under load. Muscles working while lengthening is a typical trigger, for example the hamstrings and back muscles on the recovery and the lats at the catch.
• Sudden increases. Going from 2 sessions a week to 5, or from 20 minutes to 45, often leads to soreness.
• Hard intervals. High-force efforts produce more soreness than easy rowing.
• Added strength work. Squats, deadlifts and lunges done alongside rowing are a frequent cause of sore legs. If you’re adding another new activity, such as climbing, our comparison of rowing machines vs indoor climbing shows how to fit the two into a week.

The location of the soreness gives you clues, too:

Where it’s sore	Likely reason	Check
Quads and glutes	Leg drive, or squats	Normal after a harder or longer row
Hamstrings	Hip hinge and body swing	Normal in new rowers
Both sides of the lower back	Body swing	Watch for rounding, and ease the drag
Lats and upper back	Finish and arm pull	Normal early on
Forearms	Tight grip	Relax your hands on the recovery

If the lower back is the worst area in every session, your technique may be the cause. Our guide to common technique faults shows what to look for.

What may help

Nothing removes DOMS entirely, and the evidence for most remedies is mixed. These are the common options:

• Easy movement. A gentle row, walk or cycle often makes muscles feel better. It tends to feel stiff for the first few minutes and then loosen. Try 15 to 30 minutes at rate 16 to 18, as set out in rowing to recover from DOMS.
• Warm baths or heat, which may ease stiffness.
• Massage and foam rolling, at a pressure you can tolerate.
• Gentle stretching. It may feel good, though evidence that it reduces soreness is limited.
• Sleep, fluids and enough food, especially protein and carbohydrate.
• Cold water or ice. Some athletes like them, but research is mixed and they aren’t essential.

Painkillers can mask symptoms, so follow the label or ask a pharmacist.

How to reduce it next time

1. Build up gradually. Add time or intensity in small steps, not big jumps. Change one thing a week.
2. Keep new strength work light. Do a couple of sets with light loads in the first week.
3. Warm up and cool down. Five easy minutes at each end is a sensible minimum, and our rowing warm-up has a full routine.
4. Row regularly. After a few exposures to the same work, soreness is much less severe. This “repeated bout effect” is why DOMS is worst the first time.
5. Mix hard and easy days. Leave at least one easy day after a hard session.
6. Follow a plan. The first month on the erg increases the load gradually.

When it isn’t DOMS

DOMS is dull, widespread, affects both sides and eases with gentle movement. A strain tends to come on suddenly, and the NHS guidance on sprains and strains says to stop exercising and rest it for the first few days. Stop and get advice from a GP or physio if you notice:

• Sharp or stabbing pain, or pain in a joint rather than a muscle
• Pain on one side only that is getting worse
• Swelling, bruising or a gap in a muscle
• Pain at night, or pain that lasts well beyond a week
• Numbness or tingling

Seek urgent medical attention if you have dark urine, severe weakness or very painful swollen muscles after a very hard effort. Sore side ribs need a check too, because they aren’t a normal DOMS site. Our guide to common rowing injuries explains why.