Prevention
Delayed onset muscle soreness can be reduced or prevented by gradually increasing the intensity of a new exercise program,[18] thereby taking advantage of the repeated-bout effect.
Soreness can theoretically be avoided by limiting exercise to concentric and isometric contractions.[18] But eccentric contractions in some muscles are normally unavoidable during exercise, especially when muscles are fatigued.[1] Limiting the length of eccentric muscle extensions during exercise may afford some protection against soreness, but this may also not be practical depending on the mode of exercise. A study comparing arm muscle training at different starting lengths found that training at the short length reduced muscle damage indicators by about 50% compared to the long length, but this effect was not found in leg muscles.[19]
Static stretching or warming up the muscles does not prevent soreness.[20][21] Overstretching can by itself cause soreness.
Proper nutrition to manage electrolytes and glycogen before and after exertion has been proposed as a way to ease soreness.[22][23] Consuming more vitamin C does not prevent soreness.