DOMS and ‘damage’ Or just normal protein remodelling? PMID: 14991331 Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is often blamed on torn fibres, but a 2004 ultrastructural study found Z-disc streaming, smearing, and supernumerary sarcomeres are actually signs of adaptive myofibril remodelling, not permanent damage. 🔬 Real-world: Understanding this shifted my recovery approach—now I focus on progressive loading instead of chasing soreness for “proof” of growth. ❓ Let’s chat: What’s your experience with muscle soreness? Is it needed? What if we never got sore? Why muscle ‘damage’ isn’t needed (or is it even damage?) for muscle growth PMID: 27219125 Not all hypertrophy starts with bruised fibers. This 2016 J Physiol study tracked myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) over 48 h post-exercise and showed that after week 1, damage subsides but MPS continues to drive growth. By week 10, muscle enlargement correlates with refined synthesis, not repair. 🏋️‍♂️ Real-world: I’ve since dialled back...