In 2016, Sal Di Stefano from Mind Pump Media reviewed what sore muscles mean for fitness, drawing on exercise science. He explained that soreness, often linked to inflammation or lactic acid buildup, happens when you try new workouts or push too hard, not necessarily from effective training. For example, even advanced lifters get sore from unfamiliar activities like swimming, but this doesn’t mean better muscle gains.

In 2025, Yosuke Tsuchiya and Eisuke Ochi from Hosei University studied 24 male athletes doing intense leg exercises. They gave half of them 3.6g of omega-3 supplements daily for four weeks before and one week after, while the other half got a placebo, checking muscle strength, soreness, and inflammation markers.