Does second day syndrome really exist?

A phenomenon that can be explained

So why is second day syndrome so often cited? For the specialist, if the second day syndrome has more to do with popular culture, it can nevertheless be easily explained. “You are coming out of the holiday period, you have returned to work, you have accumulated fatigue… Then, your first day in the mountains, you are going to let loose: ski a lot, eat raclettes, fondues… the body does not may not be prepared for all this. The muscles will stiffen, you will be less responsive, more tired…”

But according to him, the second day has nothing to do with it. “It may very well happen on the third day. In fact we see a lot of accidents and evacuations from the first day. »

A delayed appearance

In reality, what some call second day syndrome would be nothing more or less than the manifestation of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

You have probably already noticed that when you practice an activity or sport in an unusual or excessive way, you feel soreness 12 to 48 hours after exercise. Aches and fatigue which generally disappear in 2 or 3 days. A normal situation in short, but one that is easy to prevent by arriving physically well prepared in the mountains and being reasonable about the consumption of typical dishes.

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