overall soreness lasting several days after a match

[simi]

Don't know if there is really an answer to this question, or if it is just a matter of getting "old". I've noticed that the past few years that after a match, I have general muscle soreness for a day or two after a match. The rest of the day after a match is pretty useless. Is this just a matter of getting on in age (I just turned 53), or is it a matter of lactic acid buildup in the muscles? If it is lactic acid, how does one minimize it, or its effects? Thank you.

Originally Posted by simi

Don't know if there is really an answer to this question, or if it is just a matter of getting "old". I've noticed that the past few years that after a match, I have general muscle soreness for a day or two after a match. The rest of the day after a match is pretty useless. Is this just a matter of getting on in age (I just turned 53), or is it a matter of lactic acid buildup in the muscles? If it is lactic acid, how does one minimize it, or its effects? Thank you.

do you have a regular post stretching routine? there is a decent 10 step program in Tennis Magazine. (i think that's it) - it includes (from memory - something not to be trusted at my age)
groin stretch. hamstring. quads. hip flex. wrist. shoulder. and a few others. i will look around for the article. anyway - for me - the REGULAR POST STRETCH should be routine for all players.

next - i am a big believer in sports massage by a qualified person. coupled with regular body/chiro/yogic adjustment. one goes on listening to the body unless you can afford it daily....

if you don't have a post routine i would be curious to know how you feel next time. the post stretch gives instant results.

feel good! ha. found it..... below.

from FITNESS: Flex Plan
8/20/04 0:01 AM
No more excuses—here's a postmatch stretching routine that takes just 10 minutes.

By Alyssa Shaffer

From the September 2004 issue of TENNIS Magazine

http://www.tennis.com/fitness/fullst...amp;itype=1209

[Ronaldo]

simi, just play at the end of the day. No worries about aches

[simi]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo

simi, just play at the end of the day. No worries about aches

Not possible to play at the end of the day when you play USTA league matches. Gotta play 'em when scheduled.

Will try the post-match stretch routine and report results. Thanks for the link.

[Ronaldo]

simi, our league matches are at the end of the day, interrupted by darkness late in the season. Seriously, many older players have taken up yoga to limber up. If the aches are around joints, use ice after playing. Not sure if you play league matches more than once/week but weekend matches really blow chunks

[Kaptain Karl]

I am 48. If I don't do my karate stretches (Man! I'm glad I got into that sport.) I hobble around for several hours after playing. When I stretch afterwards ... no problem.

(But I still cannot play matches against two 20-year-old kids on back-to-back days. I've had to learn to employ *some* moderation....)

- KK

[andfor]

Simi, not sure if you'll get to see this because I am jumping in so late.

Another posibility may be how much oxygen your muscles are getting during play.

I have had your soreness problem before when my asthma is acting up. If I do not take my inhaler prior to playing when my asthma symptoms are present I get very sore the next day. My soreness would get so bad that even stretching and massage did not help. I would just have to suck it up and play the next day. Usually with poor results.

Are you a smoker? No offense if you are or are not please. If you are enough said, you should quit.

Have you tried to self-evaluate your breathing tendencies while the ball is in play. I know of a couple of players that would hold their breath while the ball was in play or only take a couple of breaths during a long point. I can hear the laughter now from the board reading this. But, seriously proper breathing during play can be a dificulty for some.

Anyway I hope my 2 cents might be of help to you or someone

[Rickson]

Originally Posted by simi

Don't know if there is really an answer to this question, or if it is just a matter of getting "old". I've noticed that the past few years that after a match, I have general muscle soreness for a day or two after a match. The rest of the day after a match is pretty useless. Is this just a matter of getting on in age (I just turned 53), or is it a matter of lactic acid buildup in the muscles? If it is lactic acid, how does one minimize it, or its effects? Thank you.

Lactic acid only lasts during the exercise. The soreness you're experiencing is small tears in the muscles. The term "overtraining" comes to mind for bodybuilders who get sore for several days from doing more sets and reps than necessary. You're probably overdoing it on the tennis court so tone it down a bit and your muscles won't get as sore.

[Kaptain Karl]

Rickson - you may want to expand on that last post a little ... in case people reading it think tennis play makes one’s muscles fall apart.


Yes. It’s possible the soreness is from over training. It’s also “possible” it’s from not playing regularly enough.

simi - I’m only a few years younger than you and I find that I can play vigorous tennis three times a week. And *one* of those times each week I can play hard for about four hours. (The other times? About three hours.)

It takes me a while, each spring, to work up to this amount. I start with 90 minutes each time and “work up” to twice that over the course of the first spring month. My point is, you can “harden” yourself to a greater frequency of play, if you do so ... deliberately.

- KK

[Ronaldo]

KK, play vigorously 3x/week. Trouble is during the summer, many local players try to play daily if not twice/day. Do not laugh, most are retirees with lots of time. Better find some har-tru

[Kaptain Karl]

I love Har Tru ... and groing up in Alabama I played on it regularly. But, here, at 6200 feet the only clay is indoors.
(And in the winter I ski.)

- KK

[NoBadMojo]

i have found that talking a couple of non steroidal anti inflammatories (alleve) prior to playing helps alleviate the soreness after.

[bcaz]

I agree with NoBad. At my age, I find a couple of ibuprofen before playin works well; after playing, naproxen (Aleve is one brand) works better.

[NoBadMojo]

ya man bcaz.....i find the ib's do the job better at reducing the soreness, but the anti inflammatories do a better job at reducing the problems that cause the pain and discomfort to begin with. to me the ib's just kill the soreness but really dont help w. the swelling that causes the soreness and pain to begin with....

[Kaptain Karl]

To me that's like turning up the volume on your car's radio to "make that funny noise in the engine" go away. IOW, NSAIDs merely *disguise* the problem. It is still there, you just don't feel it.

Stretching, massage, hot tub ... these will work the ache away.

- KK

[bcaz]

I also use ice after playing ... very effective ... I think heat and jacuzzi feel great, but they are not good for reducing swelling right after playing.

[paulfreda]

It is worth a try .....
Muscle problems are often a result of dehyration.
Try drinking 10-14 glasses of water/fluid every
day for a few weeks and your problem just may
disappear.