cramps..

guys.. any advice on how to avoid cramps besides drinking a lot , stretching and taking potassium and magnesium supplements ?

would maybe hot and cold showers after playing be good ..? i.e. to get the circulation up and rid out possible residue and lactic acid and other problem realted substances in the muscles..

dont have a jacuzzi but have a poll near by .. can swimming help a lot ?

alos in order to get fresah if one plays successive days , what is a good routine to try to stay 'springy ' and not fizzle out too much ..


i tried too go for short runs a few hours before getting on court although my body and legs especially said 'no can do' and that was initially painfully but seemed to loosen it all up a bit.

Have you tried salt tablets? That's what has helped me. You can sweat and wind up drinking too much water - this will dilute the sodium in your blood (hyponatremia), or even the potassium (hypokalemia), either of which can lead to severe cramping.

sex change ?

Do some post match stretching, drink oj or eat bananas for potassium, and drink some pickle juice. Do these things and you probably won't cramp that night.

Make sure you get enough calcium, as well as potassium and magnesium as you mentioned.

Stretch more, start lifting, improve fitness.

Everything else is sort of like taking an aspirin.... You might feel fine, but the problem is still there. With a little work, you simply shouldn't cramp up any more, even without Bananas, pickle juice, or any other remedy.

You might want to have you thyroid checked out. I ahve been playing tennis for 6 years now. I have had terrible problems cramping almost every time I play, esp. during warmer conditions. I finally found a doctor that knew something about sports medicine and he had some bloodwork done right after I played for 2 hours. I always got hot quickly and my muscles always twitched after a good workout. Found out my thyroid was way off. Now on medicine for 3 weeks and I feel so much better. It does take up to 6 weeks in the system to get full affect. I go in for a check up again in 3 weeks. I'm sure they will have to tweek the dosage I am taking.

By the way, I play tennis or run every day of the week. I am considered very muscular for a tennis player but am in great shape. So, some times that has nothing to do with it.

WBF said:

Stretch more, start lifting, improve fitness.

Everything else is sort of like taking an aspirin.... You might feel fine, but the problem is still there. With a little work, you simply shouldn't cramp up any more, even without Bananas, pickle juice, or any other remedy.

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Ha ha, leave it to WBF. He always finds a way to poke fun at my remedies.

I just got back from a tournament in Memphis, TN and it was VERY VERY hot! I met a trainer there named Cicero who supposedly worked with Andy Roddick. He told me that my cramps were probably mainly due to the severe heat and some advice on handling cramps:

Before the match: Be prepared the night before - Roddick would drink 6 bottles of sports drink before going to bed! By the day of the match it may be too late to hydrate.

During the match: According to Cicero, upon getting cramps (and also as a precaution) one of the best solutions is to put on some ice. This worked very well - for the rest of the tournament I used ice at every changeover and didn't cramp even though I played three matches a day, mostly three-setters, in 90-degree weather and very high humidity.

After the match: If you got cramps one day and have to recover in time for your matches tomorrow, take an ice bath at night: fill the tub with cold water and add two-three bags of ice (from grocery store) and stay in for 12 minutes. At first I was skeptical and afraid of immersing myself in freezing cold, but it didn't turn out to be so bad and made my muscles feel a lot better. Also, between successive matches I would take a cold shower to cool down.

I hope this helps! Best of luck.