Any doctors/experts on cramping I could see?

[EddieBrock]

I've had problems with leg cramps my whole life, but last night the cramping after tennis was really bad and kind of eye opening that I need to do something differently.

What happened was I played early in the morning, but it wasn't that strenuous (I won 6-2, 6-1) and I drank 32oz of Gatorade and 8 oz of water. In the evening I went to a doubles clinic for 4.0 and above where you've got very little downtime and there's a lot of king of the court type games where you have to run to the other side. After about an hour I could feel my legs getting tired and after 1.5 hours it got so bad I called it quits (clinic was 2 hours). During the clinic I drank the same amount as in the morning and also drank a lot of water/juice throughout the day. Before leaving I walked around and stretched and then drank another 8oz of water. Right after getting in the car something didn't feel quite right, but thought I could make it home only 10 minutes away. After less than a minute of driving I could feel my left leg start to cramp so I pulled into street parking and sure enough I had some of the most painful cramps ever.

It started with the left, then throughout about 45 minutes both legs cramped just about everywhere. The one in my left leg around the calf was the most painful. It was also tough because I couldn't straighten my leg in the car. I was kind of twisting at strange angles in pain with the seat all the way back. I called some friends right away and they brought pedialyte, salt water, saltine crackers, and regular water. Even with all that the really painful cramping lasted about 30 minutes and I had to hobble into the back seat and though not painful anymore and I could walk the cramp stayed there for another hour.

Aside from being painful this really scared me because what if I couldn't find a place to pull over or wasn't so close to home or people that could come help? Even though I know I sweat a lot cramping like this doesn't seem normal and I also don't think it's good for me to load up on salty foods or pickle juice every time I play tennis.

I've asked my regular doctor and he just says to hydrate and have electrolytes. Are there any specialist or experts on cramping I could see? I need to figure out something to do that I can do day in and day out when playing. As much as I love tennis I don't want to go through this again and maybe put myself or others in danger on the road.

 

[sureshs]

James Blake endorses:

https://www.crampsaway.com/

 

[Shroud]

I've had problems with leg cramps my whole life, but last night the cramping after tennis was really bad and kind of eye opening that I need to do something differently.

What happened was I played early in the morning, but it wasn't that strenuous (I won 6-2, 6-1) and I drank 32oz of Gatorade and 8 oz of water. In the evening I went to a doubles clinic for 4.0 and above where you've got very little downtime and there's a lot of king of the court type games where you have to run to the other side. After about an hour I could feel my legs getting tired and after 1.5 hours it got so bad I called it quits (clinic was 2 hours). During the clinic I drank the same amount as in the morning and also drank a lot of water/juice throughout the day. Before leaving I walked around and stretched and then drank another 8oz of water. Right after getting in the car something didn't feel quite right, but thought I could make it home only 10 minutes away. After less than a minute of driving I could feel my left leg start to cramp so I pulled into street parking and sure enough I had some of the most painful cramps ever.

It started with the left, then throughout about 45 minutes both legs cramped just about everywhere. The one in my left leg around the calf was the most painful. It was also tough because I couldn't straighten my leg in the car. I was kind of twisting at strange angles in pain with the seat all the way back. I called some friends right away and they brought pedialyte, salt water, saltine crackers, and regular water. Even with all that the really painful cramping lasted about 30 minutes and I had to hobble into the back seat and though not painful anymore and I could walk the cramp stayed there for another hour.

Aside from being painful this really scared me because what if I couldn't find a place to pull over or wasn't so close to home or people that could come help? Even though I know I sweat a lot cramping like this doesn't seem normal and I also don't think it's good for me to load up on salty foods or pickle juice every time I play tennis.

I've asked my regular doctor and he just says to hydrate and have electrolytes. Are there any specialist or experts on cramping I could see? I need to figure out something to do that I can do day in and day out when playing. As much as I love tennis I don't want to go through this again and maybe put myself or others in danger on the road.

I used to get cramps in my calf. A buddy told me to drink apple cider vinegar. It worked. I take a teaspoon before meals and haven't had a cramp in forever. Also water is not going to help much. When playing in the hot florida sun I add sea salt and no salt or lo salt (basically potassium) to the water.

 

[EddieBrock]

James Blake endorses:

https://www.crampsaway.com/

Hope it works! These cramps are just horrible.

 

[mikeler]

I'm a salty sweater. In humid weather, I drop 3 Nuun tablets in 64 ounces of water when I play. I'll take 2 salt stick pills about every 7 games so some matches I end up taking 8 pills. I'll also take a gu if I'm low on energy which also has electrolytes. After the match, I don't worry about my sodium intake and eat a salty meal.

I used to drink Gatorade but over time the sugar made my stomach hurt. I can drink a little of it these days but the above works better for me. Obviously other things such as bananas, pickles etc. should help but I don't like to have food in my stomach when I'm playing. Good luck, you'll just need to find the combo that works for you.

 

[EddieBrock]

I'm a salty sweater. In humid weather, I drop 3 Nuun tablets in 64 ounces of water when I play. I'll take 2 salt stick pills about every 7 games so some matches I end up taking 8 pills. I'll also take a gu if I'm low on energy which also has electrolytes. After the match, I don't worry about my sodium intake and eat a salty meal.

I used to drink Gatorade but over time the sugar made my stomach hurt. I can drink a little of it these days but the above works better for me. Obviously other things such as bananas, pickles etc. should help but I don't like to have food in my stomach when I'm playing. Good luck, you'll just need to find the combo that works for you.

I'm a salty sweater too. I don't know if part of the problem in doubles is also from bending my knees at the net so often and being in that squat position for so long. In singles especially I sweat so much a puddle forms where I'm standing to serve or return. Maybe I'll try bananas too.

It just seems like there might be a blood or maybe even a sweat or other test I could do to see why I'm cramping so often and for so long. I never want to experience something like that again.

 

[J011yroger]

It's not dehydration, it's lack of fitness.

J

 

[GBplayer]

I agree with Jolly, it is fitness related.

When I started dance classes (ballet), I used to get bad calf cramps for four to five months until my legs adapted. Nothing for the last few years, your body will adapt. I sweat profusely and only rehydrate with water. No cramping anymore.

 

[EddieBrock]

I agree with Jolly, it is fitness related.

When I started dance classes (ballet), I used to get bad calf cramps for four to five months until my legs adapted. Nothing for the last few years, your body will adapt. I sweat profusely and only rehydrate with water. No cramping anymore.

What can I do about it? I've been playing tennis my whole life and play between 3 and 5 times a week.

 

[J011yroger]

What can I do about it? I've been playing tennis my whole life and play between 3 and 5 times a week.

Low impact, strenuous, long duration exercise. Cycle, or stair machine is great.

J

 

[GBplayer]

What can I do about it? I've been playing tennis my whole life and play between 3 and 5 times a week.

As you get older, you have to work harder. I do two to four hours of different exercise a day when working. Just got back at ten thirty, a lunchtime yoga session to relax as well. When on holiday my wife and I will do eight to ten hours a day. Skiing in winter and mountain walking in summer to relax

 

[mikeler]

What can I do about it? I've been playing tennis my whole life and play between 3 and 5 times a week.

Do you live in a humid area? I almost got a calf cramp tonight because it was pretty warm and very humid. Tomorrow is supposed to be 88 and I'm playing mid-afternoon. After that, it looks like the real cold fronts finally come through and then cramping season should be done for several months.

 

[EddieBrock]

Do you live in a humid area? I almost got a calf cramp tonight because it was pretty warm and very humid. Tomorrow is supposed to be 88 and I'm playing mid-afternoon. After that, it looks like the real cold fronts finally come through and then cramping season should be done for several months.

Yes, it's extremely hot and humid.

 

[MisterP]

Hey there's this stuff called Voltaren gel that I use. It's prescription only, and it's typically used for muscle and joint aches. It's basically like ibuprofen in a gel form so you don't have to worry about the stomach issues that ibuprofen causes.

Anyway, I also suffer from debilitating full body cramps when playing in high temp, high humidity conditions. And I have noticed that applying Voltaren to the affected areas will completely stop the cramps. I continue hydrating and doing all the usual stuff. But the Voltaren seems to calm the muscle and stop the cramps almost completely.

It's worth a shot.

 

[Bobby Jr]

What can I do about it? I've been playing tennis my whole life and play between 3 and 5 times a week.

Fitness is the primary issue. Whether or not you play a lot it's more about the general routines than trying to prevent cramps with tonics etc.

Warm-up and warm-down seem to play a part in avoiding cramps. At times I have gotten them an hour after playing when I've skipped a proper warm-down. And by warm down I mean when you finish playing get some drink in you, do some light stretches right there before you leave the court and then go for a 10 minute walk. Even just walking around the building a couple of times will do wonders. And you can hydrate while you walk, which helps cool you down quicker too.

This will, in the least, prevent cramps in the short term (couple of hours). Once you're home do your shower and then keep active lightly for most of the next hour. The reason for this is the best way to clear your muscles of toxins and tension is to keep them moving (so they're being flushed). Lying on the couch slows this process (even if it feels great to get off your feet). Once you've done this and you're feeling cooled down then you can relax.

All it means really is a little discipline and adding 45 mins to the end of your tennis where you're doing a more active initial recovery effort.

Note: even the few times I've been wrecked beyond belief from playing tennis in the heat and feel like death - going for a walk straight away does absolute wonders for your recovery.

All those products like Crampsaway, Nuun etc - they're just the last bit in the puzzle. They're not the fix or a stand-in for good routines.

 

[dnguyen]

I used to get cramps in my calf. A buddy told me to drink apple cider vinegar. It worked. I take a teaspoon before meals and haven't had a cramp in forever. Also water is not going to help much. When playing in the hot florida sun I add sea salt and no salt or lo salt (basically potassium) to the water.

Do you think that will cure my burping problem by drinking apple cider vinegar. Will try it.

 

[Chadalina]

I've had problems with leg cramps my whole life, but last night the cramping after tennis was really bad and kind of eye opening that I need to do something differently.

What happened was I played early in the morning, but it wasn't that strenuous (I won 6-2, 6-1) and I drank 32oz of Gatorade and 8 oz of water.

You have to prehydrate and have some water retention. Gatorade is for flavor not hydration.

Did you put the ac on in your car?

You want salt, it retains water, only bad if your not active or retain water.

Losing a match is better than dying, cramps are bad but heat stroke is much worse. I always stop as soon as i start to feel bad now, will never push that limit again.

Unless its an open tournament that pays money the next round, its not worth it.

 

[Shroud]

Do you think that will cure my burping problem by drinking apple cider vinegar. Will try it.

no clue. But start small like half a tea spoon and dilute with water. Use a metal straw to protect your teeth

 

[EddieBrock]

Fitness is the primary issue. Whether or not you play a lot it's more about the general routines than trying to prevent cramps with tonics etc.

Warm-up and warm-down seem to play a part in avoiding cramps. At times I have gotten them an hour after playing when I've skipped a proper warm-down. And by warm down I mean when you finish playing get some drink in you, do some light stretches right there before you leave the court and then go for a 10 minute walk. Even just walking around the building a couple of times will do wonders. And you can hydrate while you walk, which helps cool you down quicker too.

This will, in the least, prevent cramps in the short term (couple of hours). Once you're home do your shower and then keep active lightly for most of the next hour. The reason for this is the best way to clear your muscles of toxins and tension is to keep them moving (so they're being flushed). Lying on the couch slows this process (even if it feels great to get off your feet). Once you've done this and you're feeling cooled down then you can relax.

All it means really is a little discipline and adding 45 mins to the end of your tennis where you're doing a more active initial recovery effort.

Note: even the few times I've been wrecked beyond belief from playing tennis in the heat and feel like death - going for a walk straight away does absolute wonders for your recovery.

All those products like Crampsaway, Nuun etc - they're just the last bit in the puzzle. They're not the fix or a stand-in for good routines.

You may be right about fitness since playing in the morning and evening wears me out.. Playing so often it's hard for me to do much additional fitness work, but I've tried to incorporate some strength training. What kind of warm up do you suggest to avoid cramps? Before playing at full speed I always do mini tennis or light hitting.

This last time I had these painful cramps in the car that I described earlier I did some calf stretching on the court and walked around the court once before walking a couple minutes to my car. When I tried to get in the car I felt like I might have trouble so I got out and did some calf stretches before getting back in. I also kept another bottle on water in the car that I started drinking. Within a couple minutes I got the horrible and painful cramps and I was fortunate I was able to pull over.

This last cramping episode was so bad I never want that happen again.

 

[EddieBrock]

You have to prehydrate and have some water retention. Gatorade is for flavor not hydration.

Did you put the ac on in your car?

You want salt, it retains water, only bad if your not active or retain water.

Losing a match is better than dying, cramps are bad but heat stroke is much worse. I always stop as soon as i start to feel bad now, will never push that limit again.

Unless its an open tournament that pays money the next round, its not worth it.

I always put the ac on in my car. I live in a very hot and humid area. Is that a problem after playing?

While I was cramping I drank salt water my friends brought and had saltine crackers. Should I have saltines before playing?

Agree that it's not worth dying over a tennis match that's for fun. Some of my friends are very competitive and really like to push themselves and others. Another time I cramped I had played from 10am till noon in the middle of the summer and then some really good players asked me to hit and I was really enjoying hitting and was playing well, but got extremely dizzy and light headed and thought I was going to pass out. It's definitely not worth it.

 

[Bobby Jr]

You may be right about fitness since playing in the morning and evening wears me out.. Playing so often it's hard for me to do much additional fitness work, but I've tried to incorporate some strength training. What kind of warm up do you suggest to avoid cramps? Before playing at full speed I always do mini tennis or light hitting.

It sounds like you're nowhere near properly recovered from your morning tennis before you play your evening tennis. There's probably not enough time to eat and rest appropriately - especially if you sit at a desk during the day.

Cramp avoidance, and fitness in general, includes proper nutrition ongoing (not just anti-cramp lollies/drinks before/during matches which are basically useless compared to proper eating), decent recuperation and preparation. If you skip any of them it can make you more prone to suffering from cramp for days afterwards - more than a week according to some experts.

My warm-up - before I leave home - I do basic foam-rolling and limbering exercises along with light movements, including stretchy-band stuff (overhead press, seated rowing, curls etc). I then do some more static stretches on calves/legs etc and some heart-rate elevation stuff like star-jumps, lunges, skipping. When I get to the tennis courts (for me about 10 mins drive away) I do some light jogging, then side-skipping, some fast starts/stops, and some final limbering stuff on calves, arms/shoulder, back. The at-home part takes about 15 mins and the stuff at the courts about 5-10 mins tops.

Hope some of this offers some new ideas to help you get past this. If you got the bad cramps you mention within the last two weeks my advice would be to skip tennis and do some walks for a few days and some deep foam rolling. Cramps are rarely one-off events. Once you get them you seem to get them again soon after because you've primed yourself to get them now so doing something different which is more R&R focused is a good move. Even the top athletes in the world do this sort of thing so mortals like us need to do it even more.

 

[mikeler]

Humidity makes you sweat more. Some people are salty sweaters, so the more you sweat, the more salt your body is losing.

 

[Bud]

I used to get cramps in my calf. A buddy told me to drink apple cider vinegar. It worked. I take a teaspoon before meals and haven't had a cramp in forever. Also water is not going to help much. When playing in the hot florida sun I add sea salt and no salt or lo salt (basically potassium) to the water.

Anything containing vinegar will work. Mustard, pickle juice, etc. In my experience, the higher the vinegar concentration the faster it works.

 

[Bud]

Hope it works! These cramps are just horrible.

The website doesn't state the actual ingredient that stops the cramping. I'm assuming it's something vinegar-related.

Proprietary CrampsAWAY blend (Natural Food Acids). Sounds like vinegar.

Save your money and suck on a mustard packet or drink a shot of apple cider vinegar when the cramps appear.

 

[EddieBrock]

The website doesn't state the actual ingredient that stops the cramping. I'm assuming it's something vinegar-related.

Proprietary CrampsAWAY blend (Natural Food Acids). Sounds like vinegar.

Save your money and suck on a mustard packet or drink a shot of apple cider vinegar when the cramps appear.

When I was in the car cramping last time throwing my entire arsenal of anti-cramping weapons at the cramps one of the last things I tried was a spoonful of mustard and the cramps went away shortly after. Obviously I can't say that's what did because I had a bag worth of other things supposed to help, but it's definitely something I should keep with me.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

When I was in the car cramping last time throwing my entire arsenal of anti-cramping weapons at the cramps one of the last things I tried was a spoonful of mustard and the cramps went away shortly after. Obviously I can't say that's what did because I had a bag worth of other things supposed to help, but it's definitely something I should keep with me.

Make sure that you don't turn on the AC when you get in the car after playing. That has done me in. You you put on sweatpants after playing?

 

[EddieBrock]

Make sure that you don't turn on the AC when you get in the car after playing. That has done me in. You you put on sweatpants after playing?

What do you mean about the AC affecting cramping?

Usually I cramp when I've finished playing (not during the match) and have often cramped while driving and then get a full blown unbearably painful cramping episode once I've stopped.

I've never put sweatpants on after playing. Where I live is very hot and humid. I just have a seat protector on.

 

[socallefty]

Take Salt pills before playing. TW used to sell them, but I’m sure you can find them online at other places also.

 

[Rosstour]

What do you mean about the AC affecting cramping?

Usually I cramp when I've finished playing (not during the match) and have often cramped while driving and then get a full blown unbearably painful cramping episode once I've stopped.

I've never put sweatpants on after playing. Where I live is very hot and humid. I just have a seat protector on.

It sounds like you need cool down after the match and you're going right to cold turkey.

 

[EddieBrock]

It sounds like you need cool down after the match and you're going right to cold turkey.

What kind of cool down? Walking around the parking lot or anything in particular?

 

[Rosstour]

What kind of cool down? Walking around the parking lot or anything in particular?

When pro players have rain delays, they have to keep moving or they risk cramping when the match resumes. I think that applies here. My buddy and I do a light "warm-down" hit after we go full speed for a while. So yeah, maybe a walk or a light jog. And then some stretches perhaps.