Calf muscle tear - what causes?

S

Swinging4thefences

New User
For me, its was very much like a rude awakening. A slap in the face ( or calf as it were ) . A reality check. The most terrible setback in my middle aged life - a muscle injury.
It honestly appears I jinxed myself. Althought It was probably just a bit of a trend. Since because im now middle aged, I had been drinking caffeine, sweating alot and encountered basically my first ever muscle cramps.
( when younger I never really had any muscle cramps, or injuries, aside the ankles. ever. maybe a toe cramped up at some random time. I also didnt drink any caffeine back then ) At somepoint I may have mentioned how injury free I was lucky to have been in my younger years. Well i wont be doing that again. Recently I was feeling pretty good aside from the minor pains, and I had recently played kinda regularly. Even though they were warm conditions, I would hydrate and eat relatively well, I figured more good liquids and no worries.... I have been working up to becoming actually fit again. Even though not super healthy I figure I get more than enough protein, have eaten healthily and balanced recently.

Never ever Have I experienced such a thing before. Ive played all kinds of sports. had a serious veritcal leap. ran miles. ran sprints. I love hard courts ! clay courts are too easy. I wasn't even "over " exerting myself. I actually did a decent warm up. Maybe I didn't really stretch much, but a little stretch is all I ever needed. It was maybe an hour into the session. I was warm but also lost alot of fluids. I was Drinking a little on breaks.
It was just getting good.
While I wasnt over exerting myself, I was pushing for a strong serve. Nothing crazy. But it was feeling good and was trying to strike the ball at a higher point. I was trying to hit the power serve. All i can figure is that I was taking a newer step, and push from my leg into the serve. And then it happened. pow,snap, bang . Well there probably wast actually much noise, But I could of sworn there was a snap or slap to back of my calf. I thought for sure something hit my leg. I looked for a stray ...golf ball ? to cause that kinda pain. nothing there. No one snuck up behind me and slapped my leg as a joke. No one there.

nope, apparently I over exerted or stressed the muscle - says most of the internet when searching for the causes of a muscle strain / tear .
yes there are some other articles discussing biomechanics being the cause of injuries and we all know that can be true. Posture and form are key to avoiding injuries.

What I am getting at is the possible causes of a severe muscle tear. Beyond the obvious standard claims of overexerting/over stretching a muscle.
dehydration ?
nutrition?
bio mechanics?

Eventhough there are alot of threads on here about how bad a calf strain can be and types and recovery time, which are all great and helpful, I am looking for ideas, opinions, evidence as to what might cause such a sudden injury in the muscle. Im kinda looking for answers.
Of course there are many possible reasons for each individuals muscle tear. But I am looking to see if anyone else feels the same about : What is the real reason or cause of such a tear, in such a strong fit muscle.
For me it would be the last absolute last muscle that I would figure would ever have a problem. It really doesn't make sense.
Maybe its just a fluke event, But I really hope to find out more about it to prevent it in the future

My best guess it that dehydration could be a culprit . maybe a combination of dehydration and protein -allowing a strong contraction yet the muscle was dehydrated or something....
I admit I personally drank some of rockstar drink early in that day ... but also drank alot of extra fluids before and during the tennis session.
I also feel like I was making a slightly new push off the leg. but in no way did I think I was overexerting.

So when/ if I somehow heal, and I go to play aggressively, will I always be worried of such an injury?
Anyone Have thoughts about what could be real causes behind a muscle tear in a strong muscle ?

thanks for any advice
 
I had a Level 1 (mild) calf strain a few years ago. Heard / felt the "pop". Been a runner for 25 years and never had one. Then it just happened on a "nothing" run one afternoon.

I'm sure there is a "scientific cause", but I'm not sure it's worth pursuing. You are getting older. Just watch those explosive movements. Especially when just starting out for the day.

I'm sure hydration could play a part, but what do you plan on doing differently? All you can do is just drink "plenty" of fluids.

Bottom line: You're getting old. It happens to the best of us.
 
I wonder about supplements.... Protein shakes, multivitamins , etc Are they good or bad? ( the Bad when you dont take them often enough after a while ?)
Of course they oughtta be good and helpful while you have them, but what if you then dont take them ... will your body feel deficient ?

maybe theres some kinda nutritional depletion deal that happens when middle aged people sweat, maybe due to caffeine or stress or age ....

As for my experience with it, I feel like theres no explanation. I recently started eating better just because of the previous ( very minor )cramp issues, im pretty sure i had a banana earlier in the day. I also drank an almost excessive amount of fluids. not really too much, alot though ... and then Sweat it out quickly , due to some caffeine...but nothing too excessive really

I would blame it possible on caffiene, or energy drink crap. but ive pushed myself previously with much more than I had at the time.

So maybe the nutritional depletion thing could be a root cause. theres gotta be something specific right ?
 
r2473 said:
Do supplements work for you? The article you linked said they don’t.

If they work, do you recommend any particular brand? I cramp a lot more than I used to. Maybe this could help
Click to expand...
After reading tons of cramps info i read these reviews on potassium..Amazon lets you read only the "cramps" ones..I then also read the magnesium and calcium ones from the same company Bulk Supplements on Amazon... Also now i drink throughout the day around 100 oz water with a teaspoon of each plus a teaspoon of baking soda (just google baking soda for cramps)
https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Potassium-Citrate-Powder-grams/dp/B01LMOIBDU/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540048283&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=bulk+supplements+potassium+citrate+powder&th=1
 
Last edited:
comeback said:
most people don't know that we need appox 4,700mg potassium a dayand 98% of people don't meet that requrement
Click to expand...

If this were true, how would we explain the fact that other than a very small percentage of people on potassium-wasting diuretics or those acutely ill with severe vomiting, blood postassium levels are nearly always normal when electrolyte levels are measured in medical offices and hospitals.
 
Not sure why but Web MD, Livestrong, and the US Gov on dietary guidelines plus scores of reputable websites recommend 4700 mg a day..If you look at the foods that contain potassium it doesn't look that easy to meet those requirements every single day.
.https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/.
In my case my potassium/electrolyte levels were always in range in regular blood tests but i kept cramping until i supplemented....In some other areas I also had thyroid/adrenal/testosterone blood tests with numbers "in range" until i took a non insurance covered saliva "Dutch" test which was much more extensive and showed deficencies.. After being treated for those i made significant improvement..
https://www.planetnaturopath.com/hormones/dutch-hormone-test-review/
 
This is what Web Md say about my concern with a muscle pull
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/understanding-sprains-strains#1-3
"
How Do Strains Happen?
Athletes in contact sports, like football, hockey, and boxing, have the biggest chance of strains. Even in noncontact sports like tennis, golf, or rowing, doing the same motions over and over can lead to strains of the hand and forearm.

These injuries can happen when you work out at the gym, or they can happen at home or the workplace, especially if you do a lot of heavy lifting.
"
ain't that some crap

The website healthline ....
https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-strain-treatment
"Overexerting your body can lead to numerous injuries. A muscle strain, or pulled muscle, occurs when your muscle is overstretched or torn. This can be minor and like soreness after an intense workout, or it can be so severe that it needs surgical repair.

Muscle strains are a very common injury. Most people who participate in sports have experienced it at some point in their lives. Poor conditioning, fatigue, and an improper warmup can lead to a muscle strain."

if this were the case and the only cause sounds like everyone would be straining muscles left and right .....

I did find this page:
https://www.regenexx.com/blog/archive/my-calf-muscle-tear-was-caused-by-my-low-back/

honestly it sounds like something like this may be more common then people think
why would it happen so easily for some? seems like theres a bunch of joggers that have dealt with " calf heart attacks" and similar.

when for me, I could say ( at least when younger and for the last few years off and on ) I would over exert my self, and work out without proper warm up all the time !
not ever a pulled muscle ( at least not badly at all )
nevermind a torn calf muscle.

Im almost thinking, that I recently was eating more healthily, and drinking more milk and protein shakes, and that lead to the strong movement that would cause a torn calf
maybe it was somehow that sharp, focused movement, that over exerted it enough. ( I cant really believe it though )
So maybe its more likely that the slightly new different movement, which was possibly in a not agreeable alignment led to the injury .

:(:oops:o_Oo_Oo_Oo_O:mad:
 
Last edited:
In the end, there's really no way to know why exactly you got injured.

If you drank something before your tennis session, you most likely can rule out the dehydration cause....or at least not a big factor.....ditto with the nutrient/mineral/vitamin or what have you deficiency.....even with your sweating.

Your link talking about the low back affecting the calf is totally plausible.......neurological cause.....could have had a misfire of the nerve which caused such a strong contraction of the muscle that it tore itself.

Read into the different muscle fiber types of the gastroc & soleus.....it's possible that you asked your soleus to do too much at that moment that it contracted more strongly than it was used to causing the injury.

There can be so many factors, and also not just one.....combo of things can arise. And sometimes nothing that could stand out, a fluke injury. Doesn't matter how strong you are, flexible, nutritious etc....sometimes it's just not going to be your day.

Good luck.
 
I had the same thing happen in my early 40's, while hitting a kick serve. ("tennis leg")

I now stretch my calves more frequently, and it hasn't happened since. Fingers crossed because it definitely sucks!
 
Well here it is. For me the following info is enough for to declare my injury a result, somehow ,of probably a combination of these factors ...

After enough digging on about a page 4 of a google search there is this page :

https://runnersconnect.net/calf-strain-running-injury/

And instead of the common hogwash listed on all the the other sites, we see this listed as risk factors:

"Risk factors for calf strains in runners
A 2001 study on muscle strains in Australian football players identified some useful predictors of calf strains in athletes.
First among these was a history of previous injury to the same location. Some people seem to be prone to calf strains, and a recent or historical calf strain is by far the best predictor of this.

There are likely biomechanical roots to recurrent calf strains—whether for gait-related or anatomical reasons, some people rely more on their calf muscles to generate power, or have a muscular structure that is less able to handle high loads.

Another risk factor for calf strains was age. Older footballers had a higher incidence of calf strains (but not strains to some other muscles). This mirrors anecdotal data from runners—master’s runners seem to suffer calf strains much more frequently than their younger competitors.

One study by researchers in Sydney, Australia suggests a connection between lower back problems and calf injury.
In their paper, they demonstrate that injuries at the L5-S1 level are increasingly common as Australian football players get older, and they hypothesize that nerve compression at this spinal joint could explain why calf strains, but not some other types of muscle strains, are also more common as players get older.

While this has not been validated in independent studies, it is nevertheless an interesting avenue for explaining why calf strains occur more often in older athletes. "


What I am getting at is that, in all likelihood I feel like my Calf strain was the result of some usual( for me ) lower back issues, and what ended up being slightly poor bio mechanics....
I figure i was just pushing for a faster,stronger move ... And my low back/body wasnt all in the best alignment. All very minor, if at all noticeable, but I guess it ended up stressing the one calf in a different/bad way. Kinda like I was favoring one side and then I pushed off in a bad position. something like that

Im still frustrated because I never thought I was over exerting or over stressing anything. I was considering that it could have been damaged(worn dorn) previously sometime and then it happened. and while that may be a possiblility. Im going with the (poor) bio mechanical reason. I mean this stuff has never happened to me. I was into running last year. the previous days i played tennis like 3 times. While im not in the best of shape, I really thought i was " working up" to something. Then this happens.

That one page covers if for me ... theres some great info on that page
like
"Since the calves help propel you off the ground, some simple biomechanical analysis predicts that if you have a deficiency in your glute muscles (the other main muscle group that propels you off the ground), you might need to rely more on the calves for forward propulsion. (we have an entire course and gait analysis available just for this) "

Theres several great videos on youtube with body builders that have experienced it. Seems these guys were lilkey pushing to serious weight. I mean 3 sets of heavy weight for one guy. They have great videos of recovery techniques and such.

So apparently it can happen for all kinds of reasons and the usual preventive measures, (stretching )must be performed at all times:oops:
I now have lots of downtime to stretch and plan on stretching.
 
I beat you ... last year injuries ... 1 calf, 2 hamstrings. You can search for my hamstring thread/posts. I am 60, but never had a leg injury other than a couple of mild calf tears during indoor tennis season years ago. I am just now playing points/matches again (last couple of months). Each hamstring was 4+ months off tennis other than ball machine and hitting. Calf was just a couple of weeks. Both hamstrings were at the end of a full sprint (one chasing down topspin lob, other cc to my fh hit sideline). I can explain the "why" with those, but not the calf. Hot day, early in 2nd set, obviously warmed up, no cramping or tightness ... stepped back to hit semi open fh .. boom. Out of nowhere. I can just back off running to really wide or deep balls and save the hamstrings ... but wtf am I suppose to do to avoid calf ... just stepping back and planting.

This has been my method after looking into hamstring injuries ... just fyi ... not claiming it will work long term:

- foam roller ... I foam roll both calves and both hamstrings before I leave the house to play tennis (skip it if just ball machine)
- foam roller routine has replaced all static stretching. Good advice is too static stretch after exercise, but I don't (fyi ... before this routine, never missed static stretch of Achilles, calves and hamstrings before tennis matches)
- dynamic stretches at the tennis court ... jog, shuffle, karaoke (sp??), etc ... done in less than five minutes
- will always let some balls go I used to get to ... might could now ... but how do you know your new limit?
- body weight squats, multiple other hamstring exercises, calf raises ... I think this is this is my best hope to prevent injuries. Never needed to work on legs other than play a lot of tennis ... not the case anymore

I can tell the difference from body weight squats, but haven't kept at them last month or so as I got back to playing tennis several times a week. I plan on a lot of reps this winter ... will play very little tennis until spring.

I didn't look into calf specific exercises, but obviously calf raises and body weight squats. I could tell pretty quick results with the squats. I had just started to notice my automatic overheads felt less solid, particularly having to step back. Must have been leg strength related ... because they started feeling solid again.

Good luck ... post anything else you find in your research.
 
Thank You for the Insight and advice ! Glad youre back on the courts You must be a serious fitness guy if you run do lobs at your age.
quick link -check out this link for great info on recovery from a reoccuring tear/strain in a runner

Yes foam rollers and strength training.
appears the massaging, rebuilding of the muscle fibers is crucial to preventing reoccurring strains
And it is what I plan to do. must rebuild and be able to get stronger. I could not live any other way. how does one play sport like tennis and worry about sudden movements or sprints.

Actually you tube has been this huge source of info now. huge. Seems true medical PT s Know what going on. And runners ..
Im pretty sure im only finding the tip of the iceberg. there stills seems to a lack of complete info out there.

it really appears, judging from all the accounts of Sudden incidental calf tears that theres another reason, another culprit, besides the over-taxing of the muscle.
Eventhough it could easily be, somehow, just an age limit on the muscles... and their susceptibility to tearing ? So just becuase the individual has gotten older, the muscle may tear?

not likely ... right ?

what i could believe, at least for myself is that since im older, my other body issues( lower back ) have probly gotten worse, and at the moment of injury, were not ideal. I would play right through them, no problem. besides wishing to stretch the lower back more, i would noticed anything much. So for me Maybe lower back nerves played a part in the poor bio mechanic muscle action and produced an injury - the calf tear.. For me this tear seems so common/ specific that I almost think it may be a common link of the bio mechanical/ neurological happening.
I really think there could be more to it than " the muscle was over stretched/ over exerted/ overly stressed" My theory is based on the common nerve that extends down through the inside leg.
these are Slightly different than the severe tears that occur from extreme over exertion i.e. : extreme heavy weights and pushing the limits, moments of serious sprints and isolated calf exertion.

Many of the reports, like yours ByeByepoly, State it just happens out of not where, sometimes on a common move, sometime a unusual move but not the over exertion of the calf muscle itself

I really think there is a biomechanical, neurological/alignment culprit behind it .... but I cant really pinpoint anything that occurred for myself
Maybe calf contraction( strong leg push) + bad upper leg /pelvis alignment = too much stress on that specific part of calf muscle ? So, if muscle is older it may tear.
and so maybe older people appear more susceptible because of worse nerve function and not so good bio mechanics. For me i was pushing off And up into a serve motion, so lots of parts moving. but of course it comes down to the muscle itsefl being stressed ....and I can only figure i will need to be stronger and more flexible

So in the end more stretching, and massaging, and Stretching of lower back will be in order.

this link sound exactly like the same story, my same story, ... coincidence?
 
@Swinging4thefences

Main fitness is tennis for 40+ years since high school. I have just been lucky with lack of injuries, knees, back ... and decent speed/movement for 60 (was really good still at 55). I have several friends that still move really well at 60ish, but rare. I can name a dozen ex-USTA teammates and club members that were out of tennis by 50-55 ... mainly backs, one wrist ... a couple of hips, many knee replacements. Years of hardcourt tennis takes it's toll.

Good video ... totally believe in eccentric stretch. Did that with tennis elbow and flexbar, and now nordic curl for hamstring. I did the eccentric calf stretch with that injury but just not the back back weight ... lol ... that guy is all in.

I have the calf sleeves and hamstring sleeves. Wore them both on both legs at same time ... looked ridiculous. Then pulled left hamstring wearing them (had pulled right one 5 months earlier) so have my doubts about them. I don't wear them currently.

I think that video might have changed my mind on getting a Lacrosse ball. I figured the nubs on my foam roller was sufficient, but I hadn't factored in cross massage. I can see adding cross massage to calves and hamstrings. My question is always 1) what after injury .... and 2) what for stretch and maintenance. Not sure they should be the same.

I have very little back issues. I had lower back pain in mid 20s from racquetball once, bought an inclined bench and started back extensions and curls. Still have the inclined bench ... and start up again with any sign of back issue. Best back pre tennis stretch I have found is laying backwards over a yoga ball. Man ... 30-60 seconds and feels great. I bought the yoga ball for hamstring exercises ... glute bridges, etc.
 
The calf sleeve and compression sleeves are great ! ! .. makes me feel like i have a bionic leg !! But maybe its also a bit of a false sense of security.
( for my injured calf it is for sure, at teh moment, I dont have much pain but the muscle still ' tingles' in a not so good way !) I havent contracted my calf in like 2 weeks
My compression sleeve is seriously good help for some recovery I believe
really feels like it it holding things together.

I Dont know how youve dealt with the ham strains. Keep up the faith annd Stretching

thinking about this,this specific injury more, i feel like it is very conclusive (to me), that this type of calf tear is common with slighty unfavorable biomechanics.
these may be due to nerves in lower back, they maybe due to weakness in glutes/ other body parts, they maybe due to older muscle /tendon structure.......

But the problem starts with the biomechanics, or lack of. But It seems like theres all kinds of issues with runners( joggers !!!) that have torn the muscle.(jogging ???) Seems with an improper gait, it an poor aligned pelvis and lower back + calf muscle contraction/stress there might be issues.
theres many reports of incidental calf tears for minimal reasons. and theres known nerve issues through the lower back and that part of the leg ......

further more it appears that since this specific inner medial gastroc tear is so common, it is the weak point(?) , but also just the stressed point
Possibly just the stressed point during a conflicting movement. Since the calf is connected to two joints,if there is a conflicting movement, Could that have something to do with it?
Not that nerve is actually misfiring, but maybe something is out of alignment or sync, which then stresses/ forces this large stress on the calf.

I dont know, Maybe my calves were not actually that strong. Maybe i should have done more training of the calves- some more strength training( calf raises) before ... when I only jogged and played tennis.
But i think i actually warmed up with shuttle sprints.... i welcome sprints....

I used to laugh at drop shots. well maybe not anymore i guess ....:confused::eek::oops:o_O
 
@Swinging4thefences ... I am now the proud owner of two lacrosse balls ... Amazon Prime comes through yet again.

Cross friction massage on the calves is easy ... I just did it sitting on a mat. The hamstrings are a more difficult challenge ... going to have to work on that one. Jeeze ... Lacrosse balls are fricken hard compared to that tennis ball I have used.
 
Those sound great .... Seems the massaging- the deep cross massage will really help like they claim...
I cant even imaginge how bad the hamstring would be... might have to find some help for hamstrings.? I hope you heel up well

I feel like, I can actually feel the muscle repairing itself ( with the calf) .... Like the others have said, The muscle has to repair itself through the tissue

With fingers I could only massage a small amount. I found a " roller ball massager " at the blue store. its a hand held roller ball.
I feel like I massaged the injured area - and it helped it loosen and repair the tissue - hopefully like normal. the massaging feels like its helping the muscle structure . Well its still a work in progress. My calf feels weak , and theres a terrifying twinge in the same spot... Like the muscle strands are fragile- like a fraying string ......

Ive been on the court a little for some easy doubles, completely avoiding using the leg and ok so far. Im looking forward to some actual strength excercise...
And hopefully, maybe with this massage technique , lots of stretching, strength training we will not see any recurrences:):p:)
 
You're hopefully well on your way to recovery, but I can totally relate to your situation as I have had 3 Grade 2 Calf Strains playing Tennis over the past 10 years. They began as I entered "middle age" at 35-ish, and like you I looked high and low for WHY this could have happened. Was it diet, caffeine, not stretching enough, weight training, etc. To make a long story short, it was pretty simple: I was just getting old. But I've gone the past 5 years calf injury free, and since there are few people leaving their recovery tips out there, I'll add my story to the lot.

Looking back, the things I did to recover were helpful (losing some weight, using a roller, making sure actually stretch before play) but the most important piece I learned was to actually give yourself the full time to recover or you'll just have to repeat the process in reinjury. Muscles get a good blood supply and mend to basic usability fairly quickly. However, being able to walk/jog without pain is totally different than explosively accelerating your full body weight. I learned this the hard way a few times before figuring out a reliable process to full recovery.

Depending on your personal injury the times may differ, but the overall map to recovery may look similar. For my Grade 2 tears, it was a few days before I could walk without a limp, and about a week after that there was no pain from just walking. The bad part of this injury is that you'll "feel fine" at this point, which is bad because you're still injured, but you won't know it until you exceed the load of the still damaged muscle which results in a set back in recovery time as you re-tear it. You can't just go back to regular activities and "go easy", because your recovering calf is not ready to handle even small things you do involuntarily like split step at the sight of an incoming ball.

So from the point you can walk again without pain, you just look at every day you get thru without causing pain as a "calf building day". Start with small intermittent power walks in between normal walking for about week. A little soreness afterwards is fine/good, a twinge of sharp pain during it is bad (slow down). If you get thru a week of powerwalking without any sharp pain, then you can start trying to do a tiny jog (like 10 steps) intermittently during your walk sessions. Don't rush this part and try to see every day you don't reinjure the calf as a successful day, even though the activities you're doing seem so pathetic. Meanwhile, start to do other rehab activities like resistance band work, light stretching (no pain), and assisted calf raise sets w the uninjured leg spotting whatever weight is necessary.

After a week of intermittently jogging some steps while walking without reinjury you are probably ready to try light jogging for a longer period (like 100 yds) during your walks. And over the next week, each day try to increase the jog to walk ratio until you can effectively jog again without pain. So, it took me about 3-4 weeks from the date of injury to the point where I could lightly jog without reinjury. This is NOT "go back to tennis time" or reinjury is extremely likely. This is honestly the half way point.

Over the next 4 weeks, extend your jogging sessions slowly, and begin to intermittently run instead of jog for short bursts. Meanwhile, the calf should be strong enough at that point to be doing single leg calf raise sets and deep muscle stretching without pain. When you can effectively run in straight line again (after about 2 weeks of faster running intermittently w jogging without reinjury) you can try jogging in small circles left and right to begin working the calf muscle to be able to handle the side to side "cutting" activities of tennis. Here you can try to do single calf raises on a stairwell, lowering the heel below the step and then up to holding a tiptoe for 5-10 secs.

At about 8 weeks post injury, or "Double the time it took to be able to jog", you'll be about ready to try some hitting. At this point Mild jumping rope shouldn't be any issue, nor should running, side shuffling, etc. However, I would still caution you to "go easy" at first and fight the urge to run down drop shots, leap for overheads, or spring for anything. Look at each day you can hit balls as a recovery day, and try to keep up the running, stretching, and calf raise work while you enjoy rallying balls for a couple weeks. A few weeks after you can rally groundstrokes without reinjury, you are basically clear to play again. So, thats about 10-12 weeks from the injury date to a full recovery if you were able to jog at 4 weeks post injury.

As for the cause, it's basically age, it sucks - but you can decrease the likelihood of injury by keeping up w your calf stretching, jogging, weight work, etc. Also, set some realistic limits for yourself, like not approaching the game like your 18 yr old self anymore. There are certain drop shots that I "could" get to if I sprinted 100%, but don't warrant a 12 week break from tennis if my calf goes out. I make up for those few points by staying in overall better cardio shape than I did in my 20s and having the endurance to stay in points longer than I did when I was younger.
 
Last edited:
Swinging4thefences said:
Ive played all kinds of sports. had a serious veritcal leap. ran miles. ran sprints. I love hard courts !
Click to expand...

You and I are very similar, I too played many sports and had a strong vertical leap.

Sprints + strong leaps mean we have strong calf muscles, that also means we have tight calf muscles.

Due to tight calves, I once developed severe plantar fasciitis. I couldn’t play tennis or run and walked with pain for over a year until I completely rehabbed it.

Now I stretch daily and have never again had an issue with it.

For you with you increasing age, lack of stretching, and continued high level/intensity of exercise, I think you had a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.

For the future, static stretch major muscle groups daily holding for 30 seconds each to help prevent injuries.
 
My own bro-science.

I've been working on my tibialis anterior muscles for decades. I developed it by doing toe raises with 10 lbs of resistance. Every muscle has a counter-muscle. Example: biceps to bring things to you, triceps to throw things away. People always talk about "calves", calf raise (tip toe, relevé), but nobody is taking about the opposite motion (toe raise, dorsiflexion). Because I exercise in both directions my foot has great balance and stability.

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...your-most-defined-muscle.593549/post-11389188
 
well, you are actually on to something ....

and thanks for all advice and recommendations.

in my previous post, with the runner guy on youtube did calf raises/releases with a backpack of weights- raises and slow releases " eccentric stretch" or similar
( i know its different than the tibialis anterior muscles but it relates to the over all balance of muscles for proper functions and balance)
But more importantly I think theres a balance of muscles throughout the body and there counter muscles to the main calf muscle( gastrocnemius)
So i typed that into google and this is what popped up ."counter muscle to the calf"

https://www.google.com/search?q=counter muscle to the calf &ie=UTF-8

Alot of this info is really extremely important. For me it was literally the most debilitating injury in my leg ever ... only thing worse would be a hamstring, or a broken leg.
And last thing I would ever want is a reoccurring calf tear. Its catastrophic. its terrible. its a nightmare ......
I had to take a week off of work( I have a physical job). couldnt play for weeks, Ive probably lost points in my tennis rating lol.
couldnt walk right for 3-4 weeks

Like Sean Sullivan was saying it takes up 12 week for a full recovery ... and it does ......
after several weeks of letting the muscle heal, It is then weaker and more susceptible to injury, so it needs to be rehabilitated and restrengthened. deep massage is key
thanks for that post, Sean , lots of great infromation

only after about 5-6 weeks did mine even feel normal..... and it was then it was probably most susceptible to re injury -- so I just tried to stretch alot and work it out a bit with calf raises and light weight flexing adn Massaging

yes, it seems that age is a factor ..... ( I think i read that muscles/ tissues degrade a bit into old age ) .
but, im really skeptical.... because .... why would a 35 year old tear a muscle and a 43 yr old not yet ???
I m 43 and felt like exerted myself largely more so at other times previous the injury and no problems
( of course there are vast differences in occurrences, of course its different for everybody... but we'll have to just consider if all things being equal)

I believe theres big differences in the types of reasons for " tears" to happen and these are cause by slightly different factors.
Weve got these types of tears all labeled the same on the internet. ( so yes, they all have the same result - tear in muscle fiber )
But I would wager that theres different reasons ...
1- weve got these just plain overloaded/ over exerted/ overworked tears ...like body builders just over loading, or even football players, sprinters/ runners just realllly pushing the muscle/ leg beyond its physical ability ( but you have to ask why dont 'more' sprinters, footballers tennis players tear calf muscles ??? hmmm)
2-We've got these sudden catastrophic instant out of the blue without reason tears , like most that occur on tennis courts, from a sudden movement, or what not.
3-Then theres the common tear/ strain / pull due to in activity or weakness or what have you ... just due to instant over exertion because it wasnt used before.

So, it seems to me that two outta the 3 above are easily explainable ......

Its The Other one(#2) that seems unexplainable ...

I think has more to do with other circumstances. Body mechanics, poor bio-mechanics, or poor nerve function( or poor nerve function of balancing counter muscle perhaps?) which then end up with conflicting un-balanced sudden movement. (it just creates the over exertion I would suppose ) ( i believe in balance and correct mechanics, and try to physically maintain that when i can )
I am just theorizing , because this is the most bizarre thing I have ever experienced. And I want answers haha.
It just doesnt happen to me. never before and hasnt happened since ....... even with a weakened, tight, sore, knotted calf muscle as of late

I would theorize that a potential depletion in nutrients, water, electrolytes could affect the nerve function, causing poor biomechanics and harsh function of the muscle.
( it seems that the caffeine, without other nutrients, and then without good hydration leads to terrible muscle function and even poor nerve function )
So then the combination of a tight muscle, thats not stretched( well enough) and not flexible enough due to old age or lack of hydration, add possibility of poor biomechanics of supporting muscles, the muscle could be susceptible to this freak occurrence

Thats My bro-Science for ya

Its that there is huge biomechanical /pysiological reason behind a large majority of these "sudden" calf pulls/tears/ strains. it has been considered that biomechanics are behind some runners calf strains, when they havent had issues all their life. It may even Stem from the lower back. lack of hydration can reek havoc on lower back nerve function and vertabral disc function
but it comes down to an issue with the muscle balance in the legs/ lower body.... which then creates a potential for a strenuous calf exertion... creating the possibility of a strain

I mean when it happened to me, i was nearly an hour into a session , after a good, decent warm up, just a tiny bit of stretching, but i was loose. but i may have lost alot of water. and then Did a serve motion . power serve, push from right leg... ouch ? wtf ?

Otherwise It doesnt make much sense that it happens

I do plan to follow this, thanks ! :
TennisProdigy said:
For the future, static stretch major muscle groups daily holding for 30 seconds each to help prevent injuries.
Click to expand...

im still scared of using my calf. my whole leg is different now, but i tell you its gonna be stronger and more flexible than ever. i still havent used my calf 100 % yet, I need to strengthen. and stretch.
alot
 
Last edited:
Swinging4thefences said:
Thank You for the Insight and advice ! Glad youre back on the courts You must be a serious fitness guy if you run do lobs at your age.
quick link -check out this link for great info on recovery from a reoccuring tear/strain in a runner

Yes foam rollers and strength training.
appears the massaging, rebuilding of the muscle fibers is crucial to preventing reoccurring strains
And it is what I plan to do. must rebuild and be able to get stronger. I could not live any other way. how does one play sport like tennis and worry about sudden movements or sprints.

Actually you tube has been this huge source of info now. huge. Seems true medical PT s Know what going on. And runners ..
Im pretty sure im only finding the tip of the iceberg. there stills seems to a lack of complete info out there.

it really appears, judging from all the accounts of Sudden incidental calf tears that theres another reason, another culprit, besides the over-taxing of the muscle.
Eventhough it could easily be, somehow, just an age limit on the muscles... and their susceptibility to tearing ? So just becuase the individual has gotten older, the muscle may tear?

not likely ... right ?

what i could believe, at least for myself is that since im older, my other body issues( lower back ) have probly gotten worse, and at the moment of injury, were not ideal. I would play right through them, no problem. besides wishing to stretch the lower back more, i would noticed anything much. So for me Maybe lower back nerves played a part in the poor bio mechanic muscle action and produced an injury - the calf tear.. For me this tear seems so common/ specific that I almost think it may be a common link of the bio mechanical/ neurological happening.
I really think there could be more to it than " the muscle was over stretched/ over exerted/ overly stressed" My theory is based on the common nerve that extends down through the inside leg.
these are Slightly different than the severe tears that occur from extreme over exertion i.e. : extreme heavy weights and pushing the limits, moments of serious sprints and isolated calf exertion.

Many of the reports, like yours ByeByepoly, State it just happens out of not where, sometimes on a common move, sometime a unusual move but not the over exertion of the calf muscle itself

I really think there is a biomechanical, neurological/alignment culprit behind it .... but I cant really pinpoint anything that occurred for myself
Maybe calf contraction( strong leg push) + bad upper leg /pelvis alignment = too much stress on that specific part of calf muscle ? So, if muscle is older it may tear.
and so maybe older people appear more susceptible because of worse nerve function and not so good bio mechanics. For me i was pushing off And up into a serve motion, so lots of parts moving. but of course it comes down to the muscle itsefl being stressed ....and I can only figure i will need to be stronger and more flexible

So in the end more stretching, and massaging, and Stretching of lower back will be in order.

this link sound exactly like the same story, my same story, ... coincidence?
Click to expand...
+1, when i was having calf issue.s..
i spent alot of time stretching lower back and hamstrings... and of course both part of the calf.
 
Calf muscle strain, and more specifically a medialgastrocnemius strain, is the most common causeof acute onset calf pain. Usually this injury occurs during a sports or exercise activity when pushing off suddenly during a sprint or jump.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
Pulled Calf Muscle
Replies
1
Views
6K
jtan
J
J
Bad Muscle Tear
Replies
12
Views
3K
mike53
M
T
torn calf muscle
2
Replies
82
Views
33K
Ken Honecker
K
T
Does this sound like muscle tear or ligament rupture?
Replies
10
Views
26K
GammaNu
G
B
Calf pain
Replies
3
Views
3K
charliefedererer
C
Back
Top