Full body cramps?
- Thread starter antony
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PURETENNISsense
Professional
I can understand that, thanks for sharing
justRick
Rookie
The human body has 2 fuel tanks, a very small one filled with glycogen, and a much larger one filled with triglycerides. Train you body to efficiently burn the triglycerides and you will endure a match more easily.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Have you ever gone three days without eating anything?
justRick
Rookie
I do a 36 hour fast twice a month. That's the longest I've done.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Would you play tennis after that or eat something first?
justRick
Rookie
I would definitely eat something first and at least an hour or two before playing...and some coffee/tea and/or water with electrolytes, lemon, ACV too.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I have some Gatorade before going out and then some on the court.
serveandvolE
Rookie
I just had an episode of full body cramps this afternoon. It was pretty hot today in sunny CA and I was mindful to get my liquids and electrolytes in before and during the match I played.
I felt ok after the match but after driving home I started to sweat profusely and one by one different muscle groups started to cramp. I've had full body cramps once before but this was worse. I drank a ton of Gatorade along with pickle juice and potato chips (has both sodium and a decent amount of potassium) but the cramps lasted over an hour. I thought I had done everything right but it obviously hits people differently. I'm recovering now and just being able to lay down without intense pain is like heaven. Those who have had them know what Im talking about!
I felt ok after the match but after driving home I started to sweat profusely and one by one different muscle groups started to cramp. I've had full body cramps once before but this was worse. I drank a ton of Gatorade along with pickle juice and potato chips (has both sodium and a decent amount of potassium) but the cramps lasted over an hour. I thought I had done everything right but it obviously hits people differently. I'm recovering now and just being able to lay down without intense pain is like heaven. Those who have had them know what Im talking about!
FIRETennis
Professional
Did you record how much sodium you took in?
Gatorade - An 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving of Gatorade Perform 02 (Gatorade Thirst Quencher) contains 50 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 110 mg sodium and 30 mg potassium
potato chips 3.3oz - ~500mg
pickle juice 3.3oz - ~500mg
You can lose about 1000-1500mg of sodium per hour of tennis... 2-3h especially in high heat can make you use ridiculous amounts of sodium.
I would recommend doing a sweat rate test... weigh yourself without clothes before a match, try to only drink after that a measured amount of liquid (ie 0.5 gallon / 2L let's say) and try to not go to the restroom.
Upon finishing the match, take off your sweaty clothes and weigh yourself again. You can calculate the sweat loss:
*weight before* - *weight after* + *amount of liquid ingested* = total amount of sweat
There can be other conditions besides lack of electrolytes that cause cramps so it might be wise to visit your general practitioner or a sports physician.
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movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
This does sound like more than just a simple hydration level.
I take supplements in pill form and you can get a lot more of them in pills; just make sure not to take too much. I take more than the RDA but I have an underlying medical cause where my body doesn't store and use all of the electrolytes that it takes in. I posted a link to a paper on my medical condition earlier. These full body cramps might be an indication that there is some underlying medical cause where your body is having difficulty with using them effectively.
Turbo-87
G.O.A.T.
That's exactly right. There is no silver bullet recipe for dehydration since there are many factors (and underlying health conditions) that contribute to your body's ability to deal with it. Some people just have to accept that there is nothing that can be done except refraining from playing when conditions are not favorable for avoiding dehydration. Having been in this situation, I know my limits and don't exceed them.
The easiest way to get a handle on this is to measure your sweat output. Weigh yourself naked before and after your match. Record the amount of fluid you drink between. Once you know the amount you can guesstimate the sodium losses. The range is probably between 500 mg and 1500 mg per litre. The real variance is 250 to 4000 but most people are between the top numbers.
I bought a cheap TDS meter to get a ball park estimate on my sodium concentration. I sweat on average 2 litres per hour in singles and lose 1200 mg of sodium per litre. That requires a lot of salt tabs to prevent cramps..
I bought a cheap TDS meter to get a ball park estimate on my sodium concentration. I sweat on average 2 litres per hour in singles and lose 1200 mg of sodium per litre. That requires a lot of salt tabs to prevent cramps..
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
You could also get a blood test. Arranging that would be challenging though.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Yup. And blood tests aren't cheap if you have to pay for them yourself.
But concentration may be more useful in case your body is just flushing them.
