My teenage son has started to have this problem when he does his daily run around the track. He was wanting to keep at this running routine daily to build up stamina. He is a well built boy and healthy, says it is not a cramp but the muscle in his calf gets tight and he has to stop running until it loosens out. Doesn’t feel like pins and needles, just stiff. What is causing it and how does he avoid it? he does warm ups.
I lost 4 inches in my waist and 24 pounds in 8 weeks. Ascential Bioscience Rocks!
earn and burn (money and calories) with a distributorship
Does he stretch his calves? His muscles are probably tight and he just needs to stretch it out well – well meaning for at least a minute on each calf. Ten seconds won’t cut it because the muscle needs time to stretch out.
definately stretch. ice baths help!
i had a similair problem, it sounds like a cramp that isn’t getting to the point of pain, try drinking electolytes and stay hydrated and eat a bannana before your run, it helped me. the ptasium in th banana will help with the muscle tightening, as will the electrolytes
http://www.vascular.co.nz/hardening_of_the_arteries.htm <——Article about hardening of the arteries
Physiologically a cool down helps your body make the transition from intense training to normal daily activities.
A post jog or walk can
1. Decrease blood pooling – running helps to pump blood to the heart rather than it pooling in your legs. If you just stand around after training or competition less blood is able to return to the heart, which can in turn cause dizziness.
2. Remove lactate more quickly, a cool down increases the blood flow therefore increases movement of lactate out of the muscle and the rate at which your muscles utilize lactate.
3. Reduces adrenaline levels
4. Reduces muscles stiffness (although not proven)
Stretching is an important part of a cool down not only physically but mentally, it can prepare you for your next workout. Stretching is important to increase flexibility yet it is often neglected. Many people will go through their training routine and then decide to skip stretching because they are too tired or want to get home. We’ve all done it from time to time. Including stretches as part of your cool down will help you function better throughout the day and make you feel better.
The goal of stretching is to lengthen the muscle and move the corresponding joints through full range of motion (ROM), allowing both contractile (muscle and tendon) and the non- contractile (ligament and joint capsule) structures to lengthen. Stretching exercises can
* Relieve muscle tension
* Keep muscles flexible, helping posture and balance
* Lengthen muscles and increase ROM, may increase stride length
* Help prevent muscle and joint injuries by elongating and relaxing muscles
Tight muscles can cause chronic pain, sitting all day after exercise can cause tight hip flexors and loose buttock muscles. This muscular imbalance can make the joint weaker as parts of the structures bare more weight than they should. In many cases back pain is caused by tight hamstring muscles, which causes the hips and pelvis to rotate backwards. Ref 2
The research
Cool down routine – make it specific
Your cool down routine should start with easy running/walking for 1-3 miles. The optimal clearance of lactate, adrenaline ECT. occurs at the start of your cool down run at 65-75% of your maximum heart rate. Slow down further for the last 5 minutes. Only the marathon is the exception to this but you should still try to keep moving.
Stretching
Without consistent stretching your muscles will tend to tighten over time leading to decreased stride length and increased risk of injury. After you cool down can be the best time to increase your flexibility. Stretches should be held for 15-30 seconds, in 15 minutes you can complete 25-30 stretches, which will allow you to stretch each of the major muscle groups in your legs, buttocks and back 2-3 times. Try to prioritise to those muscles which are used most in your activity, for runners it is important to stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings as they are always in the shortened position. This will help to reduce muscle imbalances which can lead to injury.
Note
The slow jogging and walking is very important, your body may take a while to adjust to the fact that you’ve just stopped running. To force your muscles into the opposite action like stretching immediately after you stop can cause them to actually constrict more in an effort to save them selves. If you choose to stretch after a run the best time is 30-45 minutes after you stop allowing you time to eat, and shower. Ref 2
Flexibility is an important component of fitness that should not be neglected; including a stretching routine everyday will have great benefit on your performance level.
Tips
1. Warm up prior to a stretching routine, this can be achieved by marching, arm rotations, knee raises and shoulder shrugs. Can be included after a training session.
2. Do stretches in sequence start at the top and work your way down
3. If you decide to do stretches in your warm-up they should be held for 10-15 seconds. As a compulsory part of you cool-down they should be held for 15-30 seconds
4. Maintain good posture, keep your abdominals contracted, stretch slowly and take deep breaths. It can sometimes help to breathe out as you first initiate the stretch and as you increase your stretch.
5. Do not force the stretch or bounce you should only feel a mild discomfort nothing more if so shorten the stretch or stop
6. Do not stretch an injured muscle unless directed by a qualified sport therapist.
Keep stretching a habit, relax throughout the stretch and listen to your body.
tightening of a muscle is a cramp….
jesse (above) has it….i would suggest taking in electrolytes and potassium (as well as magnesium) to help prevent cramps…..as well as a good warm-up with dynamic stretching…..
What I always do before a cross/country race and it really helps, is to run about 250 meters *jogging* -remember you don’t want to get tired immediately so just jog-. Then stretch, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how, just try to spend at least 5 minutes stretching your legs in a lot of ways.
Hope this helped…