Ouch..sore legs.. need advice

I really need advice on helping recovery after a really hard workout.  I'm working my legs differently with skating then running or the elliptical and the pain I'm in this morning is unreal.  I know when I get my endurance up it'll be better but until then is there anything I can do to minimize it?

I've got practice Tues/Thurs and every other Sunday for my roller derby team.  It's a pretty fast paced and intense workout for the 2 hour block of time.  I was fine yesterday morning and just a little tight until about 3pm and I got really tight.  Woke up this morning ten times worse.  I took a hot bath and hit the tylenol and it's a little better but honestly I know that's a temporary thing.  

We do stretch at the end of practice and I did extra stretching when I got home.  Is there anything else I can do?  Or am I doomed to be like this for a few weeks or months until my legs adjust to the skating again?  I did skip out on a protein shake on Tuesday so I'll be sure to have one tonight, just could use some advice.

I hear Epsom salt in a bath helps.

Have you heard of foam rolling? You can get one for pretty cheap at a sporting goods store (kinda looks like a pool noodle) and you can use it to roll out sore muscles. Hurts as you're doing it, but supposedly helps if you keep up with it.

Well, DOMS usually hurts worse the second day. Be prepared. ;)

I've *read*(not credible sources) that taking Glutamine before a workout can help reduce DOMS, because that amino acid repairs muscle. However, most protein shakes have a couple grams in it among other amino acids. Also, there are not any studies proving stretching reduces and/or prevents soreness. It's good to be flexible though.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Have you heard of foam rolling? You can get one for pretty cheap at a sporting goods store (kinda looks like a pool noodle) and you can use it to roll out sore muscles. Hurts as you're doing it, but supposedly helps if you keep up with it.

Oh yea, that too. Foam rolling = myofascial release

I find walking to warm the muscles up helps a bit. Also drink planty of water.

PS bmx419 is right, it could be worse tomorrow!

I'm afraid of tomorrow.  Today is that 2nd day, from 1st practice this week... and with practice again tonight it's not going to be pretty tomorrow.  If I even make it past wall squats and lunges I'll be amazed, and that's the first thing we do after stretching!

Saturday will probably be the worst, keeping with that "worse 2nd day" issue.  Not sure how long I'll be doomed to be like this but hopefully in a couple weeks I'll be ok!

Going to start doing the myofascial release also, thanks for that pointer.  Probably should start taking bcaa again and not forgetting my protein shake after!  I expected to do worse with learning the drills so doing better had me in there more and I underestimated being this out of 'skating shape'.  Serves me right!  Thanks again everyone  

Try fish oil 3x a day.

Ice bath!  :-)  it will work wonders...

foam roller == medieval torture device

While I'm using it I'm always thinking "This can't be good for me" but afterwards it feels so good.

Water, Water, water.  And the foam roller, even though it does hurt like h*ll.  By Saturday this should resolve.

Dang I have bad memory sometimes, lol. Yes, WATER like crazy, especially if you start using a foam roller. Otherwise, you'll feel really sore if not.

I'm not positive, but I think Melkor mentioned in another thread some where that DOMS will start getting less severe after 2 weeks or so of exercise.

When I played soccer, we were prescribed rubbing alcohol baths/massages. You just dump it in the bathtub of hot water, or use it directly on your legs, and rub it in. The whole team stank of it for weeks : )

We used to do that in hockey too minda_spk.  It's stinky but it's one of those things you have to suck it up on because it does work.  I may have to go there too... much as I'd rather not!  

Right now I feel like I'm in that calm before the storm.  My legs feel good (oddly good) and my back is more sore then the legs.  Ended up having to ice my lower back in the middle of practice because I had some serious spasms going on.  Just from those lower back muscles really getting a workout, and me stiffening up wasn't helping it.  I finished on a strong note so I feel better about that but I'm dreading tomorrow!  

I did get in my protein shake right after practice and hopefully that'll make a difference.  With luck 2 weeks will be true and I'll start being in less pain around then.  I'm on the water big time today, got in 4 glasses last night during/after practice and another 2 when I got in the door.   

No joke, how does rubbing alcohol help? What is the process? I understand drinking alcohol can have numbing effects, eventually. ;)

After straining a muscle on monday night I iced it all night long and it felt much better then next day- but then the following day was painful again.  I did a light workout that night and managed to work it out so sometimes working out helps too.

I take aleve and ice my pains

Not sure if it's the rubbing alcohol per se or just the massage on the muscles when you're rubbing it in but it does help.  I don't know why but sitting in a tub of it wasn't recommended so we either did 1 of 2 things.  For legs (especially our goalie) would take a few cups of rubbing alcohol and add it to warm water, soak them in the tub and massage.  They'd pour water over the upper legs and just keep the lower ones in the water.  For shoulders, backs, etc we'd have a hot pack on the area first for 5 mins, take it off and douse it with the alcohol, reapply the pack for another 5 mins and then spray it back down with alcohol and massage.  

I honestly never thought it did much except take an edge off after a tough game but now I'm really seeing more of a difference.  Tried this am since taking a soak in the tub wasn't in my timeline and I'm glad I did!  Didn't think I was this out of shape but I guess I am.

isopropyl (rubbing)alcohol evaporates really fast... that is all. So it goes on cool, and gets cooler due to evaporation. It is kinda along the same lines as, drinking liquor really warms me up.... : /

Last week I totally killed my legs. I did much on Tuesday and then Wednesday I did more weight training than I planned. By that night it hurt pretty bad, but Thursday and Friday I could barely walk. Saturday I woke and it was almost completely, 90% healed... to the point I went back to the gym.

Icy Hot, useless... Alieve/Advil only when it wore off did I notice it was actually helping and just letting the hot water from the shower on my legs was a bit nice.

Stretching is very important, but when you over use a muscle that isn't used to it.. this is the result :) Hang in there!

If rubbing alcohol is just wiped on skin, it has a cooling effect (because it evaporates so quickly). When it's rubbed/massaged on, it has a warming effect. It's not fabulous, and I make no medical promises : ) but I find that it helps. Massaging your legs while in a tub of hot water would probably have a similar effect.