Legs feel weak.

[Betts11]

Hey all I've been playing for a few years, but I seem to have this problem I cant seem to figure out. So when I start playing my legs feel really weak only a few minutes into the game. Best way I can describe it is they are like jell-o. This hasn't always been a problem some games I'm totally fine. I heard was from over tightening shins or laces so I've been loosing them up but I'm afraid if I go any looser they are gonna fall off sometimes. Thanks for any help.

 

[Jarick]

What do you eat on game days?

 

[esidebill]

How recent has this been, how long has it been happening etc.

 

[7toZulu]

This happens to me if i drink too much/don't stay hydrated. I seriously just figured this out for myself. If you do drink regularly, lay off for a week and really hydrate. I noticed a huge difference.

 

[esidebill]

This happens to me if i drink too much/don't stay hydrated. I seriously just figured this out for myself. If you do drink regularly, lay off for a week and really hydrate. I noticed a huge difference.

Was going to bring up hydration. If you aren't drinking at least 7-8 water bottles a day, you're probably not hydrated.

 

[Betts11]

How recent has this been, how long has it been happening etc.

Hmm as long as I can remember, But it seems to have gotten worse recently.

Was going to bring up hydration. If you aren't drinking at least 7-8 water bottles a day, you're probably not hydrated.

I drink a good amount of water, I never really keep a good track of how much I drink though, guess ill have to keep an eye on how much Im drinking.

What do you eat on game days?

I try to eat mostly pasta, about 3 hours before the game, any later than that i'll feel like im gonna puke during games hah.

Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[esidebill]

Hmm as long as I can remember, But it seems to have gotten worse recently.

I drink a good amount of water, I never really keep a good track of how much I drink though, guess ill have to keep an eye on how much Im drinking.


I try to eat mostly pasta, about 3 hours before the game, any later than that i'll feel like im gonna puke during games hah.

Thanks for all the help so far.

If you don't mind me asking, what age bracket are you in? I'd check with a doctor to make sure you don't have any kind of circulation problems.

 

[Betts11]

If you don't mind me asking, what age bracket are you in? I'd check with a doctor to make sure you don't have any kind of circulation problems.

Im 24. I dont think I do. I mean it could be possible... I guess I should check into that. Never thought about it.

 

[esidebill]

Im 24. I dont think I do. I mean it could be possible... I guess I should check into that. Never thought about it.

I doubt that it's something serious like that, but hey, a doctor could probably explain what's wrong better than some guys on a hockey forum!

 

[Betts11]

I doubt that it's something serious like that, but hey, a doctor could probably explain what's wrong better than some guys on a hockey forum!

Heh yeah you're right. I just thought it was something stupid I was over looking. thanks for your help.

 

[iLoveLobster]

I have the exact same feeling as you. Leg's never get enough juice during the game, mind believes you could push much further but you end up just dogging it.

Thought it could be the time of day, especially the late night games, however, that wasn't the case. Tried drinking water the entire day - that didn't help either.

The only times where I was able to really push it was, don't laugh, heated yoga. The few times I tried it you can really feel the legs underneath you and able to push it through an entire game. Guess my body is getting super sensitive at conditioning at my age - which probably is the case more than an exercise like yoga.

Also, non-static stretching might be beneficial as well.

 

[rinkrat22]

do you work out? or is a once a week hockey game your main exercise?

 

[str8shooter]

Hmm as long as I can remember, But it seems to have gotten worse recently.

I drink a good amount of water, I never really keep a good track of how much I drink though, guess ill have to keep an eye on how much Im drinking.


I try to eat mostly pasta, about 3 hours before the game, any later than that i'll feel like im gonna puke during games hah.

Thanks for all the help so far.

That's potentially your problem. A really carb heavy meal can easily take 5-6 hours to digest. A normal meal is 4-4.5 hrs. You're likely getting a lack of blood flow to your legs, since that blood is busy assisting your stomach in digestion mode.

 

[Betts11]

do you work out? or is a once a week hockey game your main exercise?

I play a few times a week, mostly pickup games nothing close to playing actual league games. Also my job is pretty physically demanding. But if you are asking if I go to a gym and work out then the answer is no. I thought maybe this could be the problem but wouldn't it affected me all the time instead of some of the times?

That's potentially your problem. A really carb heavy meal can easily take 5-6 hours to digest. A normal meal is 4-4.5 hrs. You're likely getting a lack of blood flow to your legs, since that blood is busy assisting your stomach in digestion mode.

Ah that also makes sense. I was always told a good carb meal 3-4 hours before game time would be good. I'll try eating earlier or cut down on such a carb heavy meal.

 

[jsykes]

Does it only last a brief time into the game or is it an entire game?

I found that at one point I could never get going in a game and it would take the first period or into the second before I started to "hit my stride" so to speak.

I found that if I actually exercised or started warming up before the game it got the blood flowing and eliminated the slow start. Some of my best games were a leisurely pickup game earlier in the day or doing something else active an hour or two before the game.

There is a reason that pros have the pre-game skate and have stationary bikes in the dressing rooms and on the sidelines of other sports.

 

[sanityplease]

I play a few times a week, mostly pickup games nothing close to playing actual league games. Also my job is pretty physically demanding. But if you are asking if I go to a gym and work out then the answer is no. I thought maybe this could be the problem but wouldn't it affected me all the time instead of some of the times?


Ah that also makes sense. I was always told a good carb meal 3-4 hours before game time would be good. I'll try eating earlier or cut down on such a carb heavy meal.

Sounds to me like your legs might not be recovering fast enough (especially if you work a very physical job). I noticed a change in (recovery time) my mid-twenties & really pay attention to it now 10 years later. If I'm on the ice too much, i get spaghetti legs feeling (not able to really push my stride as hard & long as I should). I find that skating twice a week works well for me. Anymore than that, I'm not recovering fully, any less, I feel out of shape when I do get on the ice.

 

[Jarick]

I play a few times a week, mostly pickup games nothing close to playing actual league games. Also my job is pretty physically demanding. But if you are asking if I go to a gym and work out then the answer is no. I thought maybe this could be the problem but wouldn't it affected me all the time instead of some of the times?


Ah that also makes sense. I was always told a good carb meal 3-4 hours before game time would be good. I'll try eating earlier or cut down on such a carb heavy meal.

I've known some high level athletes...they would carb load the day before, not the day of. If anything, if you have a night game, a big lunch vs a big dinner would be an option.

When you're playing hockey or lifting heavy things, you're using glycogen for energy, which is sugar stored in the muscles. You can think of it needing to be refilled for top performance. If you have a desk job and play once a week like me, it gets refilled slowly throughout the week. If you're playing several times a week and have a physical job, you might need to pay more attention to refilling.

An easy and cheap way to do this is a big glass of chocolate milk right after a game. It's got plenty of sugar plus a little protein to help you recover. It does the job as good as most expensive shakes for a sport like hockey.

You might also want to try mixing some Gatorade in with your water. You can buy a tub of powder and put a spoonful or two in your bottle, way cheaper than buying bottles and tastes a lot better with less crap in it IMO. That's helped me in the past. You get a little supply of sugar and electrolytes through the game along with your hydration.

I say give that a shot, it will cost you maybe $5

 

[Betts11]

Does it only last a brief time into the game or is it an entire game?

I found that at one point I could never get going in a game and it would take the first period or into the second before I started to "hit my stride" so to speak.

I found that if I actually exercised or started warming up before the game it got the blood flowing and eliminated the slow start. Some of my best games were a leisurely pickup game earlier in the day or doing something else active an hour or two before the game.

There is a reason that pros have the pre-game skate and have stationary bikes in the dressing rooms and on the sidelines of other sports.

Sometimes I dont even have a issue when I play sometimes its fine. But if I feel it coming on then its not gonna go away until im done playing. I try to warm up a bit before the games but maybe im not doing it long enough.

Sounds to me like your legs might not be recovering fast enough (especially if you work a very physical job). I noticed a change in (recovery time) my mid-twenties & really pay attention to it now 10 years later. If I'm on the ice too much, i get spaghetti legs feeling (not able to really push my stride as hard & long as I should). I find that skating twice a week works well for me. Anymore than that, I'm not recovering fully, any less, I feel out of shape when I do get on the ice.

This makes me feel like im getting old hah but its true I guess im not getting any younger.

I've known some high level athletes...they would carb load the day before, not the day of. If anything, if you have a night game, a big lunch vs a big dinner would be an option.

When you're playing hockey or lifting heavy things, you're using glycogen for energy, which is sugar stored in the muscles. You can think of it needing to be refilled for top performance. If you have a desk job and play once a week like me, it gets refilled slowly throughout the week. If you're playing several times a week and have a physical job, you might need to pay more attention to refilling.

An easy and cheap way to do this is a big glass of chocolate milk right after a game. It's got plenty of sugar plus a little protein to help you recover. It does the job as good as most expensive shakes for a sport like hockey.

You might also want to try mixing some Gatorade in with your water. You can buy a tub of powder and put a spoonful or two in your bottle, way cheaper than buying bottles and tastes a lot better with less crap in it IMO. That's helped me in the past. You get a little supply of sugar and electrolytes through the game along with your hydration.

I say give that a shot, it will cost you maybe $5

Wow thanks for all the info! I wouldn't have thought it could have been something like that...this is why I asked though. I have just been blaming it on my laces being to tight.

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions so far everyone. I'm gonna give a few of them a shot and see how it works out.

 

[adbel71]

That's potentially your problem. A really carb heavy meal can easily take 5-6 hours to digest. A normal meal is 4-4.5 hrs. You're likely getting a lack of blood flow to your legs, since that blood is busy assisting your stomach in digestion mode.

I was gonna suggest this as well. Complex carbs are best in a meal the night/morning before the game.

 

[CanucksSayEh]

Maybe you're in love.

 

[Tryblot]

I play a few times a week, mostly pickup games nothing close to playing actual league games. Also my job is pretty physically demanding. But if you are asking if I go to a gym and work out then the answer is no. I thought maybe this could be the problem but wouldn't it affected me all the time instead of some of the times?


Ah that also makes sense. I was always told a good carb meal 3-4 hours before game time would be good. I'll try eating earlier or cut down on such a carb heavy meal.

Do you work on the days you play? This past summer on the days I would work (in a lumber yard, so I was on my feet all day and constantly lifting stuff) my legs would be exhausted that night during the game. If I didn't work or got off early enough, my legs were fine.