WAG Always sore

[JessSyd]

I know it’s accepted that by a certain point a gymnast tends to always have aches and pains, but my gymnast (repeat level seven) is now always sore in that overworked muscle sort of way. This is a fairly new thing - she used to get sore like this for the first week after the Christmas break or a holiday, or after our first shutdown. But since our second shutdown (ended last October) it seems relentless. Every major muscle group is always sore.

Is this normal once girls reach a certain age? (She is thirteen). Are we doing something wrong? Can anything help? Her strength and conditioning program hasn’t changed - it strikes me as intense but not excessive. She wasn’t sore during shutdown when all she did was zoom strength and conditioning.

She’s used to shrugging off a certain amount of discomfort, but the relentlessness of this is beginning to get her down.

 

[Aussie_coach]

13 is the worst age for girls when it comes to soreness and injury. It gators from child to child obviously. But in decades of coaches I have found the majority struggle at 13. This is the peak time for physical changes to be occurring and the are so much more vulnerable as their bodies go through these massive changes. Coaches and parents really need to be aware at this age and work closely with a physio.

5 months of soreness indicates an issue, rather than just soreness. Impossible to diagnose online, I would take her to a physio for a full evaluation.

 

[JessSyd]

Thanks!

For the first few months we dismissed it as the consequence of getting her fitness back after the long shutdown. It was a disrupted path - a few weeks of gym, then it was closed because of a covid case, then a few more weeks, then she had a week off for school exams, then a couple more weeks, then Christmas, then a week, then a family holiday....

But she has had five consecutive weeks of full, normal training hours now and it still feels like week one.

She is growing super fast right now - up and out. I suspect pretty much every time she has to do leg lifts (etc) she is slightly longer and slightly heavier than the time before. It might just be that her workload is increasing week on week even though the number of repetitions she has to do is more or less constant.

We have a very good sports physio - she works with NSWIS. Time for a visit I think!

 

[&bs]

Maybe her Magnesium levels are low? I know when I add start getting unusual muscle soreness this is usually the cause. It might be worth looking at a supplement or her diet.

 

[JessSyd]

What an interesting possibility!

It’d be an easy fix if it was that. I’ll try consciously bumping up the magnesium rich foods in her diet to see if it helps (the top ones are all good and healthy anyway!), but tuna, avocado and almonds are among her favourite and most eaten foods so I don’t have high hopes.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Is this normal once girls reach a certain age? (She is thirteen). Are we doing something wrong? Can anything help? Her strength and conditioning program hasn’t changed - it strikes me as intense but not excessive. She wasn’t sore during shutdown when all she did was zoom strength and conditioning.

She’s used to shrugging off a certain amount of discomfort, but the relentlessness of this is beginning to get her down.

I am definitely no expert, but my daughter just turned 14 and she has not experienced what you described. She has days where she comes home and says she is sore because conditioning was hard the day before. But they are not that common and she is not always in pain. I can't really recall her ever saying that she is sore or hurting more than a day or two in a row. I agree with getting her evaluated by a doctor to make sure there isn't something contributing to that.

 

[Tigtimes]

Well my daughter is having a similar issue, especially legs that just aren’t recovering from workouts. She has never had problems before and we have been at this a long time. She had a full blood work up few weeks ago to check all levels and everything is clear. Doctor thinks some was not enough calorie intake and to increase hydration as well. We added magnesium supplement and have upped calories best you can with a teenager who worries too much about food intake. She took a few days off and they got better but after few days back last week same issues again.

She was late to puberty and growth so maybe that is it. She is beyond frustrated as floor just a mess over it as you can’t tumble with legs that don’t work. Honestly can’t wait till the season is done and in the rear view mirror !!! At a loss what to do other than long rest. I can honestly say this mom has had enough.