Floors and Legs

rainmaker · #1 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 02:48am

Had two games last night on a cement floor, and expected leg or foot or both problems. Felt absolutely fine all last night and all today. Had two games this afternoon on a new wood floor, and all evening, legs and feet felt tired, sore and with actual cramps. Have never cramped in four years of reffing, until tonight. Does this make sense to anyone?

paulis · #2 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 05:29am

We have a couple of gyms down here in socal where the wood flooring was installed perpendiular to the sidelines that give me problems. In other words, as you are running down the court, the floor pieces run across from side to side instead of from endline to endline. Make sense?

Mark Dexter · #3 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 06:14am

Quote:

Originally posted by rainmaker
Had two games last night on a cement floor, and expected leg or foot or both problems. Felt absolutely fine all last night and all today. Had two games this afternoon on a new wood floor, and all evening, legs and feet felt tired, sore and with actual cramps. Have never cramped in four years of reffing, until tonight. Does this make sense to anyone?

Well, I'm not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV), but do you think it's possible that the cement floor didn't cause any pain until the next day? You're the expert on how your body tends to react, but I know that I'll often feel fine on the day of a game (of any sort), but then incredibly sore the next morning/whole next day.

firedoc · #4 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 09:16am

I AM a doctor and I can assure you that I have no idea why you had the cramping after the game. It is true that often it takes 24 hrs for cramping to begin and this cramping may not be connected to the type of floor. We all know that sometimes we have games with a very large number of turnovers which means that we have many opportunities to suddenly stop and change direction. Perhaps that is the cause of the cramping.

Ref Daddy · #5 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 11:11am

Add Heat. Check out the new portible heaters....

Got mine "cooking" RIGHT NOW on sore knees.

Wonderful.

http://www.sunbeamhealth.com/mobileheat.html

rainmaker · #6 (**permalink**) Sat Dec 21, 2002, 11:52am

Quote:

Originally posted by firedoc
It is true that often it takes 24 hrs for cramping to begin and this cramping may not be connected to the type of floor. We all know that sometimes we have games with a very large number of turnovers which means that we have many opportunities to suddenly stop and change direction. Perhaps that is the cause of the cramping.

This might be the clue, then. Both afternoons, there were absolutely zillions of turnovers. Both afternoons in the first game the first half took over an hour (UGH!!), because of all the turnovers. One game like this, plus another one the very next night could add up to cramps, would be your theory? Interesting...

Ref Daddy says, "Add Heat." Would this work after that first set of games, to forestall the cramping? I always thought the rule was to ice at first and use heat later.