I'm a 38 year old male who still enjoys playing basketball. My problem is that if I play on Monday my knees and legs are so sore I usually have to wait a day or two before I play again. If I try to play Tuesdays it seems to get progressively worse. Any hints on fighting muscle fatigue and soreness. Thanks!

Hi,
It is a fact that as we get older, our musles don't respond as well as they use to! At 63, mine have slowed down considerably.

Here is a link for some good information, and tips on what to do to reduce muscle soreness:
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1999/01_99/muscle.htm

I do wish you the best of luck.

Hi

If it is your knees which are sore this is not muscular pain, it is more likely tendon or most probably cartilage damage, if you have played sport all your life particularly a sport such as basketball where there is considerable twisting and turning consequently wearing down the cartilage which prevents bones rubbing together, it is very common and there are operations to clean out the bits of cartilage around the knee which cause pain. If it is just muscular then yes it does take longer for muscles to recover when over the age of 35, our muscle and bone mass peaks about 28-30 after that it is a gradual degeneration, although exercise slows it.

Of course from my photo you can tell what a buff hunk I still am ( hehe)

But seriously as we get older things hurt more, things don't bounce back as fast. Knee wraps and braces at times help, make sure you have very first class shoes to take a lot of the impact.

I have in the past did sky diving, white water rafting ( was even a licenced guided in NY) and a very active hunter. Well I can tell you, at times the exercise of getting out of bed is painful now adays

You have most likely that infectious disease called aging, I have not found the cure but I am still working on it.