Dr. Mark Kovacs – Recovery & Injury Prevention for Calf Muscles
If you’re a tennis player, you have probably dealt with calf issues. The constant change of direction tennis players endure puts a lot of stress on this area. In a typical tennis match, players change direction anywhere between 300-500 times (during training sessions this number can be even higher), so it’s important to make sure the calf area is fully recovered to get rid of sore muscles, maintain good biomechanics, and prevent overuse injuries.
Keeping the calf muscles well-conditioned is also a good idea as it will allow you to play more and perform better. In this video, Dr. Mark Kovacs (PhD, FACSM, CTPS, MTPS, CSCS*D, USPTA, PTR) discusses using the Marc Pro calf placement for tennis players. Mark uses the device on his athletes to speed muscle recovery, condition muscles, perform better, prevent injuries, and ultimately do more.
“The calf takes a lot of beating in tennis athletes and we want to do everything possible to help and quicken that (recovery) process”
After a long training session or match, calves often become tight or sore, but even a lack of soreness doesn’t mean your body is fully recovered. The calf pad placement, as demonstrated by Dr. Mark Kovacs using the Marc Pro Plus, is perfect for speeding the recovery process and proactively conditioning muscles so tennis players are able to perform at a higher level.
Before placing the pads on the calf, make sure that the skin is clean- this will help with conductivity and make the pads last longer. Using Channel A, place one pad at the top of the calf, right below the knee. Take the other pad and place it on either the heel or the arch of the foot. Mirror this placement on the other leg using Channel B. Next, turn the device on by hitting the “Power” button and select “Low” for each channel. Turn up each intensity dial to achieve a level that is strong, but still comfortable. Once you have found an intensity level that feels good to you, relax and leave the device on for at least 30-45 minutes. Repeat these steps a few times a week to really see the benefit, but feel free to use the device as much as you want to see even more results. Because of its non-fatiguing waveform, Marc Pro is also a great warm up tool to use before an intense training session or match to loosen up muscles and get blood flowing.