Calf Cramps

btsinmd

I'm starting swimming again after not doing much more than splashing in the pool for 30 years. I don't know why I waited so long as I love the water.

I did C25K in May and June this year and I'm still running regularly 2 to 4 miles on 3 to 4 days a week. I hope to increase the mileage over the next couple of months. I'm being held back by a knee that needs more strength to handle increased mileage so I'm increasing very slowly. I have no trouble with cramps while running. I stretch after each run and have had no problems with cramps.

About a month ago I started going to a drop in water aerobics class and get to about two or three of them a week, I also have tried to do about 15 minutes of real swimming before or after class. Lately I've been having a real problem of my calf cramping in the water while I'm swimming. It started the first time I did my swimming after class rather than before, which could have been a coincidence. Most of the time I'm fine, but it seems to be something that hovers over me while I'm in the pool. I've only had two bad cramps where the muscles knotted up, but almost every time I've been in the pool lately there is a point where I feel it starting and need to stop and knead it out before it gets bad.

Any idea what I can do?
- Some sort of stretching prior to or after the swim? different than my running strecthes?
- eat something different? More potassium?
- Just take it easy and get use to the new movements of swimming before trying to do more?
- separate when I do the water aerobics and when I swim rather than go from one to the other?

Do you think any of these would work? Why don't I have a problem when running?

Thanks, Donna

LuizH

I had the most shocking cramp last night, after a hard (for me ) swim set, when I allowed myself to get cold waiting for everyone else to finish. Generally I am able to swim through cramps if I get them in open water, but this was in the pool and it wrecked! I had to climb out and sit on the side for 5 minutes before I could even put weight on it.

Generally I find I get worse cramps when I'm cold, if I've worked very hard, or if I'm just plain tired. If I get them in the pool it tends to be in the last few lengths of my set, even though my swims vary in length from 1km to over 2 hours. Pushing hard off the wall is the thing most likely to bring the cramp on.

Keeping well hydrated seems to help, and an electrolyte drink works better than plain water. As you said, potassium is very good for cramps, and I know some people recommend drinking tonic water.

I rarely have problems with cramps when I run. But if I swim after a run I am more likely to get cramp in my calves or feet.

I don't know if any of this answers your questions, but I guess it tells you you're not alone. I would recommend that you make sure you drink plenty after your aerobics class. Relax while you're swimming, and try to put more emphasis on the upper body portion of the stroke. Make sure you do your first few minutes of swimming really easy to warm your muscles up.

Bruceapple

Water and salt, drink plenty of water your pee should be clear.

btsinmd

Thanks for your responses. I think that I'll make sure that I'm hydrated enough and warmup sufficiently before I start. I think that'll help. Thanks again.

sanderdejonge

I wouldn't suggest taking salt. But staying hydrated is important, and don't drink coffee. And enough sleep.
And like LuizH said: Pushing hard of the walls is one of the things to bring up cramps.

My trainer once suggested creatine (monohydrate) to another swimmer, as it pulls water into your muscles. He kept getting cramps..

zorbaru

i got cramps the first time i went swimming, but after that i was fine. probably due to it being something i hadnt done before.

Macstraw

I swim a lot of yardage & I get the calf cramps too. Drinking a lot of water has helped (but not stopped it), as has stretching my calves when I take a quick break between sets. Pushing hard off the wall makes a lot of sense as a cause, I DO push off hard & I stopped doing flip turns on my long sets because it seems to make the problem worse (I'm betting I push that mush harder on a flip turn than an open turn).. On my days of shorter sets I still do them, but I have the opportunity to stretch them more because I can stretch them while waiting for my time interval in addition to on set breaks.......