Swimming and how to fix leg and foot cramps

nuffer
nuffer Posts: 402 Member
edited November 22 in Fitness and Exercise
I started swimming laps about five months ago after a very long 35 or so year pause from the days of teenage swimming.

From the point I started building distance I had issues with getting cramps in my feet after pushing off the wall on my open turns.

Did a little online reading, made sure to be hydrated and do some stretching before pool sessions. That seemed to help a little. I also added a daily magnesium supplement.

Now the cramping is in my calves. It can be so bad it will cut my sessions short. As in I can't use one of my legs.

It typically comes on later in my workout, around the 1500 yard point. I am trying to not push off excessively hard and to do so in a balanced fashion.

Last week I had to cut two of my pool workouts short due to cramping in my calves. It's very frustrating because the rest of me wants to keep going.

Advice appreciated. I did my longest workout of 2700 yards last weekend but was fighting cramps for the last 400 or so.

Replies

  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
    Are you drinking water during your workout? Do you stretch after your swim? How about strength training?
    I've been to PT and ortho, now a chiro for calf issues, and the stretching and hydrating are the two consistent themes across the board. You've got to stop for water breaks during long swims because even though you won't notice it, you are sweating! Chug more water after you're done. Maybe eat a banana. And the stretching-oh lord-I was given tons of stretches to do, all the way up the body, not just the calves, because it's all part of one system, and when one part gets out of wack, the rest feels it.
  • jotti101
    jotti101 Posts: 41 Member
    I have also suffered with cramp, both in my toes and calf's eventually I had to go to the Dr. He gave me some Quinine tablets which do help but I also drink tonic water now in the evenings as I tend to get it more at night when going to bed as well as when I am training.
  • earth_echo
    earth_echo Posts: 133 Member
    I used to struggle daily with muscle cramps. I started adding potassium to my diet by adding No Salt to my food and drink. That seemed to help, but not completely. Then I started taking magnesium, like you. That's when things got MUCH worse for me. I was taking magnesium citrate. Long story short, my muscle cramps was from ingesting too much citric acid. Citric acid is added to a TON of stuff. In my case, it was a combination of water enhancer (lots of it...) and taking magnesium CITRATE. Ugh.
  • nuffer
    nuffer Posts: 402 Member
    To be clear, the cramping I'm getting is during the swim, not after. It's definitely related to pushing off the wall. I was optimistic that increasing my fitness level would make this go away but that's not the case.

    I was hoping for a magic bullet to fix this. I will do even more stretching as well and try some potassium. I try and hydrate well before a swim but I guess stopping to drink during will have to happen as well.

    Have never heard about quinine. I do enjoy tonic, especially when mixed with lime, gin, and ice.
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    nuffer wrote: »
    To be clear, the cramping I'm getting is during the swim, not after. It's definitely related to pushing off the wall. I was optimistic that increasing my fitness level would make this go away but that's not the case.

    I was hoping for a magic bullet to fix this. I will do even more stretching as well and try some potassium. I try and hydrate well before a swim but I guess stopping to drink during will have to happen as well.

    Have never heard about quinine. I do enjoy tonic, especially when mixed with lime, gin, and ice.

    Yeah. When you streamline/point your toes after you push off the wall, your calf muscles stretch out. Fatigue (into the workout) + stretching => cramping.

    I have some luck drinking Powerade instead of water when I swim, but in general, once the cramping (foot or calf) starts, game over for me.
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