Leg cramps in swimming

A cramp is an involuntary, painful contraction of the muscles that does not relax like it should. Cramps that occur while swimming often originate in one of three places: your toes, the arch of the foot, or the calves, with the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calves being more common. The pain has a quick onset that is usually severe enough to force swimmers stop because of the tenderness they experience in their leg. A calf cramp will usually disappear on its own, but tenderness can remain even after the cramp vanishes.

Causes

There are three causes of cramping while swimming, and basically they are the same ones that cause cramping in other sports and forms of exercise: electrolyte loss, conditioning and unnecessary tension. The most common cause of cramping in swimming is the later one. The correct position of the foot when kicking in swimming is when it's plantar flexed. That causes a lot of tension and a lack of flexibility in the ankle joint, leading to problematic muscle contraction. The inability to allow the ankle to relax causes the cramp in the calf.

Treatment

When you experience a calf cramp while swimming, it's important to stay calm. If you are swimming in deep water try to get yourself in a back float position. If it's too hard for you to stay afloat in deep water swim to the sore; there you can massage and stretch you calf. If you're swimming in a pool when the cramp occur, swim to the edge of the pool or to its shallow part; and again massage (it'll increase blood flow) and stretch the affected area. You can stretch the calf by pointing your toes toward your chin (it's the opposite the position of the foot while kicking in swimming). 

Prevention

The best way to deal with a cramp is to avoid it in the first place. You can prevent muscle cramps by staying hydrated (muscles rely on fluids to contract properly and stay relaxe), stretching before you swim, and adapting the activity to your fitness levels. If you start to feel overly tired stop your activity and stretch. These precautions will ensure that you can enjoy your time in the pool without muscle cramps interfering with your workout.

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