I've had the same thing happening to me this year, for the first time in my life. I've attributed it to a couple things, and am not even certain its that. One, my diet has changed and not been as good this year, so my potassium in take has been down. Second, I don't know if it's coincidence or not but my cramps seemed to happen on days were I had run earlier that day. Mine too also kicked in between 1200 - 1400 yards. Last attack was last week and hit both calves at the same time. Had to roll out of the pool, hurt for 3 days.

i've been getting them too and never had them before. my diet is fine/same and i'm even eating more bananas than before (about 1/day when i swim. i hate bananas). i complained in practice the other day and my coach said, "are you doing a lot of swimming and biking?" i said yes, and he said that could be causing it. didn't explain because then i'd miss my interval, but then he said to think about kicking more from the hips and upper thighs (keeping legs straighter) rather than whole leg/knees. that actually seemed to work.

I struggled for years with the same thing, and I think I just figured it out.

I tend to get them in the arches most, worse after a run. For me, it's a combination of weak feet and tight calves. Now, I walk barefoot every chance I get and try to walk several miles a week barefoot. Got rid of all foot problems completely since that happened (had occasional issues with plantar fascitiis). I also spend a couple of minutes stretching my calves before a swim. This has been key for me in getting rid of the cramps after a run. I think the calves tighten up more after a run, worsening the problem. There are probably some dietary issues as others have pointed out, but the location suggests to me that it is more than diet.

I've tried limiting the kick, kicking from the hip, and really relaxing the legs. But... ya gotta point your toes, and I suspect that's contributing. Then you still need to push off, which I am doing from my heels now!

I'm skeptical of diet as a factor at all.

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Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.

Sponsored by Blue Shield PPO.

Hmm, interesting. Sunday's episode was swim after bike, and yesterday's problem was the day after a longish run...

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Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.

Sponsored by Blue Shield PPO.

Two recommendations:

1. Take a water bottle to the pool and drink often between sets, you might be dehydrated. Your body sweats even in the water.
2. Stretch, stretch, and stretch before and after every swim.

[reply]Two recommendations:

1. Take a water bottle to the pool and drink often between sets, you might be dehydrated. Your body sweats even in the water.
[/reply]

Second that, although I'd recommend sports drink instead of water to get some electrolytes into the mix - I used to cramp frequently in the pool until I started bringing a bottle to every workout. The pure swimmers seem to get by without where most of the people who are also running and biking and stressing their calves and feet regularly do better with...although in recent years you even see the college swim team bringing lots of fluid on deck.

[quote]
Second that, although I'd recommend sports drink instead of water to get some electrolytes into the mix - I used to cramp frequently in the pool until I started bringing a bottle to every workout. The pure swimmers seem to get by without where most of the people who are also running and biking and stressing their calves and feet regularly do better with...although in recent years you even see the college swim team bringing lots of fluid on deck.
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Here's a third...

My calves routinely cramped up during swim workouts (esp. when using fins) until my wife told me I'd better start taking a water bottle. Since following this advice last November, the only times that I have cramped are when I forgot to bring the bottle. I have used both water and Gatorade and haven't noticed any difference in effect for my 60-75 minute swim practices. If you go longer than that, there might be an advantage in sports drinks.

Dru

Interesting... I came here looking for advice on just this topic. I'm a retired varsity-level competitive swimmer in my 40's and have recently been cross-training and doing small tri's for fun. Still a very strong swimmer. This year (2005) for the first time ever I started getting cramps in the arches of my feet and in my quads just above the knee during training. Tending to occur about the 1500 meter mark...

I think I'll join the bottle brigade too.

Are you trying to reclaim your title as Worst Swimmer of the Forum for 2006? Who claimed it for 2005 by the way?

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This is a great thread - glad to know I'm not alone. Every swim workout I've ever done is limited by when my feet and calves cramp. I have tried water, gatorade, salt tablets, bananas, etc. Nothing seems to work. For me it can strike any muscle from the knee down (and has even hit my quads). Last summer I did the entire swim at the boulder peak with both feet and calves totally cramped after the first 300m forcing me to pull my feet at a 90 degree angle - the entire swim. Makes for a pretty slow time.

It's interesting how similar everyone's symptoms are and that they seem to start after about the same distance ~1500 ish. Personally I don't think it is my diet. I think mine are more due to muscle fatigue. After about 1500 of solid swimming I bet my arms are starting to fatigue, so I lose my form and start tightening up and relying on my legs more. I'm trying to be conscious of relaxing my lower legs.

This year I'm trying to purposly have a solid swim workout on dead legs after my big run day. I think I might also lift on my legs before a swim too... Hopefully it will help.

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Don't hold back

I get some relief by routinely stretching between each set whether I feel tight or not. Put feet on the wall and stretch calves and feet.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

The only thing that helps me is stretching my calves. I do an easy warmup and then stretch for a good 3 - 5 minutes. If I don't do this, then I'm almost guaranteed to get cramps in my arches.

Yeah, I should give that a try. My worst cramping area is in my peroneus muscles. Any idea's how to effectively stretch/strengthen those?

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Don't hold back

I'm not good with anatomy. Where is that?

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Wow, I forgot all about this thread. And I forgot about suffering those cramps/spasms. I routinely go 3000y now without issue, even when dehydrated. Went 2x1000 main set this weekend, no issue. Folks, it's not diet or hydration.

As for the 2005 Champion, I need to get on that soon. No rush though, as you know the most prestigious awards aren't given until well after the end of the year. :-) I have no shot at all for '05, THANK GOD.

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Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.

Sponsored by Blue Shield PPO.

Runs down the outside of the lower leg between the shin and calf... (keeps you from rolling your ankle)

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Don't hold back

I've found something that I empirically believe helps to prevent calf cramping in both swimming and running is strength training. Specifically, doing calf raises rather quickly, so that you are approaching the toe-off speed that you are using when you run. I do calf raises on a 4" platform with a dumbbell, and since only the ball of my foot is on the platform, when I raise up it accomplishes 2 things: 1) I am stretching my ankles (good for swimming) and 2) contracting the calf muscles. The speed I use is >1 raise per second. I think you can even do these unweighted on regular stairs, in which case the movement also becomes good for working the stabilizer muscles around the knee.

I used to do my calf raises slowly, like a bodybuilder would do, but an exercise physiologist that I worked with a few years ago to help me tweak my strength training to be more relevant to triathlon suggested I change the calf raises to do them as quickly as possible. This, of course, means that you can't use tons of weight, but you don't need tons of weight.

I also am a big believer in drinking sports drink during all my workouts, no matter how short. It gets my GI tract used to having that stuff to deal with all the time, keeps me hydrated, and probably has some impact on my non-cramping streak.

YMMV

Az-

2 words..........Gatorade + Beef Jerky ; )


Especially after a longish run.

Sounds like slight dehy and electro imbalance...the Jerky is a nice boost of NaCl and Protein....it helps to slow down your muscles from firing too rapidly.

Drink and eat in the car on your way to the pool. Not too much jerky,just 2 small strips will do the trick.

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Seeing him in deep torment, I said. " You can have my last GU , but its been down my pants for most of the run". - John Hirsch

Take care of your body, its by far the coolest thing you're going to ever own.- Can't remember who told me this, but I love it.

Try taking some electrolyte capsules before you go. They've always helped me to not cramp up.