Leg and foot cramps can sneak up on you at any time, whether swimming in a triathlon or just spending time at the lake with friends and family. These painful muscle issues can be dangerous if they occur at the wrong time, especially in deep water. As such, it's important to understand the causes, treatment and prevention of swimming-related leg and foot cramps to help prevent a possibly serious accident.
Definition
Cramps that occur while swimming often originate in one of three places: your toes, the arch of your foot or the your calves, with the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calves being more common. A cramp is an involuntary, painful contraction of your muscles that does not relax like it should.
Swimming Causes
Muscle cramps often occur with intense physical activities like running. As such, it is no surprise that muscle cramps also occur with swimming, especially with the amount of energy expended while kicking. Although more research is needed into the specific causes of swimming-related cramps, one commonly cited cause is excess work performed with tight or unconditioned muscles which have narrower arteries affecting blood supply. This is why many muscle cramps occur in those that do not swim on a regular basis, or during preseason when muscles are not yet conditioned, suggests the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Other possible causes may include dehydration, mineral depletion, low carbohydrate levels or side effects from diseases like diabetes or anemia.
Treatment
When you experience a leg cramp while swimming, it's important to stay calm. If necessary, get yourself into a position where you can back-float until the pain subsides; if you are in a pool, try to get towards an edge where you can hold on or to a shallow area of the pool where you unaffected leg can touch the bottom. Once stabilized, start massaging the leg using compression motions towards the heart. This helps relax the muscle and increases blood flow to the affected area to relieve the cramp.
Prevention
To prevent calf and foot cramps while swimming, make sure to stay adequately hydrated. Your muscles rely on fluid to contract properly and stay relaxed. Stretching your calves and ankles on a regular basis, not just right before you get in the pool, can also help reduce problems with cramps.
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