Cramp occurs when a muscle is fatigued and overused, when a swimmer is dehydrated and has a electrolyte deficit or if the muscle is tight from a previous session.
if you are a swimmer that suffers from regular cramps when out in the water then you are not alone. It is not uncommon for swimmers to cramp up, especially in the arches of your feet and calf muscles. Foot cramp is the most common complaint during open water swimming and can make it very difficult to continue when it strikes.
Prevention
The best method to battling any cramp is to prevent it from happening in the first place. There are two main prevention methods to counteract this painful inconvenience.
The first thing to remember is to stay hydrated, not just with water but with electrolytes, and to eat the right things to help your body before and after training.
Secondly, stretching is vital for maintaining flexibility in your muscles. It should be included in your warm-up and warm-down for Any session especially open water swimming.
The ultimate three stretches to avoid leg cramp in your feet
Try these stretches for the individual muscles on the calf and foot – hold each stretch for two minutes in 10, 20 or 30 second intervals.
Gastrocnemius stretch – stand with one leg in front of the other and lean against a wall. Bend your front leg and keep your back leg straight with your heel on the floor until you feel the muscle stretch in the back of the lower leg between your heel and knee.
Soleus stretch – stand with one leg in front of the other and lean against a wall. Bend both knees and transfer your weight to your back leg, ensuring you keep the heel of your back leg on the floor. You should feel the muscle stretch in the back of the lower leg.
Plantar Fascia stretch – stand with one leg in front of the other with the toes of your front foot on or up against a raised platform (such as a step or a wall). Bend both knees until you feel the stretch in the sole of your front foot.
Alternative plantar fascia relief – roll your foot over a golf or hockey ball. If you find this too painful, try it in warm water to help the muscles relax more.
What to do if you get cramp whilst swimming in open water?
Cramp whilst swimming is something that will inevitably happen to anyone who swims for Long enough, no matter how much prevention you put in place. Once it strikes it can be hard to get rid of and will often fire up if you are continuing to swim.
your priority is your safety! Be sure to know where your exits out the water are and alert a swim buddy if you have got one. Float on your back and do your best to point your toes to your shin if cramping in the arch of your feet. Massage any affected areas with your hand or even better ask your buddy to do it for you. This is where having a tow float will really come in handy, supporting your weight in the water whilst you try to fix your cramping muscles. Check out Swim safety tips for more detail on how to keep yourself safe when in the water.
How does cramp occur ?
One of the common causes of a cramp is putting too much strain on muscles during exercise. This is why it’s not surprising to find yourself cramping up whilst kicking away swimming.
Connective tissue in the soles of your feet called the plantar fascia stretches from your toes to the heel and works with main calf muscles in the back of our lower legs (gastrocnemius, soleus and tibaalis posterior. All these working together is what points your feet and toes when kicking through a body of water. Cramps in anyone of these muscles will be felt in the sole of the foot and back of the leg causing a sudden sharp pain.
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