Cramps During Swimming

This past week, I kayaked for a swimmer for 3 out of the 4 days of SCAR. Although she completed all 3 of her races successfully, she had leg cramps during two of the swims, despite taking supplements to try to avoid them. I decided to do some more research to see steps swimmers can take to avoid leg cramps, especially during open water swimming, given you don't have a wall or pool floor conveniently located nearby to help you stretch out any cramps.

Before the Swim

Before swimming, hydration and nutrition are important. Dehydration is a major source of muscle cramps. If you're planning on drinking fluids before your swim, consider adding electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, and magnesium to your drink - drinking only water then exerting yourself can lead to an electrolyte imbalance.

Off-the-shelf electrolyte products:

• Liquid I.V.

• Nuun

• Gatorade

• LMNT

• Coconut Water

• Chocolate Milk

• Pedialyte (they have a specific "electrolyte water" offering in addition to their standard line)

• Bone Broth

Starting the electrolyte fueling process 1-2 days before the big training swim or event will help you feel hydrated without having to chug a ton of fluids right before you hop into the water.

If you have the time and budget, having a sports massage to work out tension in your lower back and legs before your event can help ease some the pre-event jitters while simultaneously tackling some tight muscle groups.

The night before and morning-of, make sure you're property fueled food-wise before your event. Although "carb loading" and pasta dinners have been popular in the swimming world the night before events, studies have shown that a high protein meal with a balanced mix of carbs and sugars is more practical than inhaling lots of linguine. Before your event, don't skip breakfast (unless this is a standard practice for you that you've trained with) to prevent low blood sugar. If you can, eat a small meal or snack, like bananas, a peanut butter sandwich, or some oatmeal.

Before hopping in to swim, make sure you give yourself time to stretch out and warm up. Doing some squats and calf raises, then stretching the back of your legs can start engaging those muscle groups so they're not as tense once you start your swim.

During the Swim

Cramps during the swim can be caused by nutrition imbalances, muscle tightness, and fatigue. Continue consuming nutrition that you've tested works with the horizontal swimming body position. Many swimmers discover that what seemed tolerable and pleasant before swimming becomes a rock in the stomach if eaten as feeds during the swim. Some drink mixes cause heartburn, reflux, bloating, or gas. Testing out feeds to make sure they're the right mix of electrolytes, calories, fluids, and flavor well ahead of a big swim is very important. Honing in on the ideal water-to-mix ratio/drink density is also critical.

Some electrolyte-heavy feed options (in addition to the list in the pre-event section above):

• Heed

• Perpetuem

• Carbopro

• Tailwind Nutrition

• SaltStick FastChews

• Skratch Labs Mix

• E-Fuel

• Clif Bloks (extra sodium flavors)

• Sports Jelly Beans

Some scrappy electrolyte ideas:

• Salted oranges

• Canned peaches

• Pickle Juice

• Maple Syrup

While swimming, there are a few other things you can do to avoid getting leg cramps. Adding a flip turn between a feed and restarting swimming can help release lower back strain and stretch out the hamstrings. Floating and hugging your knees to your chest while in a front float can also stretch out the lower back and hamstrings. Adding a few strokes of breaststroke allows you to flex your ankles to stretch your calves and shins as well.

Aspects of freestyle technique can also reduce strain on the lower back and legs, reducing leg cramps. Ensuring good body and head position mitigates lower back fatigue, and helps your legs float on their own a little easier. Kicking during breaths, rather than in between breaths, can also add efficiency to your stroke without overexerting your legs with over kicking.

After the Swim

After the swim, continuing to intake electrolytes and proper recovery fuel is critical, even if you're tired and sore. Your muscles will continue working, even if you're not taking strokes in water. They have to work out the lactic acid that built up during your swim, keep you warm while you're tired, and repair the minor tears made by resistance of the water. Helping your body flush out the lactic acid build up with additional fluids can help you recover faster and prevent leg cramps during subsequent swims. At multi-day events like SCAR, evening post-swim hydration and electrolyte refueling is imperative to getting ready for the next stage of the race.

Releasing muscle tension through massage and stretching will also help prevent cramps. Here's a fantastic post-practice session you can do in your post-swim jammies!