Hello, everyone.
I just got back in the pool after three decades away and hope to compete in a few meets in the next calendar year. I love being back at it and can already feel and see my body adjusting in the first couple of weeks. However, doing actual workouts which include kicking drills has caused my legs - mainly in the calves - to cramp up when I get to about 3/4 of the way through the workout and attempt to dolphin kick or streamline kick in a drill.
Is this due to lack of strength, stretching or salt? Or is it just going to take some time before my body adjusts to this new type of movement?
Any advice or insight is appreciated!
Despite what many have written, there is poor evidence suggesting cramps are a result of dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalances. Instead, fatigue appears to be the main cause of cramping, hence the occurrence in the pre-season or at the end of tough sets. At the beginning of the season, you fatigue and this alters your neuro-muscular control in the muscle and the muscle begins to cramp...owie!
Simply get in better shape and work on recovery, don't waste your money. Here is an interview from my website with a leading researcher on the subject, hopefully the mods don't remove it:
www.swimmingscience.net/.../friday-interview-kevin-oconnell-ph-d-candidate-discusses-genes-and-cramping.html
That is a fascinating paper. No one on this thread has mentioned the pickle juice treatment. Pickle juice will stop muscle cramping that has already started.It acts too rapidly to correct any electrolyte imbalances(which shouldn't work anyway per the paper.) i don't believe there is a good explanation of it's mechanism of action.
Despite what many have written, there is poor evidence suggesting cramps are a result of dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalances. Instead, fatigue appears to be the main cause of cramping, hence the occurrence in the pre-season or at the end of tough sets. At the beginning of the season, you fatigue and this alters your neuro-muscular control in the muscle and the muscle begins to cramp...owie!
Simply get in better shape and work on recovery, don't waste your money. Here is an interview from my website with a leading researcher on the subject, hopefully the mods don't remove it:
www.swimmingscience.net/.../friday-interview-kevin-oconnell-ph-d-candidate-discusses-genes-and-cramping.html
That is a fascinating paper. No one on this thread has mentioned the pickle juice treatment. Pickle juice will stop muscle cramping that has already started.It acts too rapidly to correct any electrolyte imbalances(which shouldn't work anyway per the paper.) i don't believe there is a good explanation of it's mechanism of action.
