I'm in my early 70's and have been swimming since childhood. This year, for the first time ever, my legs have been cramping during workouts, usually after about a mile. I use fins. I imagine this is related to the aging process but maybe there are other factors. Any thoughts or suggestions?
you should also easily find that pickle juice is NOT an answer. just google it.
you have an imbalance that the pickle juice merely tricks into working. you could just as well poke your eye or bite your cheek.
currently there are plenty of studies out that show absolutely NO reason how to cause a cramp to go away.
The researchers propose that the acidic pickle juice triggers a reflex when it hits a nerve center on the back of the throat. This reflex sends a signal to the nervous system to shut down the overactive neurons causing the cramp.
its not the pickle juice that does anything...its your reaction to it in a non-related way
Except that it works. Yes we don't know how, but if you have a cramp and you get fast relief,how is that a bad thing?
thats great for her.
but a 10k isnt exactly super critical of hundredths of a second on time or maybe it is and she would have gotten 2nd had she not gotten a cramp at all?
I switched to pulling to get out of the leg cramp. I did pulling only and a slow sidestroke when I got a severe leg cramp and only workout 600 yards that time.
I've recently started strenuous workouts again after a couple of decades away. I'm 58. I never got leg cramps before when doing 3,500 yard workouts several times a week. Now, pretty much every time I get into the mid 2,000s, I can feel the cramps starting. Doesn't matter if it's morning, afternoon, or evening. Doesn't matter how much fluid I take in before or during workout. I've tried Sport Beans, Nuun tablets in my water bottle, eating bananas before a workout. Nothing seems to work. What's different now, in addition to being 20 years older, is that the pool I'm swimming in is warmer (83-4 degrees. I'm going to try swimming in a cooler pool to see if it makes any difference). Also, I'm taking 10 mg. of Lipitor every other day, but I've had zero side effects from it in my normal course of activity. I've also looked at magnesium deficiency but haven't had a test for it. I would also note during the warmer weather, I've been biking a lot, including 50, 60 and 70 mile rides averaging 15-16 mph, and the only time I get cramps on the bike is if I've failed to take in enough liquid. Any ideas appreciated. I really want to progress and get back to those 3,500+ workouts.
When I started swimming full-time again in June of last year I would get cramps fairly often, especially when doing fast intervals late in practice. After a few months they got better, and I seldom get them now. I swim 5-6 days per week and average about 12K yds per week.
I think fins definitely contribute to cramping, particularly in my case where I didn't have a lot of flexibility in my calves due to running and cycling.
I also got in the habit of taking sips of Gatorade between sets to stay hydrated. Even so, I still will lose 2-3 pounds during an average workout.
