What is it that causes a lower leg muscle pain, a charley horse?
I have gotten them at times and my leg muscle will get as hard as a rock, after it goes away my leg will be sore. When I would get them was when I would use regular swim fins and start out doing too much without a warm up. One swimmer told me they were from a low sugar level. I have the Zoomer fins also, and have not had a charley horse with them.
Merry Christmas!
I often get cramps of one sort or another at the end of a hard practice. Often these are in the arches of my feet, so I have to swim with my feet at right angles to my legs--think of this as a kind of anti-Zoomer drill.
Anyhow, for what it's worth, I have learned on days when I have a hard practice that evening, NOT to go for long walks earlier, especially hill climbs/descents. We live in a very hilly region, and I used to go on hikes with my wife before practice till I discovered this was a recipe for swimming cramps.
You might also try stretching a bit before practice.
I find I get cramps most often when I switch from a long endurance set of freestyle to shorter butterfly sets. Also, when you get to the point where you suspect your legs are vulnerable to cramping, be gingerly about pushing off the wall. Sometimes a little less vehemence on the turns can prevent reaching the tipping point for leg cramps.
Finally, the best way to relieve a cramp is to contract the opposing muscle, since antagonist muscles actively inhibit each other. That's why bending my foot at right angles to the legs seem to help with the arch and calf cramps. I used to automatically stop whenever I got one of these, but now I find that if I keep swimming in my contorted posture, and reduce the kicking, they sometimes go away while swimming...
I often get cramps of one sort or another at the end of a hard practice. Often these are in the arches of my feet, so I have to swim with my feet at right angles to my legs--think of this as a kind of anti-Zoomer drill.
Anyhow, for what it's worth, I have learned on days when I have a hard practice that evening, NOT to go for long walks earlier, especially hill climbs/descents. We live in a very hilly region, and I used to go on hikes with my wife before practice till I discovered this was a recipe for swimming cramps.
You might also try stretching a bit before practice.
I find I get cramps most often when I switch from a long endurance set of freestyle to shorter butterfly sets. Also, when you get to the point where you suspect your legs are vulnerable to cramping, be gingerly about pushing off the wall. Sometimes a little less vehemence on the turns can prevent reaching the tipping point for leg cramps.
Finally, the best way to relieve a cramp is to contract the opposing muscle, since antagonist muscles actively inhibit each other. That's why bending my foot at right angles to the legs seem to help with the arch and calf cramps. I used to automatically stop whenever I got one of these, but now I find that if I keep swimming in my contorted posture, and reduce the kicking, they sometimes go away while swimming...
