I swim 4/5 times a week and my first week of swimming i had painful lower leg contraction. 5weeks later just yesterday i had the same situation-i can still feel it today. I thought my muscles already got used to the workouts? any ideas on avoiding this? it is painful!
i know, i often push it hard...cause it -feels good
thanks
jjpj
Yeah, I got one last week at practice and my leg hurt the rest of the week (I was almost limping). I have been in the water since spring, so it caught me a bit off guard too. I stretch and massage it as much as I can - heat also feels good. It took about 1 week to feel normal again. I'm sure some people will tell ya to eat more bananas... but I can't stand them. However, we've been using fins a lot more lately - so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.
If you don't like bananas take a potassium supplement. Or drink orange juice. And don't forget to drink lots of water, regular plain water, not the fancy flavored stuff.
If your cramps are hurting for more than an hour after practice, you might want to consult a physician.
