Foot cramp when swimming

[RaininginDarling]

I am wondering if the hive mind might be able to shed some light on an issue I'm having.

I've recently taken up swimming. I was relatively fit until this time last year when I had major abdominal surgery. It took a long time to recover and just as I was about to get back into exercise I developed severe RSI in my shoulder/neck/wrist (laptop injury) so resorted to the pool.

I can swim 30/40 lengths without issue but when I stop, my big toe on my left foot pulls away from my other toes leaving a terrible cramping sensation in my foot. I'm still in the water and have to wait till its recovered before I get out. What might be causing it? I'm in my 50s, post menopause. Thanks

Are you me?? 😁
Im also 50s, I swim because I’ve had two big operations and it’s the easiest exercise for me to do. And yes toe cramps are a thing. I don’t just get them when I swim though, I can get them anytime of day. I just put cramps down to age, bloody nuisance!

Ha! Hello mumsnet twin! Yes, I used to suffer these cramps when I was small. My foot would just suddenly curl in on itself. I wonder if we're predisposed to water foot cramps? Glad to know it's a thing now the question is: what can we do too minimise it? Ageing is fun, huh?

I read somewhere that magnesium supplements might help with cramping but afraid I don't have any first hand experience

I've always had them a bit.
For me it seems to be that one leg is a little shorter than the other ( Pilates instructor noticed this)
Swimming encourages a different range of weight free movement and therefore the occasional cramps. Also occasionally get cramps in Pilates.

I suffer a lot with cramp at all times of the day. Magnesium has helped me.

So interesting to hear others experiences - I hear you about pilates, certain yoga stances do the same to me. Im very interested in the magnesium defiency hypothesis. I understand I was born with a calcium & magnesium defiency (serious enough to spend the first few months in a coma) so I wonder if that's an ongoing underlying issue? Right, I'm off to Google! Thanks so much!

Magnesium spray is good

After a welcome gap of a some time, I was recently woken by a night cramp. I managed to blurt instructions to DH to get the magnesium and it did shift quicker than usual. I hate that pulsing that it does.

I get foot cramps sometimes while swimming, especially if I’m using flippers. I think in my case it’s caused by the foot muscles cramping from the plantar flexion and pointing my toes, which the flippers would exaggerate. I also get a bit of cramp when I use a stretchy band to point my toes, for example.

I try to stretch it against the pool wall (having the toes at a right angle to the rest of the foot, stretching the arch & a bit of the ankle). I’ve also been trying to strengthen the muscles in my feet: a lot of the exercises for plantar fasciitis are good for this, like the band stretches, trying to pick up a towel with my toes, etc. I also use an electrolyte tab in my water bottle, as I do think they help especially towards the end of a swim.

I didn't even know such a thing existed! But yes, those sudden cramps in the middle of the night and that urgent all consuming pulsing are desperate!

An elecrolate tab? Another new thing to me thanks @FlySwimmer - and yes, I've been trying those kinds of stretches in the water. It does seem the pointing of my toes sets it off so I will take a look at those land-based exercises and see if I can strengthen my foot. I can roll my ankle quite easily when I walk too, I wonder if those issues are connected...

Nice to know I'm not alone on this particular issue!

I use the High5 tabs - just one dropped into a water bottle. There are tons of flavours. Hope you can improve it @RaininginDarling. I also bought the magnesium spray mentioned above, so hopefully that helps me!

Glad it's not just me. I get this. Both of my feet will just curl up if I point my toes at all.

I also have to wear bed socks all year round. I can't have bare feet - if they get remotely cool, I feel them start to twitch (even in this heat). If I leave them they will curl up.

I have lately been getting quite severe leg cramps at night. So bad that my legs hurt for a few days after a bad attack.

I haven't found magnesium to help - I am guessing it's worse with menopause and am really fed up with it. I'll check out High 5 tabs.

I have always been very crampy. I also get awful cramps in my eyebrows when I put a swimming cap on! Sounds ridiculous but it really hurts. I think magnesium is helping a bit.

Just: ow. Swimming caps are hard enough as it us without them causing eye brow cramps! Yeesh!

We stand (or not) united by our weird body responses. Hope High 5 works for you. I tried it fir the first time this week and, so far, no cramps

I get the foot cramps when swimming! As a child, my toe (one next to little toe) would curl forwards and it hurt so much. I used to stretch it to stop it. It doesn’t happen so much now. No advice I’m afraid.

My 7yo gets it now too.

I am finding that magnesium spray onto my feet after a shower is helping. So far the random cramps have stopped and I also haven’t had cramp since taking up swimming again.

I find stretching regularly, especially calves for foot cramps, and staying well hydrated good for keeping cramps at bay.

What was your operation? I had surgery on my gut that makes it harder to absorb salts, and I get these cramps if my sodium is low. Swimming is the one where is creeps up on me as I don't naturally reach for my drink in the pool, it's much more obvious when running/gym.

It's been more than a decade, and I've had it measured to check the problem, but if I was you I would take a bottle of water with rehydration mix in and have it beside the pool. See if it helps.

I've given up swimming due to cramps. The final straw for me was when both feet went crampy and pulled themselves into a weird shape, then it spread to both calves with went hard and were sticking out, then hamstrings joined in and was stuck. Luckily I was in the shallow end and there were wide steps rather than a ladder to get out. I had to drag myself out on my elbows and the lifeguard pulled my legs straight as best as he could. It was awful. I had to sit on the side for ages, wrapped in a towel. As soon as I tried to move to stand up, my legs would seize up again. Even the fronts of my shins and tops of my feet went weird.

That sounds absolutely awful @thenightsky - what has the doc said? How are you doing now?

That's interesting @CatSpeakForDummies

I had a very large growth removed from an ovary. It was crushing my organs, blocking my bowel. (I looked like I was carrying full term) They removed my ovaries at the same time. I lost a stone and a half in weight once it was removed and was thrown into menopause - so it was pretty traumatic

I have started taking a tablets(suggested upthread) to replace minerals lost when I swim and that does seem to be helping.

I still get crampy days. I do pilates now, and even then I get to the end of a class and I cannot stand up as every time I try, my left ankle goes weird on me. Sometimes my calf in bed at night wakes me up. I do wonder if severe cramp actually bursts tiny blood vessels in the muscles as I always feel like I'm bruised for days after.