If you consistently practice sports, sooner or later you will have to come to grips with: the horrific cramp. A sudden pain with varying intensity, an involuntary spasm of the muscles that forces us to suspend activities, waiting for it to pass. The spasm can be shooting and unpleasant because it takes us by surprise and forces us to lock up.
Fortunately, it only lasts for a few seconds or a few minutes at best. It typically occurs during physical exertion but in other cases, it may occur a few hours later or while you’re sleeping. When swimming, the areas most likely to cramp up are the calf, the thigh, and the foot, which contract involuntarily. Sometimes dorsal and abdominal muscles may also be involved. But what triggers a cramp and how should you deal with it? Can you plan for it in advance?
Drink a lot of water to prevent them
One of the most common causes of cramping is due to poor hydration, often accompanied by an incorrect diet regime. When you are swimming, you don’t think about how important it is to drink (perhaps because you are already immersed in the water, but it isn’t the same thing!). As with any activity, if you sweat and lose fluids and mineral salts, you must reintegrate them into your system.
Dehydration manifests itself…
