Quantcast

Severe Cramps when swimming

kevinb421's picture
Posts
281
Member
1221 days
started by kevinb421 on February 14, 2008

Lately I am getting back into swimming. (I usually take some time off during the winter) and during the workout and afterwards I get crazy stomach cramps that hurt in ways i didnt know i could hurt. This has been happening everytime I swim and usually hits around 1000m. Didn't know if anyone has any advice or has experienced this before.

Thanks

"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."

http://www.peak.com/kevinb421/blog/

ChunkyB's picture
Posts
959
Member
296 days
ChunkyB posted 24 weeks ago.

Do you wait a half hour after you eat to swim like your mother told you?

"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice

My Blog

kevinb421's picture
Posts
281
Member
1221 days
kevinb421 posted 24 weeks ago.

I eat lunch at about 1pm and don't get in the water till 330.

"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."

http://www.peak.com/kevinb421/blog/

ChunkyB's picture
Posts
959
Member
296 days
ChunkyB posted 24 weeks ago.

Then I'm outta ideas.

"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice

My Blog

scottbland247's picture
Posts
189
Member
222 days
scottbland247 posted 24 weeks ago.

have you been consistent with core workouts or are your abs out of "shape"?

It is better to hurt from doing something than from doing nothing...

First Triathlon (400m/20k/2.75mile) 1:39.15 including 33 minutes in the water

big 3's picture
Posts
210
Member
423 days
big 3 posted 24 weeks ago.

How relaxed is your breathing? Are you holding your breath at any point? Are you being too forceful with your exhale?

scottbland247's picture
Posts
189
Member
222 days
scottbland247 posted 24 weeks ago.

i have trouble being calm with my breathing and when i do i cramp up (legs but it's still a cramp)

It is better to hurt from doing something than from doing nothing...

First Triathlon (400m/20k/2.75mile) 1:39.15 including 33 minutes in the water

Captain Mal's picture
Posts
152
Member
337 days
Captain Mal posted 24 weeks ago.

Are you pregnant, Kevin? Have you offended a Voodoo priest?

Just kidding. I have no idea what is happening, but I would have a friend watch your stroke for a few laps. Maybe your breathing is too labored or you are twisting at your middle instead of rotating your whole body. Maybe your are swallowing water and it is not agreeing with you. It doesn't sound like you are new to swimming at all, but maybe some unused muscles need to get back up to speed. Good luck?

"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-

Iron Dan's picture
Posts
622
Member
448 days
Iron Dan posted 24 weeks ago.

Are you swallowing a lot of water? I have found that if I "accidentally" swallow a ton of water while I swim I cramp up. Also, I tend to swallow a lot of water after I have taken a small break from swimming because my form has begun to deteriorate slightly.

kevinb421's picture
Posts
281
Member
1221 days
kevinb421 posted 24 weeks ago.

I think it might have something to do with a lot of these. I don't hold my breath, that was one of the hardest things for me to get over when I first started swimming.
I am starting to think I need to improve my core, or that I am twisting at the stomach. Like I said, I usually take part of winter off because of the local High School swim teams taking over the Y. I'll analyze my stroke and hopefully find the root of the cause.

Thanks for all the input.

"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."

http://www.peak.com/kevinb421/blog/

kevinb421's picture
Posts
281
Member
1221 days
kevinb421 posted 24 weeks ago.

I found this on a medical site and it explains my problem exactly. However, I can't figure it out, maybe im just tired, but I see the problem laid out but I don't see a solution..
Any tips after reading it about what I should change to fix the problem?

When you are swimming at a casual pace your breathing is measured and usually goes in/out the same depth via the mouth . Air breathed via the mouth moves up into the lungs via the asophagus and fills the lungs to capacity. If your breath is larger than the lung capacity, this excess air still being breathed in goes into the stomach . When you release the air at the end of respiration, lung air is released before stomach air. Excess air in the stomach is belched out or moves along with food into the intestines. Normally it is a small amount of air and gives no problem. When you swim at an increased pace over a longer period, or in a panic state such as with racing or just pushing yourself, then your breathing becomes uneven and gasping. You may skip (hold) a breath in order to give yourself more time to pull yourself through the water. This time increases swimming speed. When you take that breath , you will breathe in great gulps of air at one time and then blow it out at a slower pace. When you gulp air, that air goes into the stomach with each breath and instead of moving into the intestines with food processing, it is pushed out of the stomach into the intestines without food because it has no where else to go; you need more space for incoming air. The air becomes a "bubble" moving along. Because there is no food, there is little bacteria hanging onto it to break it down into smaller pockets of air as it moves along the intestional tract. With great bubbles, the intestines expand or distend to allow the air to move along. Your stomach seems a bit firmer or harder to the touch, you feel bloated, which can be painful , until the air is either released from the rectum or is reduced in size from residual bacteria in the bowels . This can take several hours. As long as the manner in which you breathe during swimming continues, the problem will persist. Hope this helps

"If your not going to win, make the fellow in front of you break a record."

http://www.peak.com/kevinb421/blog/

Iron Dan's picture
Posts
622
Member
448 days
Iron Dan posted 24 weeks ago.

If this is the problem, the only solution seems to be to change your breathing habits by slowing yourself down. Or dealing with the pain until you let one fly or your stomach bacteria break the air down.

krazyfranco's picture
Posts
169
Member
462 days
krazyfranco posted 24 weeks ago.

Are you taking large breaths? I think cramps are caused by A) too much air and B) swallowing too much water. Work on taking smaller breaths.

Captain Mal's picture
Posts
152
Member
337 days
Captain Mal posted 24 weeks ago.

Swallowing water will also bring air down with it. I immagine that once you reaclimate to the water, and are more comforatable in it, you won't swallow so much and the problem should resolve. I would say work on being comfortable in the water with your mouth open so you don't feel compelled to swallow every time water gets in there. Just let it go out with you exhale and try not to think about the fact that you are swimming in everyone's backwash.

"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-

Iron Dan's picture
Posts
622
Member
448 days
Iron Dan posted 23 weeks ago.

Captain Mal wrote:
and try not to think about the fact that you are swimming in everyone's backwash.

and pee!

ChunkyB's picture
Posts
959
Member
296 days
ChunkyB posted 23 weeks ago.

Iron Dan wrote:
Captain Mal wrote:
and try not to think about the fact that you are swimming in everyone's backwash.

and pee!

and vomit.

"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice

My Blog

tri-ac's picture
Posts
1547
Member
973 days
tri-ac posted 23 weeks ago.

ChunkyB wrote:
Iron Dan wrote:
Captain Mal wrote:
and try not to think about the fact that you are swimming in everyone's backwash.

and pee!

and vomit.

OH MY!

stewarba's picture
Posts
379
Member
389 days
stewarba posted 23 weeks ago.

OH CRAP!!!

Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines – Brian Tracy

2008 Sprint Tri A race goals
S: 500m in 10:00 – FS Stroke only
B: 22mph avg over course
R: 5K <= 25:00
Place top 50% for my age group

ChunkyB's picture
Posts
959
Member
296 days
ChunkyB posted 23 weeks ago.

stewarba wrote:
OH CRAP!!!

Precisely.

"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice

My Blog