There's nothing like a painful calf cramp to ruin an otherwise enjoyable swim, ya know? 
They seem to happen at the worst times and very often, they'll happen in our most important races. Frustrating!
So what's going on? Why do so many triathletes struggle with this issue during swimming?
Ridding yourself of the cramping calves will often lead to exactly what you want when you swim, which is a nice compact kicking motion which is both streamlined and also relaxed.
Here's a question I received from one of our athletes, that might sound familiar?:
"Sometimes I get a cramp in one of my calves while swimming. It can happen in the beginning, middle, or near the end of a workout, and only occasionally - not every time I swim. It may happen just after pushing off the wall, or it may start in the middle of a lap. I don't feel like I'm kicking very hard when I'm swimming. It has never happened in a race, just while training in a pool. I figure I swallow enough pool water during my swims that hydration shouldn't be the issue. Any suggestions on how to prevent them?"
Calf cramps while swimming can be quite common actually, especially for triathletes in particular...and there's a very good reason why....and its got nothing to do with hydration or electrolytes....
The reasons usually come from two things:
1. Trying to point the toes during kicking, which is active "plantar flexion" and creates tension in the calves. DON'T do this!* DO NOT try to point the toes while you kick.
2. The other thing which is somewhat related, is that there is OFTEN simply too much TENSION in the lower legs, period. [Remember what a cramp is: its simply a "hyper"chronic contraction of a muscle. That is, activity within the muscle (tension) is heightened and rises to the point where the contraction hits overdrive - and then, bingo, cramp!]
Why all that tension? (this relates to why it happens to triathletes more than swimmers).
You're running, and with all of that running is more tension in the calves, simply because they're so active during running (and walking), etc.
What can add to the tension is the often colder temperatures you'll find in some competitive pools. With colder temps, tension rises. (which is why I love jacuzzis!)
So, what to do?** Two things:
1. First, the most important thing: RELAX YOUR FEET AND LEGS.
The term I use to describe how to kick correctly (while reducing the risk of cramping in the process) is FLOPPY ANKLES. *
More: Really good "kickers" have very mobile,*floppy ankles. In fact, great backstrokers can lie on their backs on the floor and easily touch their toes to the floor as they point their ankle. Most triathletes can't come close to doing that. Limited ankle mobility means tension when kicking.
So what we must do as we are swimming down the lane: think and visualize FLOPPY ANKLES. That's right, just let the feet just flop at the ankle. Relax and release them completely.
As you relax your feet and JUST LET THEM FLOP, you'll reduce all of that tension in the calves that leads to cramping.
Now, of course, relaxing the feet and letting them flop, DOES NOT give you permission to also flop your knees or relax them.
In fact, what I've found works best is if you keep that knee straight and at the same time, flop the ankles, you'll get exactly what you're looking for, which is a nice compact kicking motion which is both streamlined and also relaxed.
When I say "straight knee," I am really saying to keep it straight - locked out. What will most likely happen is that your knees won't actually "lock," but they will bend less....which is a good thing.
From my experience videotaping dozens of triathletes: those with the worst kicks will bend their knees a LOT, and their ankles a little. That looks ugly on video.
Great kicking comes primarily from floppy ankles. Just check any backstroker (where kicking makes up a great majority of their propulsion).
2. Second, and really importantly: make sure you keep those calves stretched out and nice and long. They will tighten up from running and over time, shortness in that area raises risk of running injury, and also leads to increased risk of cramping.
To avoid cramping in the calves while swimming, keep the calves LONG, and relax those feet and think: FLOPPY ANKLES.
And lastly, do all of your swimming in the JACUZZI!
Happy Swimming!
~Coach Al
ps: got additional swimming questions or anything training related? Jump onto our FACEBOOK page and ask away!