I have started to cramp up, which never really used to happen. It is only when I am tired and working hard swimming or on the bike, and it seems to nearly always be in my left foot.
Is this just am age thing, or is there anything nutrition or fluid wise I can do to prevent it does anyone know?
You’re fucked, off to the glue factory with you.
Do you drink enough fluids every day?
I drank enough fluids last night for two lads. I don’t think it’s helping today. I wonder is it a fluid thing. I only ever drink water on the bike or swimming and i wonder would some sort of salty thing help? Otherwise it’s the glue factory alright.
I’d say it’s due to dehydration alright 
use a tennis ball or sliotar. in a standing position and putting your weight on the foot… roll the shite out of it.
That’s what it is. Alcohol fucks with your blood. Funnyily enough it might be pointing out an issue @flattythehurdler. It’s an already tight area.
If it’s the foot to calf there is a good chance that it’s a symptom of a sciatic nerve issue. Maybe slight or coming on. Just drink loads of water, stretch and avoid anything that might be shearing the lower back thru loading. Poorly done squats would be something like that. Also poor technique in swimming can also compress the lumbar area. You may not be activating and thus not using enough of your Glutes and your lower back could be doing the work.
It’s definitely cramp, my toes and foot curl into a ball. I am fucked with drink this morning, but it is independent of alcohol. It happened in the pool yesterday, though only after an hour of hard swimming, and then again on the bike, but after two hours in the hills on a hot day. It has just started to happen a bit when it never used to before, or at least earlier than before. I asked the swim coach, who used be an international and still swims a lot, and she says it happens to her, but she reckons its just age, and if the water is cold. I’m not sure whether taking something salty would help, or is it just a lactic build up and unavoidable.
It’s definitely not sciatic.
Even looking at that emoticon has me feeling queasy.
[QUOTE=“flattythehurdler, post: 977687, member: 1170”]It’s definitely cramp, my toes and foot curl into a ball. I am fucked with drink this morning, but it is independent of alcohol. It happened in the pool yesterday, though only after an hour of hard swimming, and then again on the bike, but after two hours in the hills on a hot day. It has just started to happen a bit when it never used to before, or at least earlier than before. I asked the swim coach, who used be an international and still swims a lot, and she says it happens to her, but she reckons its just age, and if the water is cold. I’m not sure whether taking something salty would help, or is it just a lactic build up and unavoidable.
It’s definitely not sciatic.[/QUOTE]
I’d go to a proper acupuncturist of I were you.
It could also have something to do with your cardiovascular system. I would definitely get it checked by a medical doctor as well. Those kinds of things can be indications of something else, sometimes even more serious issues. One thing I do know is that it’s your body telling you there is something wrong.
There is the odd Irish doctor who is both, but hard to find.
In all honesty Kev, one thing I won’t be doing is going for acupuncture. Quackery is not what I need.
There is nothing quackery about it. That’s an incredibly narrow view.
There is a reason much of western medicine is slowly adopting forms of accupuncture, especially physiotherapy.
Having tried pretty much anything there is I can tell you it’s what sorted me out better than anything else. The Chinese guy I go to here believes white westerners get better results than Chinese people. I believe it’s due to all the pharma bull shit we have thrown into ourselves since a young age. It also attacks the neurological system as opposed to the common narrow view of skeletal and muscular system solving that traditional physiotherapy etc uses.
Any Physio in Oz now has a basic level of dry needling teaching and uses it in conjunction with everything else. Most professional sports people use it at some stage now as well.
After a couple if sessions you will think you’ve been handed a new body.
You’ve all the symptoms of dehydration. I used to cramp up in the pool and that’s what it was diagnosed as.
And @caoimhaoin is right. Acupuncture is not quackery. It’s great for you.
[QUOTE=“Fagan ODowd, post: 977756, member: 706”]You’ve all the symptoms of dehydration. I used to cramp up in the pool and that’s what it was diagnosed as.
And @caoimhaoin is right. Acupuncture is not quackery. It’s great for you.[/QUOTE]
I would be a proponent of acupuncture aswell.
+1
how does one go about activating their glutes?
+2
Just use your other hand
Acupuncture has more than 2000 years of practice compared to modern medicine which has maybe a couple of hundred.
doggystyle
L’arginine 1000mg twice a day will help with this
Calcium and magnesium might also be worth a look