I'm having a problem with being cold..

arybvtcw0eolkf

I've only recently started swimming. But some background to that.

I tore a pec (grade III) in Febuary, six weeks later I started swimming so we're talking late March or April.

So the problem I'm having now.

After about 45-60 minutes in the pool I'm getting cold & my legs and feet are cramping. I'm swimming crawl and breast stroke.

I'm eating before swimming as I would for the gym or Judo training, ie carbs & fluids and I've been sipping from a water bottle poolside too.

I feel the cramps are down the to cold as I get the same cramps in Judo if the hall is cold.. Basically I'm not a cold weather person and really suffer during winters here.

Is an hour in the pool too long or is there anything else I should be looking at?.

buck65

I tend to cramp myself after about 40 minutes or so, especially if the session has been FC and I change to back stroke - my legs go ape, I blame the lactic acid and the fact that I am using fatigued muscles in a different way.
Sometimes my feet cramp a bit but I can usually wiggle the toes and work it out.
If a pool is heated it is usually in the mid 20s celcius, this water isn't especially cold. May - October I swim 20 -30 mins daily in a lake that would be 10 degrees colder than that, I would still not consider it cold and I haven't cramped - granted it is all FC in the lake.
I reckon an hour in a pool is certainly more than sufficient to get a great workout done, unless you are looking to swim more than a 2k-3k race?
Do you have a programme?, sometimes a short 30-45min session can be better than a long repititive one.

arybvtcw0eolkf

buck65 wrote: »

I tend to cramp myself after about 40 minutes or so, especially if the session has been FC and I change to back stroke - my legs go ape, I blame the lactic acid and the fact that I am using fatigued muscles in a different way.
Sometimes my feet cramp a bit but I can usually wiggle the toes and work it out.
If a pool is heated it is usually in the mid 20s celcius, this water isn't especially cold. May - October I swim 20 -30 mins daily in a lake that would be 10 degrees colder than that, I would still not consider it cold and I haven't cramped - granted it is all FC in the lake.
I reckon an hour in a pool is certainly more than sufficient to get a great workout done, unless you are looking to swim more than a 2k-3k race?
Do you have a programme?, sometimes a short 30-45min session can be better than a long repititive one.

Thanks for the reply.

Last things first. Nope, no programme. I started to swim as part of rehabilitating a grade III pec tear. I'd no great interest in swimming before that and now I love it.

I'm swimming in a heated pool (Ben Dunnes in Northwood, Dublin).

I've no goals set either, I was just wondering why I'm getting cold after 45-60 minutes. And if its a common problem.

buck65

To be honest I think if after 45 mins you are getting cold, just get out, obviously your body isn't gaining from being uncomfortable. I'm no expert on swimming but on the masters class I go to we swim for about 45-50mins and swim down then.

The other day we did 200m easy,

followed by 8x50 - 25m fast, 25m easy with 10 second rest between

then 8x50m (50m drill, 50m swim alternate) drills included catch -up , sculling, finger drag and fists.

After that the meat of the session was 10x100m at aprox 75% pace, 30 sec rest, concentrating on stroke technique and kick.

Followed by 50m swim down. So aprox 2k swimming in 45-50 mins.

I think if you do this workout or a version of it and are still cold then it may be something worth getting a bit of medical advice about - circulation etc. I would be sweating after this for 20 minutes!

If you need more advice or more workouts let me know or advice on drills, as I said I'm no expert but am learning all these things and getting great help from coaches so happy to help.

Bobthefireman

You should not eat within two hours of swimming for this very reason. Several drowning s have occurred due to cramping. I thought everyone knew?

buck65

I assume you're not having lunch or eating a meal before swimming? Most early morning swimmers I know try to eat a bit of fruit or some light cereal/porridge before swimming. I know myself I take a spoon of yogurt with some dried fruit and a mandarin or something like this 45 mins before swimming.
I read an interview with Chris Bryan and he recommends having something in the stomach before a workout.

ford2600

Pool is at 27-29C?

Your core wants to maintain about 37C.

As I read your OP your going to pool after gym; assuming your are working hard your body through
*sweating (which is a really high output mechanism)
*vasodilation
is doing everything it can to lose heat.

You body is probably pretty confused tbh as the threat to core temperature is suddenly turned on it's head.

I don't know if a 10C difference in temperature in a dense fluid is enough to offset the temperature gained through an energetic swim. I can do 30/40 mins in sea water before I need to come out at this time of year but there is huge personal variance like most things.

Cool down before going for swim and try some cold adaptation; rev up that brown fat

arybvtcw0eolkf

Bobthefireman wrote: »

You should not eat within two hours of swimming for this very reason. Several drowning s have occurred due to cramping. I thought everyone knew?

As I said, I eat as I would for any kind of training and its light. The cramps are in my feet and legs in an indoor pool, I don't think there's much fear of me drowning.

As I read your OP your going to pool after gym

Nope, almost always I swimming separately to the gym or Judo.

arybvtcw0eolkf

buck65 wrote: »

To be honest I think if after 45 mins you are getting cold, just get out, obviously your body isn't gaining from being uncomfortable. I'm no expert on swimming but on the masters class I go to we swim for about 45-50mins and swim down then.

The other day we did 200m easy,

followed by 8x50 - 25m fast, 25m easy with 10 second rest between

then 8x50m (50m drill, 50m swim alternate) drills included catch -up , sculling, finger drag and fists.

After that the meat of the session was 10x100m at aprox 75% pace, 30 sec rest, concentrating on stroke technique and kick.

Followed by 50m swim down. So aprox 2k swimming in 45-50 mins.

I think if you do this workout or a version of it and are still cold then it may be something worth getting a bit of medical advice about - circulation etc. I would be sweating after this for 20 minutes!

If you need more advice or more workouts let me know or advice on drills, as I said I'm no expert but am learning all these things and getting great help from coaches so happy to help.

I think the part I highlighted is the best advice.. I'm not planning on being a competitive swimmer, my Judo takes that spot.

I really didn't know if most swimmers could go more than an hour or so without experiencing a similar problem. I'm fairly (very) fit and strong from my other sports so the hour wasn't really taxing my energies.

All things considered I'll restrict it to the 45-60 minutes.

Thanks for the advice, its been very helpful.. I'm out of the pool this week with a blood cough, went swimming with it last night and there was simply no pleasure in it.

Thanks again

WeeBushy

Princeton Poor Board wrote: »

I think the part I highlighted is the best advice.. I'm not planning on being a competitive swimmer, my Judo takes that spot.

I really didn't know if most swimmers could go more than an hour or so without experiencing a similar problem. I'm fairly (very) fit and strong from my other sports so the hour wasn't really taxing my energies.

All things considered I'll restrict it to the 45-60 minutes.

Thanks for the advice, its been very helpful.. I'm out of the pool this week with a blood cough, went swimming with it last night and there was simply no pleasure in it.

Thanks again

Hazarding a guess it could be a mixture of acclimatization and effort.

If you're not a cold weather person then your body may not be used to the temperatures and struggles as a result. Depending on previous experience this can take time to get used to. However if its a reasonably standard temperature indoor pool it's probably more an effort thing..

If you are a relatively new/inexperienced swimmer, no matter how hard you try you may not be able to push yourself (or know how to push yourself) over a sustained period of time in the pool. Poor stroke and breathing technique can easily gas out an otherwise extremely fit and strong land based athlete. So whilst you may feel like you are pushing yourself, you may not actually be, and are therefore not generating enough body heat. Would tie in with why you'd be getting cold after 45/60 minutes in an indoor pool imo..

Granted swimming is my primary sport but after an hour in the pool I'm roasted and takes me some time to cool down after. 2 -3 hour swims in a pool and I still wouldn't be cold.

But as in the bit you highlighted probably best sticking to short sharp sessions, stay warm, and as you feel more comfortable at that intensity build up the amount of time in the pool (if you want) at a similar intensity. If you could have someone take a look at your swimming regarding technique it could well help hugely as well.

mad m

Come out to 40ft on Sunday at 12pm, I'll show you how to acclimatise :p:p

cjt156

Bobthefireman wrote: »

You should not eat within two hours of swimming for this very reason. Several drowning s have occurred due to cramping. I thought everyone knew?

Completely debunked old wives tale.

arybvtcw0eolkf

WeeBushy wrote: »

Hazarding a guess it could be a mixture of acclimatization and effort.

If you're not a cold weather person then your body may not be used to the temperatures and struggles as a result. Depending on previous experience this can take time to get used to. However if its a reasonably standard temperature indoor pool it's probably more an effort thing..

If you are a relatively new/inexperienced swimmer, no matter how hard you try you may not be able to push yourself (or know how to push yourself) over a sustained period of time in the pool. Poor stroke and breathing technique can easily gas out an otherwise extremely fit and strong land based athlete. So whilst you may feel like you are pushing yourself, you may not actually be, and are therefore not generating enough body heat. Would tie in with why you'd be getting cold after 45/60 minutes in an indoor pool imo..

Granted swimming is my primary sport but after an hour in the pool I'm roasted and takes me some time to cool down after. 2 -3 hour swims in a pool and I still wouldn't be cold.

But as in the bit you highlighted probably best sticking to short sharp sessions, stay warm, and as you feel more comfortable at that intensity build up the amount of time in the pool (if you want) at a similar intensity. If you could have someone take a look at your swimming regarding technique it could well help hugely as well.

Cheers, a lot of that makes perfect sense and mirrors some advice I actually give to Judo novices regarding poor technique, poor breathing and then gassing easily.

As I said I'm really not a cold weather person, even Judo training is difficult for me during winter. I suffer freezing cold feet, and CRAMPS!!. (we train bare footed).

Thanks for the reply & advice, if I get any better I'll post again.. Oh yea, and I'm a swimming newbie.

Cheers.

arybvtcw0eolkf

cjt156 wrote: »

Completely debunked old wives tale.

Yea I didn't take it too serious (actually not serious at all).