Warming balm and swimming: is it really useful before exercise?
It's a question often heard poolside. If you're used to swimming, whether for pleasure, health, or competition, you know that precise moment: the instant you have to dive into the water. Even in a heated pool, the water temperature is almost always lower than your body temperature. This slight thermal shock, this sensation of "coolness" that grips you, can sometimes stiffen your muscles from the very first seconds.
In other sports like running or football, the use of warming creams or balms is very common to prepare muscles. But swimming is a unique sport. There's the water, the chlorine, the risk that the product won't stay on the skin or will wash off... So, is warming balm a real ally for swimmers or a false good idea?
The swimmer's challenge: Thermal shock and water
Unlike a sprint athlete who performs in the air, a swimmer is immersed in an environment that conducts temperature 25 times faster than air. This means your body loses heat much more rapidly in water.
Reflexive muscle tension When you enter slightly cool water (around 26 or 27 degrees for sports pools), your body has a defense reflex: it slightly contracts the muscles to produce heat and protect internal organs. The problem? To swim well, you need to be relaxed. A tense muscle is a muscle that tires quickly and strains tendons. It's often in the first 10 minutes of swimming that you feel minor discomfort or struggle to find your rhythm.
The importance of "warming up the machine"
Dry land warm-ups (poolside) are often neglected by amateur swimmers. They do a couple of arm circles and jump in. This is a mistake. Your joints are "cold." Applying local heat even before changing or going to the poolside helps anticipate this cooling caused by the water. It's a way of telling your body: "Everything's fine, we're staying warm."
Why do shoulders and neck suffer so much when swimming?
Swimming is a non-weight-bearing sport, so it's gentle on the knees and back, but it can be very tough on the upper body. To understand the benefit of warming balm, we need to look at the swimmer's anatomy.
The shoulder: A complex mechanism The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. In front crawl or butterfly, it performs thousands of rotations per session. It is supported by a group of very fragile small muscles. When cold, these small muscles lack elasticity. If you force your way forward, you risk creating friction and tendon inflammation. This is the number one injury for swimmers.
The neck and trapezius muscles In breaststroke, or when you breathe in front crawl, you put a lot of strain on your neck. Cold water tends to stiffen the neck. The result? You leave the pool with a stiff neck or torticollis. Preparing this area with a warming balm helps keep the neck flexible despite the cool water.
For more information on neck pain, read our article: Neck pain: causes and solutions to relieve your neck
The real benefits of warming balm for swimming
So, is it useful? The answer is yes, but not to warm up the pool water! The goal is targeted at your muscles.
1. Faster start-up: By applying a warming balm to your shoulders, triceps (back of the arm), and trapezius muscles 20 minutes before your session, you improve blood circulation in these areas. When you start your first laps, your muscles are already well-supplied with blood. You avoid the "heavy arms" sensation at the beginning of the session.
2. Cramp prevention: Cramps are the swimmer's enemy (often in the calf or under the foot). They often occur due to cold or fatigue. Warming balm, by improving blood circulation, helps delay the onset of these painful involuntary contractions.
3. Psychological comfort: Don't underestimate this aspect. Feeling a gentle warmth on your shoulders or lower back as you enter the water provides a sense of comfort and security. This allows you to relax and swim more fluidly.
The biggest problem with creams at the pool is greasy hands. Discover our Izom Warming Balm: clean, direct application.
Pool vs. Open Water (sea/lake): Two different worlds
The usefulness of warming balm varies depending on where you swim.
In the pool (controlled environment) The water is temperate. Here, the balm is mainly used for muscle warm-up and shoulder comfort. It is useful for intense sessions.
In open water (sea, lake, river) Here, it's a different story. The water can be cold (15 to 20 degrees). Triathletes and open water swimmers very often use greases or balms.
The practical problem: Does it wash off in the water?
This is the big question: "useful or not." If you apply a cream or product and it dilutes in the water after 2 minutes, it's useless (and you're also polluting the water).
The secret: A rich base for deep penetration Unlike water-based gels that stay on the surface and wash off after the first lap, a good swimmer's balm should contain natural fats. This is where coconut oil and shea butter in IZOM warming balm play an essential role. These two natural ingredients are not just for nourishing the skin. They act as "carriers." They allow the products to penetrate deeply, carrying the warming active ingredients (like camphor) deep into the muscle, instead of leaving them on the surface. Once absorbed by the skin, they are no longer at risk of washing off in the water!
The swimmer's perfect routine:
Apply the product to key areas only No need to cover your entire body. Target the motor and fragile areas:
- Shoulders (front, top, and back).
- Neck and trapezius muscles.
- Triceps (back of the arms).
- Lower back (the lumbar region is heavily used to maintain balance in the water).
Recovery after the session: The key moment
Once out of the water, the body cools down very quickly due to evaporation from the wet skin. This is often when you shiver.
After a warm shower: Once washed and dried, your muscles are fatigued from the effort. This is the ideal time for a second application, this time for recovery. Post-session massage helps to:
- Relax the trapezius muscles that contracted to keep your head out of the water.
- Relieve the lower back.
Be careful, after swimming, the skin is often dried out by chlorine. Choose a warming balm that also contains nourishing ingredients for the skin, or apply a moisturizer.
If you often experience muscle soreness the day after your swimming sessions, it's important to understand why to manage it better. Read our article: Muscle soreness after training: understanding DOMS and recovering better
Conclusion
So, warming balm and swimming: useful or not? The answer is definitely useful, provided it's used correctly.
It's not a miracle solution that will make you swim faster effortlessly, but it is a formidable tool for comfort and tension prevention. For the swimmer, whose shoulders are the main engine, applying heat before diving into a cold environment is common sense. It allows you to "oil the machinery" before intensely engaging it.
Once you get into this habit, you'll find it difficult to go back, especially during winter or morning sessions!