when doctors hear painful swollen calf, the first thought that pops in our heads are blood clot- assuming you don t have that as your leg would be red hot and swollen with intense pain upon squeeze, and moving your foot to your ankle- it is also more common in pregnant, obese, female, above forty years olds, on contraceptives, not a young athlete like yourself. for normal cramps from overuse, it is usually based on an electrolyte imbalance. Eating bananas, pickles, stretching, massaging, tonic water, Gatorade all have helped.