Ankle extension during gymnastics movements

I was wondering if there is a functional reason for pointing toes in gymnastic movement or is it simply aesthetics? 

I get terrible foot cramps when holding ankle extension.

Hi Justin, 

Pointing the toes not only makes gymnastics look good but has many benefits.

Cramping in the foot is very common, specially when its a new movement for the body. The arches of the foot may be tight and also a bit de-conditioned which is causing cramping. The more you exercise and train your feet the cramping will go away. 

Id also up your water intake. 

Hello Justin, the pointing of the toes is the finisher of a full body contraction and also besides being aesthetic helps to keep the body organized, tight and efficient.

Think of it like this; if you are not contracting maximally (by pointing the toes) you are leaking energy which translates to lower performance. Biomechanically speaking, the larger a toe point (plantar flexion) you have, the more an advantageous position you are in for energy conservation. This becomes important for longer handstand holds and advanced handstand variations. If you are interested in increasing flexibility I would recommend doing seiza positions (common yoga pose) and assisted forefoot squats, where you hold onto an object (like a stall bar) for balance and leverage reasons and then squat down while maintaining a toe point (actually more like a foot point, since the toes dig under the foot) and pushing the shins forward.

Technically speaking, it is called ankle plantar flexion. The ankle is a combined joint which can flex two directions (and extend two directions), the flexing movement is the guiding one.