| A few facts and tips from sport nutritionists and the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics in regards to eating well as a swimmer:
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Swimming requires massive amounts of energy. For a normal two hour practice of moderately fast exercise, one can burn up to 1600 calories during swimming, whereas walking one can burn up to 300 calories, biking 700-900 calories, etc. This shows just how much of a great workout swimming really is!
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Because of this incredible energy expenditure, proper nutrition is essential to rebuilding and recovering. Nutrition is the cornerstone of every athletic performance, but especially swimmers.
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Carbohydrates should make up one half of a swimmers diet, as it fuels a swimmers need to get through the tough practice or meet. Carbs are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver and is the fuel that our body uses throughout the day especially during a workout. Some good sources of carbs are brown rice, cereal, pasta, potatoes, beans, peas and lentils.
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The other half of a swimmers meal should consist of protein, healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc) vegetables, fruit, whole grains and minerals.
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Swimmers should also drink water often to stay hydrated to replenish sweat loss.
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The day before a meet: eat foods high in complex carbs and drink fluids often. Complex carbs- oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas. Stick to foods that you are familiar with and avoid big meals.
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What to eat for breakfast before a practice or meet: eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism and helps your body prepare for what is to come while helping maximize performance and training. Light and digestible. Whole grain cereal, fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, peanut butter & toast, scrambled eggs, oatmeal with banana. One or two hours before, the swimmer should follow up with a light snack such as fruit or a sports bar.
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What to eat during a meet: pasta, sandwiches, whole grain bread, yogurt. Swimmers should make sure to drink between events to aid in recovery and to prevent dehydration. The snacks should be light and easy to digest - ie. juice, yogurt and fruit if less than an hour between events. If more than one to two hours between races - pasta, sandwiches (whole grain), fruits (and dried fruits) and nuts. Salty foods (pretzels, trail mixes, etc) help replenish electrolytes lost from sweating.
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What to eat after meets and practices: Foods should contain carbs for fuel (fruit smoothies, yogurts, fruit and toast) and protein (pita & hummus, tuna salad, eggs, nuts, omelets) for muscular repair and growth. Drink water to stay hydrated.
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Before practice or competition: AVOID foods you haven't tried before, cream based sauces and soups, high fat meats, fried foods, spicy foods, high sugar items such as soda or sweets. Consuming candy or large quantities of added sugars can cause energy to spike then drop sharply, potentially causing you to feel more tired than you did before consuming.
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