SWIMMING & NUTRITION

WHAT’S THE LINK BETWEEN WHAT YOU EAT AND FITNESS SWIMMING?

Energy and being able to keep going are the most important factors in achieving your best performance. Our bodies create energy – by breaking down the different components of food – carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

Carbohydrates are the most important nutrients for swimmers as this is what makes energy in your body.

During training (within 90 minutes) the bodies energy stores are empty, therefore fitness swimmers need more carbohydrates than a sedentary person. As a fitness swimmer the role of your diet is not just to keep you healthy but also to meet the extra needs your body may have due to any extra training.

What you eat will affect your ability to train and how you recover between training sessions. So to achieve a well balanced diet and to give you that extra swimming “edge” it is the basic nutrients that are important and the amounts and balances of these nutrients that you eat.

CARBOHYDRYATES

For swimming this is the most important nutrient because it is the easiest way to get the energy you need to move and swim faster.

Carbohydrates come in two forms – simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates are the better source as they provide the best source of energy for exercise because the energy they give is released slowly throughout the day.

The simple carbohydrates give you a quick energy burst. Carbohydrates should make up just over half of the food on your dinner plate.

COMPLEX CARB FOOD SOURCES

Rice
Breakfast cereals
Pasta & noodles
Potatoes
Pizza bases
Crispbreads, oatcakes & rice cakes
Sweetcorn & popcorn
Beans (inc baked)
Peas & lentils

SIMPLE CARB FOOD SOURCES

Sugar/jam/honey/chocolate spread
Fruit (fresh, canned, dried & juice)
Chocolate & cereal bars
Sweets (jelly babies, jelly beans)
Cakes
Buns
Biscuits
Puddings
Yoghurts
Soft Drinks
Sports Drinks

The types of carbohydrates that you need to be eating plenty of: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and breakfast cereals.

Other types of carbohydrates that can be useful to give you instant quick energy are called simple carbohydrates and are foods like honey, chocolate, biscuits and sweets.

BUT eat these in small amounts. You should avoid eating all your carbohydrates in one huge meal each day – this is not the best way to refuel your energy stores, meals should be spread out throughout the day.

Therefore top-ups with carbohydrate foods are important.

PROTEIN

The second aim in achieving a good swimmers diet is to eat the right amounts of protein, make sure the protein sources you eat are lean and low in fat.

Cooking methods are also important – opt for grilled or baked foods and avoid fried foods whenever possible.

Protein can be found in foods such as meat, fish, peas, beans and dairy products i.e. cheese, eggs FAT Remember that high fat diets aren’t good for anyone - and make it difficult for you to meet the high carbohydrate requirements because you would usually choose fatty foods over carbohydrates.

So keep the amount of fatty foods you eat down to a minimum!

FRUIT AND VEG

You should aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Remember frozen vegetables count, so no excuses!

FLUID

Contrary to popular belief swimmers do sweat – just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean its not there!

The atmosphere in most swimming pools is very hot and humid and these conditions can lead very easily to dehydration.

So you are losing fluid/water all the time and you must replace it. Being dehydrated affects your coordination, concentration and reduces the length of time you can keep swimming for.

And remember being thirsty is a poor sign of dehydration – by the time you feel thirsty your body is already dehydrated.

So don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink – it’s too late by then. So make sure you drink before during and after your training session.