Swimming faster with Coach Richard - Nutrition - Part 2

Fluids:
Water, sports drinks, fruit juices bagel and bread Turkey sandwiches - no mayo rice cakes fresh & dried fruits Low/non fat yogart vegetables part-skim string cheese Nutritional bars low-fat ready to eat cereal

Nutrition...
1. The week leading up to the event 
2. The pre-event Meal 
3. After the warm up-recover for the heats 
4. Drinking and eating between event 
5. Recovery after a hard day's competition 
6. Top-Up Snakes between events 
7. Longer break

One thing that all of us coaches noticed at these meets was that many of the swimmers were . . . . how should I put this . . . . not eating in a manner which would benefit their swimming optimally. Or in other words: EATING JUNK!

When at a meet, keep in mind that the more food in your stomach, the more blood that has to go there to digest it. If blood and oxygen are going there, then there’s less going to the muscles to make them work.

But if you are at a meet for most of the day, you have to eat something, right? So what to eat . . . .Here’s a little plan of things to eat and when to eat them. Notice that there is NO ROOM for hot dogs, fries, hamburgers, or any other chow from McDonald’s, Burger King or any other FAST FOOD in this outline.

The biggest generalization is to avoid things with fat, and go with things that have carbohydrates and are easily digested. 

The week leading up to the event:
Ensure a high-carbohydrate eating plan. Include more rice and pasta: they have more carbohydrate than potato. Include nutritious carbohydrate-based between-meal snacks (see list below). As your training will be tapered pre-event, you won't need to eat more! Eating the right balance of increased carbohydrate and less fat is the key.

The Pre-Event Meal:
Eat this meal about 2-3 hours before competition (approximately 2-3 hours before warm-up). This meal should top-up your blood sugar levels after the night's rest. The meal does not have to be large, but should fill you up for the next few hours. High-carbohydrate foods are the best options: e.g., bread, cereals, fruit, pasta, rice, etc. Ensure that the meal is low fat, this speeds up digestion. Eat breakfast before you get to the pool, this leaves time for the carbo fuel to get in! Have a drink to optimize hydration: try sports drink, juice, or best of all, WATER! Avoid the caffeine in cola drinks, coffee, chocolate, and tea - it is dehydrating. If you feel too nervous to eat, try a liquid meal (see later in this article). Practice with your pre-event meal prior to THE BIG MEET to fine tune this eating strategy

After the Warm-Up - Recover for the Heats:
After the warm-up, replace fluids immediately (have your drink bottle at pool side, and drain it). Sports drinks have their benefits as they replace fluids and carbohydrate simultaneously, but make sure they're not sweet like Kool-Aid if you're mixing your own. If there is less than 1 hour between races, just keep to fluid replacement. If there is more than 1 hour between the warm-up and your first heat, try to eat a little. The best approach is to eat a little and often during the day. Eating too much at once can make you feel heavy and lethargic.

Drinking and Eating:
In longer breaks of at least 90 minutes, have something to eat. In shorter breaks, use a sports drink or water to replace fluids. The indoor pool environment is humid and dehydrating, so DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! Adequate fluids are essential all day to keep your blood and energy pumping. If there is a longer break (a few hours) through the day, use it to eat a bit more. Take your own high performance foods and drinks with you (don't rely on the canteen). A cold pack and thermos helps to keep foods and drinks cold, which aids in absorption. Record your food and fluid intake to keep count of when you last ate and drank. To monitor hydration check that your urine output is regular and "looks clear." Monitoring body-weight change over the day is another way to check hydration. In general, crackers are bad! they tend to be high in fat and salt, which makes you retain water

Recovery After a Hard Day's Competition:
Have something to drink and eat immediately after your last swim. Avoid the "fast food" chains on the way home - their high fat foods will delay recovery. Have some high-carbo food prepared so you can eat as soon as you arrive home. If possible take a thermos with a meal inside so you can eat even earlier. Check your body weight to ensure you are rehydrated. The worst thing you can do is wait a couple of hours, then stop at McDonald’s or KFC or the like, and fill up on whatever they’re serving very low in carbohydrates, and much too high in fat and salt!

Top-Up Snacks Bewtween Events (1-2 hour breaks):
Snack fruits (small cans of fruit) or canned baby fruits. Bananas. Fruit that is peeled and cut up (easier to eat this way). Plain bread rolls (white bread may be less heavy) - try pita bread! Fruit buns (e.g., hot cross buns) or raisin bread. Rice cakes (you can top them with honey, jam, or banana). Rice pudding or bread pudding (use reduced-fat milk). Instant noodles (varieties that do not contain oil or the flavor packet). Jam or honey sandwiches (NOT with peanut butter) Plain boiled pasta with a little tomato sauce. Low-fat breakfast or plain (non-chocolate-covered granola bar) Fruit fingers (see baby food selection at supermarket). Plain crackers (not high-fat types). Low-fat puddings or jello. Small amount of reduced-fat yogurts. PowerGel (or imitations) PowerBars (or imitations)

Note 1: A quick way to tell if somethingreallyis "low fat" is to check the nutrition label. If there are more protein grams than fat grams in a serving, it's probably OK. If there's more fat, then it's probably better to go with something else.

Note 2: Choose smaller amounts if you only have just over 1 hour. In longer breaks you can afford to eat a little more, but don't eat constantly. Items in bold might be better for middle length breaks as they are smaller and perhaps easier to digest.

Longer Breaks or After the Competition:
Sandwiches with low-fat fillings (AVOID butter and tuna- or egg-“salad” as the “salad” is mostly high-fat mayonnaise). Pasta or rice with tomato pasta sauce (a little chicken or very lean meat in sauce is okay). Probably the most important thing to remember is that while you need to eat some food, you will swim better being a little hungry than a little full. So drink lots, eat a little, and you should be well on your way to swimming success.