Swimmer's Nutrition

Great nutrition handout put together by our very own Coach Ben from a presentation he gave on it a couple of years ago. I wanted to share it with everyone.


Nutrition and Swimming


Determinants of Athletic Performance

• Genetic Makeup


• Athletic Training


• Diet

There are no nutritional shortcuts to athletic performance

6 Essential Nutrients

1. Carbohydrates
- For athletes 60-65% of all calories should come from carbohydrates. Less than 10% of this amount should come from simple sugars.
- This is what gives us energy when we need to go fast

2. Protein
- 1.2 g/kg/day it the recommended amount of protein for endurance athletes
- The average American diet exceeds the RDA
- This is what builds muscle

3. Fats
- Important for some vitamin absorption
- Higher fat diets have resulted in better performance than low fat diets
- This is what gives us energy when we need to go a long time

4. Water
- 2 cups immediately before exercise
- ½ - 1 cup for every 15 minutes of exercise
- Athletes should be drinking at least 12 cups of liquid per day

5. Vitamins
- Not essential to performance but essential to health and producing enzymes
- A good multivitamin is not a bad idea

6. Minerals
- Not essential to performance but essential to health, fighting disease, and producing enzymes
**Many athletes do not meet energy intake requirements**

7. Consult a doctor or knowledgable professional before taking any supplements. Iron is very important especially to adolescent females.

Important Tips to Remember

• Eat a variety of foods


• Balance food intake with physical activity


• Choose a diet high in fruits, veggies, and unrefined grains


• Choose a diet low in total and saturated fat


• Moderate sugars


• Moderate sodium/salt
  
  

Meet Day
Eat breakfast at least 45 meets before warm-up begins.

During the meet choose the following foods: milk (regular or chocolate), spaghetti, yogurt, beans, protein and energy bars, sports drink, water, fruits, and nuts. Choose fructose over honey or sucrose (simple sugars).

If you have more than 2 hours between events or sessions: breads, potatos, cereals, honey.
Eat small amounts at a time to help avoid spiking blood glucose levels either up or down.

Fun Facts

Drink carbohydrates especially right after warm-up in practice to ward off fatigue for an extra 15-30 min.

Eat meals consistently throughout the day to replace energy in muscle (snack about every 2 hrs.)

Don’t eat within 5-30 min of practice or races (it will actually hinder performance)

Sports drinks are good for sodium, potassium replacement and recovery, but nothing can beat water.

Eat a combination of carbohydrates and protein within 45 minutes after practice to prepare your muscles for the next day (yogurt, chocolate milk, bagels, fruits, and sports drinks are great)

Don’t skip breakfast even for an early practice, food signals to your body to start working
Energy bars (carbohydrate, protein, or mixed) can be great, but make sure you read the label.