Nutrition for WCPSC Swimmers - Presentation by Emma Patel MSc, PGCLTHE, BSc (Hons)
Emma gave a very informative presentation to club members at the start of the 2010/2011 season. Throughout her presentation Emma emphasised the importance of diet and fluid intake to ensure that competition and training performances were enhanced with a good diet and adequate fluid intake. In a nutshell:
20 Minute Rule:
The muscles are most susceptible to restoration of carbohydrate stores within the first 20 minutes after exercise. The swimmer should eat 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate, whilst keeping fat ingestion low, as soon as training finishes, and definitely within the first 20 minutes after training. The following are examples of appropriate snack foods:
- Fruit, Nutrigrain bars, jam or honey sandwich, malt loaf, fig rolls, smoothie, muller rice, dried fruit, rice cakes.
Fluids - Hydration:
Even though you are in water you still can become dehydrated as a swimmer. The water lost from the body during sweating needs to be replaced to stop you getting tired quickly, and also speed up the recovery process that means feeling fitter and sharper afterwards a lot sooner. As little as 2% dehydration within the body can impair swimming performance. You need to ensure you drink enough water and electrolyte solution. Generally, try and take regular sips at every opportunity during training and competition day.
- What to eat and when to eat it
- Training Diet
- Timing of Meals and Snacks around Swimming Training Sessions
- Healthy Snacking
- Fluids and Hydration
- Diet and Recovery after Competition
- Why is Iron important for a Swimmer
- Will a vegetarian diet improve swimming performance
- Nutrition of vegetarian swimmers and advice for vegans
- Easy steps to improve your diet
- Sources of nutrients and their major roles
Following her advice will not make you a good swimmer but if not followed, will make a good swimmer underperform at training and perhaps more importantly, at competition. The nutrition handbook accompanying the presentation is recommended reading for all parents and swimmers and is available to download.