Swimmers have long practices and extended competitive seasons. Since training combined with poor nutrition leads to fatigue, diet is an important aspect of a swimmer’s training program:
- Consume 3,000 to 6,000 calories per day during training.
- Eat at least 500 grams of carbohydrate every day during the competitive season.
- Consume carbohydrates in the hour following training to fuel muscles for the next days training or competition.
Pre-meet meal
- Eat breakfast, such as a high-protein cereal and a banana to provide your muscles with the carbohydrates they need for energy.
At the swim meet
- Avoid caffeine. Drink water or a sports drink containing carbohydrates throughout the meet to replenish fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes. It is easy to make the mistake of not hydrating when swimming, because you can’t always tell that you are sweating.
- Pack easy-to-digest foods such as bagels, english muffins and bananas to consume between races. Energy bars or gels, peanut butter crackers or trail mix are also good choices. Swimmers need proper nutrition to keep up the pace and perform effectively in the pool. A swimmer who eats a balanced diet will gain more strength, power and endurance when training and will feel more energetic during competition.