Nutrition advice prior to swimming
Longer than 4hrs before you swim eat carb based meals like potato and baked beans or Sandwich/roll/pasta/rice with servings of protein e.g. tuna/fish/hummus.
Keep fluid levels topped up by having a drink regularly and every time you eat e.g. sports drinks/water/full sugar squash.
2-4hours before competitions
Eat high carb low fat meal such as:
- Large bowl of cereal, milk and a glass of fruit juice
- Toast/bagel/roll with jam/honey/banana/beans/egg and low fat yoghurt
- Pasta/rice/potato or noodle based meals
- Sandwich with low fat fillings and cereal bar with large glass of milk
Drink 500/1000ml fluid e.g. water/squash/milk/fruit juice
30-60 minutes before you swim
Eat items such as cereal bars, fruit bread, malt loaf, jaffa cake, fig rolls, bagel, crumpets etc.
less than 30 minutes before you swim
Eat items such as well ripened banana, jelly babies, wine gums and drink sports drinks, fruit juice or full sugar squash.
Between Heats/Semi Finals / Finals
Choose carbs (food/drink) that are easily absorbed if you have a short interval between events. Choose longer lasting carb foods in longer intervals - this will make sure your body has digested these foods in time to provide you with the energy you need for your event and avoid any stomach upset
Hydration
It is important that a drink of water, diluting juice or sports drink is always brought along to every training session or gala. Dehydration can have severe effects on a swimmer’s ability to perform. It can lead to sore heads, cramp and also fatigue. Swimmers should aim for regular sips during rest between repeats and sets to aid performance in training. Hydration is also very important when swimmers are not at training. Carrying a drink at school to have a drink throughout the day and not just at meals could make all the difference. More than one drink may be required if swimmers are attending a longer training session than normal or a gala where they will be on warm pool side for a long period of time. If a sports drink is brought, the preferred option is an isotonic drink. Please ensure that drinks brought on to pool side do not have a clear top or cap as this could cause injury to swimmers if lost.
Nutrition
What a child eats is very important for their growth. Energy requirements will increase when competing in any sport. The correct food should be eaten at all times (especially before, during and after training sessions and galas) to help with this. Therefore, trying to get them to eat more healthily will make a huge impact. Less sweets (treats are allowed now and again!) and more fruit, vegetables and foods high in carbohydrates are recommended. This is to ensure that they can perform to their maximum at all times. It is a small price to pay (for swimmers and parents) for what could lead to a big improvement in performance. However, treats like Jelly Babies, jelly and Jaffa Cakes etc. are good for a short term burst of energy and are recommended at galas, along with bananas etc.
If possible, it is recommended that swimmers have their dinner approximately 2 hours before a training session to ensure that it is fully digested.
Punctuality
Swimmers are expected to arrive not just on time, but early for training sessions (and galas). It is much better to arrive 5 minutes early rather than 5 minutes late.
You can read further information on nutrition and healthy eating by clicking HERE
