THE SWIMMER’S DIET

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES: FAST FOOD NEVER! SODA NEVER!

When you eat is just as important as what you eat!
Very important to eat the same times everyday! Even snacks should be planned.
No eating just because or spur of the moment.
Here’s why, you are working your body everyday to achieve a body that works like a machine day in and day out. How you feed that machine also helps to achieve this. If you eat the same time everyday your body gets use to it and prepares well before you eat. Digestive juices are all ready released and the food goes into a system that is prepared to dissolve and absorb the food. Which in turn has these benefits, less waste and a more efficient use of the all the nutritional value in the food. Not a system that is triggered by food suddenly appearing and then the digestive juices are released. Which has debilitating effects, makes you sluggish or tired and then there is less nutritional value absorbed.

Example of a daily diet plan> Water is the drink 90% of the day milk and sports drink the other 10%.

An actually swimmers daily plan! Breakfast and snacks 1 thru 3 were all in zip lock bags prepared the night before.

Breakfast

Snack 1

Lunch

Snack 2

Snack 3

Dinner

10oz raisin bran

Milk from cafe.

1 package peanut butter crackers

Cafe. Salad with chicken

Trail mix

Balance bar

Small steak & potato and green veg.

7:30am

9:30

11:30

2:00

4:00 / 4:30

When you can?

If dinner is before practice then you add a small snack after practice. Balance bar, popcorn and a piece of pizza or fresh fruit.
Snack examples, packaged crackers and peanut butter, nuts of any kind, balance bar, trail mix and anything that has a balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates. A chicken breast to pick at during the meet is excellent.
WATER is best the body uses water efficiently and quickly.
SPORTS DRINKS: should be consumed during practice or competition only. They should not be the staple of your hydration. MILK should not be consumed on meet days it’s to complex and causes our body to slow down.

MEET DAY NUTRITION:

The best way for swimmers to nutritionally prepare for a meet, is to eat a meal or snack that is high in complex carbohydrate, 4 hours before the competition begins.
This meal will help ensure that energy stores in the body, especially those in the liver and circulating blood, are adequate. Consuming too much simple sugar 15 to 30 minutes before a swim competition may cause blood sugar levels to be reduced, thus reducing performance.
Snack every 2 hours as above, bananas are great but balance bars are good also. No pasta till that days competition is done and very little is needed.
NIGHT BEFORE MEET AND NIGHTS BETWEEN COMPETITION DAYS:
Dinner night before meet and nights between competitions. Three great meals. #1) Fish (not crustaceans) and potato (not fried) salad or green vegetable. #2 Chicken breast and same sides. #3 Small steak and medium baked potato and same sides.