Why is nutrition important for swimmers?
- A swimmer that is training heavily (more than two hours a day) should eat four to seven meals (3 major+4 small) a day.
- The amount of endurance it takes to be a good swimmer is why a swimmer's nutrition is so crucial to their strength and speed in the water.
- It takes a good three hours for your body to actually digest the food you’re eating, particularly all major meals, so if the swimmer has eaten an hour before he/she hits the pool, his body is trying to digest and it can’t deliver the blood flow to the muscles, so he ends up getting a stitch.
- Overall calories requirement of swimmers is always more than normal human being and it depends on multiple factors like training hours, height, weight, and gender.
- If their nutrition needs are not getting full-filled through food and its vital for them to nourish through supplements for growth, health and good condition.
Recommended foods pre/during/post workout:
- Pre-workout: Make sure that you are fully hydrated and you had good carbohydrates for breakfast/lunch.
Examples: Whole wheat bread, Pasta, Roti, Lentils, Peas, Apple, Pears, Orange, Kiwi, Beetroot + Carrot juice, Sweet potato, Low-fat milk/curd/ yogurt, Dried apricots/figs/prunes, raisins, roasted peanuts. - During workout: Make sure that you are carrying enough water and isotonic sports drinks.
Examples: Sports drink, Lemon water, Glucon D, Electrol. - Post-workout: Make sure you are taking the right amount of snack for recovery within 30 minutes post-workout.
Examples: Coconut water + egg/chicken/paneer sandwich or Milkshake + peanut butter sandwich OR chocolate milkshake + 1 bowl sprouts.
Note: Guidelines given above are very generic guidelines and might vary from athlete to athlete.