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Have
questions about swimming? Ask a coach! Each week your AquaLynx Coaches will
answer questions asked by parents and swimmers. They
will address such topics as training, time management, recruiting,
diet, pre-meet warmup’s, and any other general questions
you may have. Please, ask whatever you want. Your
question will remain completely anonymous. We hope
to treat this as an informative forum that will prove
beneficial to the families and athletes of the Aqua
Lynx.! Please e-mail your
questions to Jake Sexton: jsexton@lincolncollege.edu
QUESTION FOR THE
COACHES: How strict are swimming coaches on
nutrition? What are the best foods to eat before and after
practice? What are the best foods to eat before a big meet?
COACH
JAKE: I think that most swim coaches tend not
to be as strict on nutrition as people think. The reason being
is that swimmers generally have a very high metabolism.
As the athlete begins to become
more involved with swimming, their training regiment usually
increases, thus does their need to replenish their bodies. The
average caloric intake for the swimmers at Lincoln College is
roughly 7,000 to 9,000 calories a day. You must remember, in a
full day of training they can burn off nearly 3,000 or
more. Therefore, I’m not a huge stickler on what they
eat.
My one stipulation is that
they drink over a gallon of water a day. It is
mandatory that they walk around with water bottles, drinking water
throughout the day. They are also required to bring water to
practice. Reason being: Water helps flush out the lactic
acid in their muscles that they acquired during training, thus
allowing their muscles to recover, and increasing their production
in the pool. Plus, it helps keep the brain alert, which is
helpful when your body is exhausted from training. Water is
always a better choice than most sports drinks. Not that
sports drinks are terrible, they just lack the necessary chemicals
to help replenish the muscles over a long period of
time.
For the age group athlete,
nutrition is more important. It isn’t as
important how much they eat, but what they eat. It is vital
that the maturing child who is involved in athletics (especially
swimming) put quality calories, and healthy fats into their
system.
The most important meal
(without a doubt) is breakfast. If the athlete has a
healthy, balanced breakfast, they are more likely to perform at
high levels both in and out of the pool (i.e.
classroom). Incorporating fruit into a morning diet can prove
helpful, because fruit (i.e. apples, grapes, and pears) carry
sucrose, which is a natural sugar that can trigger brain activity,
but prevents drowsiness….unlike artificial
sugars. Granola and yogurt are also healthy
substitutes. Oh, and a couple glasses of water. What I
would discourage is a small breakfast. Rushing out the door
with a granola bar and a coke is a terrible way to start the day,
and the body will be playing a huge game of “calorie
catch-up” all day.
Eating at least an hour
before practice is a good idea. I would suggest
having some small substance before training. This is usually
tricky, because it really does depend on the athlete. However,
if the athlete isn’t a fan of eating before a workout, try
something small an hour before training. This allows the body
to process the food, possibly digest, but will prevent the athlete
from being bloated when they arrive for practice.
What are the best pre-meet
foods? I have always been a big fan of the
carb-overload diet several days before the start of the
meet. I’m talking about healthy carbs. Some
examples would be: Pasta (without alfredo sauce), waffles,
bagels, and sandwiches (no mayo). I would suggest staying away
from the starches, like baked potato’s and French
fries. Those will just cause exhaustion and make you bloated,
but hungry in an hour. Overloading on carbs early in the week
before a big meet is a good idea. However, once the meet
starts, try to curb your carb count. I would suggest more
veggies and fruits. Your body isn’t burning as many
calories in a meet as you would in practice, and overloading on
carbs could make you feel heavy and bloated.
Foods that are
beneficial for swimmers:
Bananas: The
potassium in bananas helps prevent cramping.
Fish/Seafood: The
oils and healthy fats help with memory and muscle recovery
Pasta: High
levels of carbs give the muscles energy and power that was spent
during training.
Eggs: The
protein in eggs serves as a building block for muscles
Meat:
Same as eggs, the protein in lean meats helps build muscles
Veggies:
Provides necessary nutrients that aide in muscle recovery and
growth
Fruit:
Have healthy sugars that stimulate brain activity
Water:
I know this isn’t a food, but it is necessary.
Please click on the following links for
detailed information:
Swimming 101: regarding terminology, meets, basic info.
etc.
Role of Parents
Your child’s training
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