10 Nutrition Strategies for the Big Race Day

Nutrition is often the most overlooked aspect of an athlete's training even though it is one of the most important. Properly fueling your body daily is necessary for your body to perform at its best - and it is no different the day(s) of a meet. USA Swimming posted this great article by Jill Castle about how swimmers should be eating/drinking during race days.

10 NUTRITION STRATEGIES FOR THE BIG RACE DAY

       

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RDN

At the end of the season when you’re laying everything on the line, don’t let a misstep in nutrition or poor planning sabotage your goals. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for the biggest meet of the season:

1. Eat breakfast. Start races on the right foot by eating something first thing in the morning. Muscles and metabolism will get the carbohydrate and energy boost they need.

2. Eat at the meet. I’m not hungry, or I’m too nervous to eat. These are just two excuses for not eating at competition. Going for long time periods without food (namely carbohydrate) is a bad idea and will chip away at performance.

3. Be structured with eating. No skipping, delaying or erratic times for eating (ahem, midnight munchies). Even at the pool, space eating around events, keeping the pre-load/recovery eating cycle going. The body will perform at its best when it is fueled.

4. Don’t experiment with food. Stay with tried and true foods your body can digest and tolerate while swimming.

5. Focus on carbohydrates. These are the body’s first food resources for energy. Go for slow digesting carbs like oats, whole grain bread or bagels or starchy vegetables. When opting for pasta, hold the fatty sauces like Alfredo. Instead, go for marinara or a low-fat option.

6. Forget the fatty foods. These are best eaten later, not during competition weekends, as they will just drag the swimmer down, leaving him feeling full and sluggish.

7. Be prepared for hunger. Unexpected hunger can get the best of any athlete. Bring more food than you need. That’s better than running to the concession stand for something less-than-ideal. Remember the adage: If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

8. Keep it clean. Important races and meets are not the time for fast food, junky snacks, sugary desserts or candy. Stick with wholesome, real food like fruit, whole grain breads and crackers, and nut butter.

9. Quench the muscles. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and muscle cramping. Swimmers don’t need to get fancy with sports drinks or other sugary beverages during competition, as most races are brief.

10. Sleep. Although not a nutrition recommendation, sleep is tightly tied to allowing nutrition to do its thing. Sleep is energizing and restorative, and the time of day when muscles are in major renovation mode, healing, building, strengthening and using all that good nutrition it received during the day. Don't sacrifice sleep!

Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a childhood nutrition expert and co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School (www.fearlessfeeding.com). She is the creator of Just The Right Byte (www.justtherightbyte.com), a childhood nutrition blog. She lives with her husband and four children in New Canaan, CT. Questions? Contact her at Jill@JillCastle.com.  

6 Tips for Becoming the Type of Swimmer Who Gets it Done

As we've begun our 2015 - 2016 season, the NEON coaches have been talking to swimmers about being internally motivated or self-motivated along with discussing the fact that in order to reach goals, we must do those everyday things that others may not be willing to do. Swimmers must focus on on the sometimes 'mundane' tasks of training in order to better themselves and be able to perform well when the competition is at hand. By working on those sometimes small, daily tasks at practices, you inch closer and closer to that goal - we strive for progress, not perfection. Swimswam recently posted the following article by Olivier Poirier-Leroy which highlights these same thoughts! Please take a look and if you have younger swimmers, discuss these tips with them.

Swimmers at the top of the podium all share one remarkably unremarkable trait.

No, it’s not superhuman talent. Or genetics. Or even the gift of that mysterious and elusive “feel for the water.”

It’s something a little more boring, not so mythical, but perhaps just as elusive for some athletes: these top achievers simply execute better than the rest.

You can have all of the talent and physical gifts in the world, but if you can’t summon the will to put them to action they become useless.

Here are 6 tips for becoming the type of swimmer who gets it done:

1. Accept that it will be messy.

How often have you stumbled out of the gate and then thrown away the whole process because “if it doesn’t go exactly how I plan, than it’s not working”? If you set your standards or your expectations at “perfect” than you will never start.

There will be false starts. There will be stumbles. You’ll have great days and workouts, and then you’ll have not so great practices.

Once you can accept that the process is messy and even bruise-inducing at times, than you can more easily power through those not-so-great sessions.

2. Comparison is dangerous.

We all have our idols in the sport. We look up to them and do our best to reverse-engineer their success. “Oh, she swam 12 times per week for three years prior to her gold medal winning performance in London? I’ll do that too.”

We seek to learn how those swimmers put together their success so that we can fashion a blueprint of our own.

But it’s important to remember that the things that they are doing now might not necessarily be the same things they were doing at the beginning of their own journey.

3. Bite-sized steps will do.

The bigger a goal is, the more intimidating it becomes. And while big goals are great to inspire and guide us, the sheer size of them numbs us into inaction.

If you are finding yourself getting hung up into not acting because you simply have no idea how you will ever submit yourself to all of the work your towering goal requires, step back and look down at the very first step you need to make. A step so small, so non-threatening that it almost seems trivial.

4. Big dreams alone don’t bring success.

Planning and dreaming is easy. It’s enjoyable. And it comes with no risk. What does it cost you in terms of effort to daydream about what you’d like to achieve as a swimmer? Not much.

Goals and mega-aspirations are important, but thinking and wishing for them won’t make them so. An average goal acted on will always result in more success than a hundred exceptional dreams.

5. Earn the reps.

We yearn for progress and results, but often we get so caught up in them that we ignore the day-to-day grind. And then when we are reminded of the hard work that is going to be required, we are dismayed, put off, discouraged.

Forget the goals for a moment. They aren’t completely in your control and nor are the circumstances (i.e. other swimmers). Instead, focus your mental and physical energy on the daily reps.

The biggest payoff from banging out the reps consistently is that you are launching yourself into a feedback loop where you are learning what works, what doesn’t, and applying those lessons moving forwards. Sitting around musing on the perfect way to go about moving forward robs you of this.

6. Don’t wait for perfect conditions.

This is a crutch that I have leaned on during many an occasion; the old “I will really start training hard when I can train in a new facility/get that new suit/learn more about sprint technique…etc.”

Obsessing over what you consider to be perfect conditions or the ultimate strategy or environment to achieve your goals is one of your brain’s sneaky ways of avoiding hard work.

Just start. It might not be perfect, look pretty, or even feel all that great, but do the thing that matters and start.

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.

How to Guide: Getting the Most Out of Your Training

Each NEON coach has stressed the importance of QUALITY training to their group, from Bronze all the way up to Platinum. "Garbage" yardage is swimming without focus - swimming without thinking about proper technique, also known as sloppy swimming. Training in this way, with sloppy swimming, does not help swimmers improve. It is important that swimmers focus on proper technique in addition to challenging themselves physically to make sure they are getting the most out of each practice they attend. Below is an article posted by USA Swimming that discusses this issue and elaborates about how swimmers can get the most out of their training. Please share this article with your swimmers - it is an immensely important aspect to their success in the water. 

PERFECT PRACTICE: GETTING THE MOST OF YOUR TRAINING

6/4/2013

BY DR. ALAN GOLDBERG//SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST, COMPETITIVEDGE.COM

RACES ARE WON AND LOST, LONG BEFORE YOUR MEETS

Most serious swimmers put in the same amount of time training each and every week. Why is it that only a select few of these athletes will end up getting more out of their practices, and as a result, improve faster and go further in the sport than the majority of their teammates? The answer has to do with HOW they practice. 

IT'S THE QUALITY OF YOUR TRAINING THAT ALWAYS COUNTS, NOT just THE QUANTITY

Diligently making every practice, each week and putting in all that required yardage by itself will not make you a champion. What will always help you take your swimming to the next level is the quality of your work. Simply put, what you put into your training is key. For example, if you go through those long brutal sets distracted, slowing down when things get hard, wishing you were elsewhere, or focusing on how much you hate this set, then this kind of “dead yardage” training will always hold you back when it comes to race time. 

However, if you train smart and you focus on all the little details while you're swimming, if you make sure your stroke is correct, you're working on integrating the changes your coach has suggested, your turns are precise, and you push yourself to keep going hard when you don't want to anymore, then you will find that you get far more out of your practices and race faster when it counts!

“PERFECT PRACTICE” IS TRAINING MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY

This is the highest quality that you can train at.

The vast majority of swimmers just train PHYSICALLY

• Attend most if not all practices
• Usually make most sets
• Do dryland and weight training
• Concentration is not always on what they're doing
• Oftentimes wish practice was over or they were elsewhere 

A much smaller percentage of swimmers train both PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY

• Attend all practices, dryland and weights
• Concentrate very carefully on what they're doing while they're doing it
• Conscientious about stroke technique, starts and turns
• Make a point to integrate corrections from coaches into work 

A select few athletes use “perfect practice” and train PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY

• Attend all practices, dryland and weights
• Focus very carefully on what they're doing while they're doing it
• Conscientious about stroke technique, starts and turns
• Integrate corrections from coaches into training
• Love to swim and want to be at practice
• Have an emotionally compelling, BIG goal in their mind whenever they train (That is, they regularly ask themselves, ”How is what I'm doing right now, going to help me get to my goal?”) 

FIND AN EMOTIONALLY COMPELLING REASON TO TRAIN

Swimming is a very difficult sport to do well. Ultimate success involves a huge time commitment, sacrifice and almost continuous, year-round training and the discipline to regularly push yourself outside your comfort zone. To become a champion, you must learn to tolerate a tremendous amount of pain and discomfort. In order to do this every day, you need very powerful motivation. This motivation will always come to you from your personal reasons for swimming. Swimming is much too hard a sport to do for others, i.e. your parents or coaches. The motivation for working hard must come from inside of you. You have to have a compelling, personal reason to regularly train hard. You will go much further as a swimmer and have far more success when you make a commitment to using “perfect practice” whenever you train. 

This means that at any given moment in training, when the going gets rough and a part of you wants to back down, you have to be able to ask yourself WHY you're doing what you're doing and how it will get you that much closer to your goals. When you can connect with your emotional reasons for swimming, it becomes far easier to ride out the storms of fatigue, boredom and doubt that regularly roll in over the course of a season.

As a sports psychology consultant, Dr. Alan Goldberg works with swimmers at every level. A presenter at the Olympic Training Center, swim coaches clinics and clubs around the country, Dr. G specializes in helping swimmers struggling with performance problems, get unstuck and swim fast when it counts the most. He works over Skype, providing one-on-one consultation with swimmers and other athletes around the world. Dr. G has written over 35 mental toughness training programs and books. In addition, he is a regular contributor to Splash Magazine.

How to Guide: Attending Your First Swim Meet

Below you will find guidelines meant to help you through your first swim meet. In order to help new swimmers (and swim parents!) feel less overwhelmed, we attempted to be as detailed and specific as possible. If you still have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your coach. 

BEFORE THE START OF THE MEET

1. Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. Warm-up times will be e-mailed out by Coach Eric the week of the swim meet (usually 2-3 days before the meet).
2. Upon arrival, find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags and towels (see our post about what you should bring to swim meets). The team usually sits in one place together, so look for some familiar faces.
3. Find the check-in place. Usually, parents are not allowed on deck so this may be a responsibility of your swimmer (who can ask the coach for help). Swimmers must “circle in” (see explanation below). Then, make sure your swimmer checks in with his or her coach.
• Circle-in: you will need to circle the swimmer's name in each event he or she is swimming that day. If this is not done, the swimmer will not be allowed to swim that event. Check-in is required so that the people running the meet know who is actually at the meet. After check-in, the meet administrators "seed" the swimmers into heats. Heat and lane assignments will then be posted on the pool deck, so be sure your swimmer asks his/her coach where to look!
• Sometimes the meet is "pre-seeded" and no check-in is required. You and your swimmer can find heat and lane assignments by purchasing a program.
4. Once circled in, write or have your swimmer write each event number on his or her hand (permanent marker works best for this). This helps him/her remember what events he/she is swimming and what event number to listen or watch for.
5. Your swimmer now gets his/her cap and goggles and reports to the coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team. A swimmer's body is just like a car on a cold day – he/she needs to get the engine going and warmed-up before he/she can go all out.
6. After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her team is sitting and wait there until the first event is called. This is a good time to make sure he/she goes to the bathroom if necessary, gets a drink or snack, or just gets settled in (see our post about nutrition at swim meets).
7. The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after warm-ups are over.
8. According to USA Swimming rules (because of insurance purposes), parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Similarly, all questions concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to a coach. He or she in turn, will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
9. A psyche sheet is usually available for sale in the lobby or concession area of the pool. It lists all swimmers in each event in order of “seed time.” When the team entry is sent in, each swimmer and his/her previous best time (up to the date that the entry was submitted) in that event is listed. If the swimmer is swimming an event for the first time, he/she will be entered as a "no-time" or “NT”.
• Some meets do not allow “NT” entries, so the coach will make his/her best estimate based on practice times for that swimmer. All estimated times will end in .00 (for example 1 :26.00).

ONCE THE MEET BEGINS

1. It is important for each swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming (having it written on one hand helps a swimmer to remember). He/she may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait awhile.
2. There are generally two ways a swimmer gets to his/her lane:
• A swimmer usually reports directly to his/her lane for competition a number of heats before he/she actually swims. It is the swimmer's responsibility to be attentive to what event number is swimming, so that s/he knows when to go to his/her lane.
• The swimmer will need to tell the timer in the assigned lane his/her name so that the timer knows s/he is in the proper spot. Check with your swimmer's coach for specific instructions.
• In some beginner meets, a swimmer's event number will be called, usually over the loudspeaker, and s/he will be asked to report to the "clerk of course" or “bullpen.” Swimmers should report with his/her cap and goggles.
• Generally, girls events are odd-numbered and boys events are even-numbered. Example: "Event #26, 10-Under Boys 50 freestyle, report to Clerk of Course."
• A volunteer will line up all of the swimmers and take them down to the pool in correct order. You can expect at least 4-8 heats of each event.
3. The swimmer swims his or her race.
4. After each swim:
• S/he is to ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/her time.
• If a “warm down” pool is available, the swimmer should swim easy laps after each event to bring his/her heart rate back down (new swimmers can ask their coach if they have questions about warming down).
• After warming down, the swimmer should go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will discuss the swim – what was done well and what skills still need some improvement. It is very important that swimmers discuss each swim with their coach.
5. Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussing swims:
• Positive comments or praise
• Suggestions for improvement
• Positive comments
6. Things you, as a parent, can do after each swim:
• Tell your swimmer how great s/he did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke technique with your swimmer. You need to tell him/her how proud you are and what a great job s/he did.
• Send him/her back to the team area to relax.
• This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something light to eat.
7. The swimmer now waits until his/her next event is called and starts the procedure again. When a swimmer has completed all of his/her events s/he gets to go home. Make sure, however, that you check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expected to be a member and s/he is not there.
8. Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility. Awards are often gathered for a team and given to the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a later time.

Meet Information: Fall Breakout

The Fall Breakout meet will be held on November 10th and is for Bronze and Silver swimmers. For this meet, swimmers 10 years and older must have slower than a "B" time in any event order to swim that event. For example: an 11-12 year old girl must be slower than a 34.29 in the 50 free in order to swim that event. Time standards are listed here (be sure to scroll to the second page for "Short Course Yards"). If you are unsure if your swimmer qualifies, please contact a NEON coach and they will be glad to help you. 

The morning session will be for 10 & Under swimmers, and the afternoon session will be for 12 & Over swimmers.

The due date for entries is Sunday October 14th. Please send your entries to neonswimming@gmail.com.

Please provide the name(s) of your swimmer(s) in the e-mail and how many events you would like them entered in (up to 5 per day).

FALL BREAK-OUT MEET

November 10, 2012

LOCATION:  Firestone Natatorium, 333 Rampart Avenue, Akron, OH  44313

STARTING TIMES: Morning session:  9 – 10 yr old warm-up at 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM; 8 & under warm-up at 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM.  Meet will begin at 8:35 AM.  Afternoon warm-up will begin 15 minutes after the conclusion of the morning session. Estimated afternoon warm-up times will be posted on the Lake Erie web site on November 7, 2012: www.lakeerieswimming.com.

ENTRY FEES: Individual events $4.50; Relays: $9.00; plus a $2.00 per swimmer LESI surcharge. There is also a $3.00 team charge.

ENTRY LIMITATIONS: Swimmers may enter up to 5 individual events/day, exclusive of relays.

QUALIFYING TIMES: Swimmers must be equal to or slower than "B" times as of the entry deadline. 

SLOWER THAN: These meets have times investigated after the meet if a protest is filed.  Swimmers may not compete in an event in which they are faster than the listed time standard as of the meet entry deadline.

SEEDING & CHECK IN: Individual and relay events will be deck-seeded. Check-in sheets will be posted in the hallway near the concession stand.  Check-in will be done by event; all swimmers must check in for all events in which they will be swimming.  All swimmers must check in 30 minutes prior to the start of the session. There will be a Clerk of Course for the morning session only in the adjacent gymnasium. 

ADMISSION COST: $4.00 for spectators - seniors 65 and older as well as children 8 & Under are free.

 $3.00 for psych sheets.  

If you have any questions, please ask! You can leave a comment on here or ask a coach before or after practice. Also, you can e-mail Coach Eric - aquaman429@cox.net, or Coach Kara - ms.kdennis@gmail.com.

Go NEON!

What You Need to Know About Hydration

It is imperative that swimmers hydrate before, during, and after a workout or a competition.

Fluid replacement is probably the most important nutritional concern for any athlete. During training and competitions, fluid is lost through sweating and through the lungs while breathing. If this fluid is not replaced, it can lead to dehydration. A dehydrated athlete has a decreased volume of blood circulating through the body, which means:

• The amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat decreases
• Exercising muscles do not receive enough oxygen
• Exhaustion sets in and the athlete's performance suffers

60% of your body weight is water, and you need to keep it that way!

The best way to prevent dehydration is to maintain body fluid levels by drinking fluids before, during, and after a practice or competition.

• Consume 10-16 ounces of cold fluid about 15-30 minutes before practice/competition
• Consume 4-8 ounces of cold fluid during practice/competition at 15-20 minute intervals

*Important Note: When you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drink fluids regularly before, during, and after practice, even if you don't feel thirsty.

What You Should Know About IMR and IMX

You've probably heard your swimmer, one of the coaches, or other parents talk about IMX (and if you hadn't before, you just did!), but you may not know exactly what it is or how it works. Not only is IMX a fun challenge for swimmers through USA Swimming, it is also an important aspect of NEON's requirements for group progressions. Keep reading to find out more about the IMX program.

 I.M.X. is a program run by USA Swimming (the governing body of swimming in the United States). According to USA Swimming, "...the IMX series is designed to help various age groups compete in multiple events, rather than specialize in one stroke too early," (USA Swimming). Swimmers are ranked nationally and locally based on their IMX score through USA Swimming. You can learn more about how swimmers are ranked here. 

While USA Swimming uses IMX as a way to rank swimmers, our goal at NEON is to use it to create all-around swimmers who are fully capable of swimming all four strokes and various events. We teach and train all four strokes in each of our groups and this makes our swimmers more versatile while also giving them a better understanding of the sport as a whole. 

I.M.R = IM Ready

The first step in the IMX Challenge is to be IM Ready (IMR). Swimmers compete in a series of five events at shorter distances.

10 & Under: 100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Fly, 100 IM (SC) or 200 IM (LC)

11-12: 200 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Fly, 100 IM (SC) or 200 IM (LC)


I.M.X. = IM Xtreme

The next step is the IM Xtreme (IMX). This is a series of five or six events at longer distances.

10 & Under: 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 200 IM

11-12: 400 Free (LC) or 500 Free (SC), 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 200 IM

13 & Up: 400 Free (LC) or 500 Free (SC), 200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, 200 IM, 400 IM

Now that you have a better understanding of what the IMX requirements are, don't forget to read our post  about the goals for each NEON group and the requirements swimmers need to meet in order to advance to the next group! There are requirements that involve IMR and IMX.

See you at the pool!

Swim Meet Essentials: What's in Your Bag?

It is always important to be prepared for adventures, and a swim meet is certainly not any different. While this post may seem to contain common knowledge to the swimming veterans on the team, newer swimmers and parents may find it very helpful (and you never know, even a more experienced swimmer may find a new helpful tip).

Swimmers should be sure to pack:

• Drinks and snacks to keep hydrated and energized (see our post on nutrition for swim meets)
• Two or more towels - towels quickly become wet, and it is important that swimmers are able to dry off and keep their muscles warm
• Two suits - one is a back up in case of emergency and can be just a practice suit
• Goggles (also good to have a spare pair in case of emergency - or at least a spare strap)
• Clothes for during the meet - pants and a sweatshirt or shorts and a t-shirt - it is imperative to keep your muscles warm between events!
• Sandals
• Blanket or large beach towel to sit on (this is especially useful at outdoor meets)
• Sunblock for outdoor meets

Tips for parents:

• Pool decks are often warm and humid, dress appropriately - in colder months it helps to wear layers
• Drinks and snacks for yourself (or siblings not participating)
• Book, magazine, tablet...something to do when your swimmer is not competing
• Cash to buy a heat sheet (if you would like one) - heat sheets contain the event number for each event and the name of each swimmer participating in that event, which helps you follow the meet and your swimmer(s)
• Supportive words! Make sure your swimmer knows you love them no matter what the outcome of the race, and that you believe in your swimmer's ability to succeed (which could mean swimming an event legally for the first time, dropping time, getting an 'A' cut...). Every race is a learning experience and even if the results were not exactly what we had hoped for, we walk away smarter than when we came in; later races may suffer if we dwell on any one race.

As usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to comment here (I receive e-mail notification about comments so I can answer very quickly) or seek out a coach before or after practice. For our veteran swimmers and parents, if you have any additional advice, feel free to leave a comment!

Let's swim smart and have fun!

How to Guide: Nutrition for Swim Meets

Nutrition plays a critical role in athletic performance, so this post is to help both veteran and new swimmers with what they should be eating/drinking before any swim meet and what they should be eating/drinking during any swim meet. Food (and beverages) are the fuels for the body - they are vital for energy levels and blood flow.

Providing your body with the proper fuel it needs to perform at top levels is very important to your success in the water, and this includes proper re-fueling during swim meets. Research has proven that good nutritional habits over time positively influence racing (and training, but more on that in a later post!). Parents - it would be great if you would share this information with your swimmers, even the younger ones, so they can learn to make the right nutritional decisions while at meets!

Nutrition for Swim Meets

Hydration:

• Drink every 15-20 minutes during a swim meet (or more)
• Gatorade is the best fluid replacement drink
• AVOID caffeine

Pre-meet meal:

• High in carbohydrates, non-greasy, and readily digestible (fatty foods take longer to digest)
• Should eat 3-4 hours before start of the event, i.e. swimmer's first race (if possible)
• the closer to the event, the lower the carb content should be (see chart below for meal ideas based on time before the start of the event)

Eating during the meet:

• One hour or less between events:
• Carbs in liquid form are best (ex: juice)
• Solids that are mainly carbs and water (digest quickly and cause less stomach cramping)
• oranges
• watermelon
• canteloupe
• peaches
• pears
• bananas
• Two to three hours between events:
• Solid carbs (as listed above)
• Bagels, cereal, english muffins
• Drink plenty of fluids for hydration and restoration of glycogen stores*
• Limit the QUANTITY consumed (for quicker digestion)
• Four or more hours between events:
• Can have a meal high in carbs (see chart above - turkey sandwich, spaghetti...)
• HYDRATE

 *Glycogen is the main way the body stores glucose (a simple sugar that provides energy in the body) for later use. Glycogen is produced after the ingestion of carbohydrates.

Most concession stands are filled with high-fat, high-calorie foods that are not designed to maximize performance, so it is best to pack a cooler with snacks for your swimmer(s). See below chart for ideas on which foods to pack.

Fluid replacement drinks are drinks such as Gatorade. You can mix these with water to lower the amount of sugar intake.

Meal replacement drinks include Carnation Instant Breakfast, Boost, Ensure...

Food bars include Power Bars, Cliff Bars (and other bars with similar nutritional content).

So, please keep this information in mind as we begin to attend swim meets for this season. In the summer when swim meets are held outside, the hydration factor is even more important. Please make sure swimmers have an adequate supply of water and/or fluid replacement drinks. Share the information with your swimmers, and provide explanation to younger swimmers about how this can help them to perform at their best and reach their personal goals in the water.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and we'll respond ASAP!

See you at the pool :)