Nutrition for Swimmers

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Nutrition for Swimmers
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Today's Focus

• Nutrition (carbs, proteins)
• Recovering day to day
• Stretching
• Pre-work/race Nutrition
• Mental Preparation
• Positive Mindset
• Sleep
• Imagery
• All important keys to
  success!

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Carbohydrates

• Carbs? Carbohydrates are the main energy source
  for muscle functioning.
• Examples of Carbs
• Fruit (fresh first, then frozen and/or
  canned)Bananas, Strawberries, Mangos, Apples,
  Oranges, Pears, Raspberries, Blueberries, grapes,
  cranberries
• Veggies
• Juice
• Tomato Sauce
• Bread, cereal, pasta, rice
• Crackers, pretzels, popcorn

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Examples of High Carb Breakfast Meals

• At HomeOrange juice, Fresh fruit. Low-fat
  yogurt, Pancakes with syrup, waffles. French
  toast, a Plain English muffin with Strawberry jam
  or Scrambled Eggs, Orange juice, 2 or skim milk.
• At a Fast Food RestaurantHot cakes with syrup
  (hold the margarine and sausage), Orange juice,
  Low-fat milk or Cold cereal with low-fat milk,
  Apple, bran or blueberry muffin
• At a Convenience/ Grocery StoreFruit flavored
  yogurt, Large bran muffin or pre-packaged
  muffins, Banana, Orange juice, Low-fat milk

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High-Carb Dinner Meals

• Large turkey sandwich on 2 slices of
  Whole-wheat breadSlice of low-fat
  cheeseLettuce, TomatoFresh vegetables (carrots
  and celery strips)Low-fat yogurtFresh fruit or
  fruit juiceMinestrone SoupSpaghetti with
  Marinara SauceSalad and Italian BreadFresh
  Fruit2 or skim MilkSherbetChili on a large
  baked potatoWhole grain bread or muffinLow-fat
  chocolate milkshakeFresh fruitThick crust
  cheese and vegetable pizzaSide saladFresh
  fruit2 or skim milk

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Protein

• Protein? It is primarily used in the body to
• build, maintain, and repair body tissues.
• How much do you need? It varies by age and
  gender.
• 6-10- about 34 grams
• Girls 11-18 about 46
• Guys 11-18 between 46-56

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What is the role of protein?

• Protein is required by the body for the growth,
  maintenance, and repair of all cells. Protein
  is a major component of all muscles, tissues, and
  organs and is vital for practically every process
  that occurs within the body such as metabolism,
  digestion and the transportation of nutrients and
  oxygen in the blood. It is also necessary for
  the production of antibodies, which fight against
  infection and illness, and is the main nutrient
  that keeps our bones strong and healthy.

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Examples of Protein Foods

• Meat
• Dairy (chocolate milk!!)
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Peanut Butter
• Beans
• Fish

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Too much or too little?

• Just like anything else, if you consume too much
  protein it can be detrimental to your health just
  like if you didnt consume enough protein. 10-15
  of our caloric intake should be made up of
  protein.
• Too much can lead to High Cholesterol
• Too little can lead to poorly developed muscles.
• Many foods containing protein are also good
  sources of iron amongst other minerals and
  vitamins. A lack of iron can result in tiredness
  and fatigue, leaving the body weak and with
  little energy.

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Pre-Workout/Pre-Race Nutrition

• In a 2 hour workout, there are two mechanisms
  responsible for fatigue during this type of
  prolonged exercise.
• (1) Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and (2)
  glycogen depletion (glycogen is the storage form
  of carbohydrate).
• Since both can be alleviated by eating
  carbohydrate-rich foods like bagels, fruit and
  sports drinks, many research papers on preventing
  fatigue during exercise have focused on the
  effects of carbohydrate ingestion on maintaining
  blood sugar levels.

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• POST WORKOUT
• Bring your post-workout snack to the pool every
  day. If you have a significant drive home, you
  should be eating it in the car and then having a
  decent meal when you get home.
• If you live close to the pool, you should have it
• ready right after practice to eat on the way
  home or as soon as you walk in the door.
• Solid foods are great, but often times liquid
  nutrition (Instant Breakfast, smoothies) is more
  tolerable after heavy exercise. Individual
  preference will play a role, but the end result
  will be positive for you and your performance.
• Believe in the recovery process

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Recovery and Stretching

• Stretch when muscles are warm (after exercise)
• Hold stretches for 30 seconds
• Do not bounce
• Do before bed
• Continue to breathe normally..exhale through nose
• Handout of stretches

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Stretchingwhy?

• Stretching is a key component of the daily
  training plan for
• athletes.
• It plays an important role in the recovery
  process
• and in preparing for the next training
  session.
• Stretching increases blood flow to muscles,
  stimulates the passage of amino acids (building
  blocks of protein) into muscles, accelerates
  protein synthesis in cells, and inhibits protein
  breakdown.
• These processes help the muscle repair itself.
• Stretching as part of recovery can also reduce
  the chance of injury.
• More flexible ? coaches!

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Recovery and Sleep

• The majority of the bodys muscle rebuilding
  occurs while the body is at rest.
• Therefore, in order to benefit the most from the
  work done during practice and to perform
  optimally, it is important for athletes to get
  sufficient sleep during their time away from the
  pool.
• Getting too little sleep can hinder recovery from
  exercise by impairing glucose metabolism,
  increasing cortisol levels (causing decreased
  tissue repair and growth), and compromising
  immune function.

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Sleep continued

• Not only is protein breakdown reduced during
  sleep, growth hormone is released during this
  time. Sleep also helps maintain optimal emotional
  and social function during the day.
• 7-10 hours of sleep
• Sleep logs are Great!

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Recovery with Massage

• Many swimmers face chronic muscle soreness,
  fatigue and tightness around peak training times
  and during multiple-day swim meets.
• Sports massage, which involves the rhythmic
  compression of muscle tissue, stimulates blood
  circulation during recovery. Similar to active
  recovery, the blood circulation can help cleanse
  the tissue of metabolic wastes and reduce the
  delayed onset of muscle soreness.
• Great Christmas or Birthday Gift for Swimmers!!!

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Success contains many ingredients

• Diet
• Hard Work
• Dry land/Core Training
• Imagery
• Positive Self Talk
• Concentration
• Self Confidence
• Mental Prep
• Energy Management

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Creating success with Imagery

• Imagery or (visualization) can help by
• You can see success
• You can feel success
• You can be motivated by it
• Forces you to manage energy levels
• Helps you focus and prepare yourself
• Helps evaluate a performance

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How do we use imagery?

• Sit somewhere quiet and get relaxed and calm and
  comfortable.
• Think back to a race
• Picture the entire race, draw it in your mind.
• Include your competitors, coaches, parents,
  friends, the pool.
• Manage your breathing..slow in and out.
• THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS
• Quiet step up and go!.. Time your mental race.
• Reflections are KEY to success with this..

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Final Thoughts

• Swimming is a commitment
• To be at your best you need to THINK positive at
  all times.
• You must set goals and include stretching,
  dieting, imagery and taking care of yourself part
  of your season goal.
• Recovering from one practice is just as important
  as fueling for the next
• If you put in the HARD WORK you will see the
  benefitsbelieve...