News For
SWIM PARENTS
Published by The
American Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21 Ave.,
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What Should My Child Be Eating
Before And During His Competition�
Answered by: Keith
B. Wheeler, Ph.D.
The pre-competition meal is
really a �mini nutrition period� that occurs in the 4 or 5 hours before the
start of the meet. Unfortunately, many swimmers don�t understand the exact role
of the pre-competition meal. It has little effect on increasing muscle glycogen
levels. It is foods eaten 3 to 4 days before a meet that help establish
glycogen levels in the muscles. By Meet days, glycogen levels are mostly �set�
and there is little that one can do to increase them in the hours before
competition.
The pre-event meal is
important for maintaining the blood glucose and liver glycogen stores, key
energy sources used in the early stages of competition. By maintaining blood
glucose levels at the start of the meet, the dependency on muscle glycogen will
be delayed, and that helps prolong endurance. To avoid stomach upset, nausea or
that �stuffed� feeling, consume the meal 3 to 4 hours before the start of the
meet. Avoid spicy, fatty, and high fiber foods, too. These are difficult to
digest and may cause intestinal distress or nausea later during the meet.
You�re child will swim more comfortably when he�s eaten easy-to-digest foods,
and his stomach is relatively empty. Nutrition conscious athletes now
avoid traditional food such as the steak dinner, as well as other high fat,
high protein foods like hamburgers, French fries, chips and mayonnaise. These
foods remain in the stomach too long and slow down the digestion process. Foods
that are rich in complex carbohydrates are generally easier to digest and empty
from the stomach faster than high-fat, high protein foods. That�s important,
because not only do you want to swim on a relatively empty stomach, you also
want the foods you eat to be efficiently converted to energy. Cereals, pasta,
baked potatoes and muffins are good carbohydrate sources that are easily
digested and converted into glucose.
Vegetables and fruit juices
are also good pre-vent meal items, as well as some dairy items like low fat
yogurt, ice milk and low fat milk.
Swimmers, who prefer a
light, non-filling pre-competition meal often, substitute a sport nutrition
beverage. EXCEED nutritional beverage is an ideal choice for your
pre-competition meal: it�s nutritionally complete and well balanced, so you
won�t sacrifice essential nutrients if you use it in place of solid food.
Once your child�s
competition is under way, his body still needs fluids and nutrients to sustain
physical effort and fight fatigue. Although many coaches and swimmers don�t
realize it, dehydration can be a problem in swimming, especially if the air and
water temperatures are warm. Remember, sweating is the body�s main mechanism
for cooling itself; even though his practice and competition takes place in the
water, he can still lose a great deal of body water in the form of sweat.
Additionally, water is also
needed to aid digestion and energy production. Dehydration robs his body of the
primary means to cool itself and generate energy. Your swimmer should observe
good nutritional and hydration habits in the time before he competes. If there
are several hours before your child�s event, then he can enjoy a light snack or
refreshment if he wishes. But if he�s going to swim right away or his event is
an hour or less away, he should be very cautious about what he eats and drinks.
In the hour preceding competition, he should drink, fruit juices, and beverages
or snacks that contain sugar in any form aren�t appropriate this close to
competition. They can trigger a sudden drop in blood glucose (hypoglycemia)
with the onset of intense activity. Additionally; drinks that contain high
concentrations of sucrose (table sugar) tend to empty from the stomach more slowly
than water. You don�t want to start swimming with a stomach full of anything,
including liquids.
Once his
event is underway, his fluid requirements change. His body loses water in the
form of sweat, particularly in the distance events, and it should be replaced.
Good nutrition is something that you apply everyday throughout the season�not
just the day before the meet.