Swimming and Nutrition
Swimming and Nutrition
The Basics of good eating
Carbohydrate foods + Glycemic Index
Fats
Proteins
Before, during and after events
Fluids
During the week
The Basics
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Our body can obtain energy from 3
Components in food:
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Carbohydrates (glucose, sugar)
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Fats
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Protein (amino acids)
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Food also contains fibre, water,
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vitamins, minerals eg calcium, iron.
Carbohydrate
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CHO’s break down into glucose (sugar)
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Body’s favourite type of energy.
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The body uses it to make our heart,
brain and muscles work.
Glucose is stored in long chains called
‘glycogen’ .
Glycogen is stored in our muscles and
liver.
What happens when we exercise ?
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Our body burns glycogen, releasing
glucose into the muscles for energy.
Our supplies will last about 30-45
minutes....training uses our supplies.
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To train and compete we need to make sure
we have a full ‘tank’ of glycogen.
Your aim is to keep your glycogen
levels as full as possible so you can
train and swim more effectively and
recover quicker.
Low levels cause sore muscles and
tiredness.
What happens when we don’t have
enough glycogen ?
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Dizzy, nauseous, hungry, in ‘slow
motion’ this is called ‘hitting the wall’.
Your body sends a signal to start
breaking down muscles to release
glucose. This will happen if you are
constantly running out and you don’t
‘top up’.
How much CHO do I need ?
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At least 8g per kg body weight
eg. 60kg = min 480g CHO each day.
‘what does this mean - how much
food should I eat ?’
To work this out you need to know
how much CHO is in food.…
CHO containing foods
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Fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, tinned
fruit.
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Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, muesli bars.
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Milk, yoghurt, custard, ice cream.
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sugar, glucose, honey.
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potato, sweet potato, corn.
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baked beans, lentils, kidney beans.
The Glycemic Index
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Some CHO’s release their glucose
slowly, and others quickly.
This is important.
e.g. if your glycogen stores are low –
to top them up quickly you need to
eat the quick release CHO.
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The Glycemic Index is a ranking of
CHO foods based on how quick they
release glucose.
Just because something is sweet
doesn’t necessarily mean it will break
down into glucose quickly.
CHO’s that break down quickly have a
high GI number.
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Those that break down slowly have a
low GI number.
The numbers range between 0-120.
Glucose =100 and all foods are
compared to it.
How can it help my swimming ?
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High GI foods in recovery to top up
glycogen stores quickly.
High GI foods and fluids during
training maintain glucose levels.
Low GI foods 2-3 hours before
events and training help keep glucose
levels going longer.
See the table of foods and GI values.
Breakfast
Cereal
Bread
Low GI
All-bran (UK)
All-bran (US)
Oat bran
Rolled Oats
30
50
50
Bran Buds
Mini Wheats
Nutrigrain
Low GI
High GI
Medium GI
Cornflakes
80
Sultana Bran
73
Branflakes
74
58
66
Coco Pops
77
67
Puffed Wheat
80
Special K (UK)
54
Oats in Honey Bake
77
Natural Muesli
40
Porridge Oats
63
Team
82
Porridge
58
Special K (US)
69
Total
76
Cheerios
74
Rice Krispies
82
Weetabix
74
Wholegrain
Pumpernickel
High GI
36
58
51
Shredded
Wheat
Soya and Linseed
Medium GI
46
Heavy Mixed
Grain
45
Whole Wheat
49
Sourdough Rye
48
Sourdough Wheat
54
Croissant
67
Hamburger
bun
White
71
61
Bagel
72
Pita, white
57
French Baguette
95
Wholemeal Rye
62
Vegetables
High GI
Medium GI
Low GI
Frozen Green
Peas
Legumes (Beans)
Beetroot
64
Pumkin
75
39
Parsnips
Frozen Sweet
Corn
Medium GI
Low GI
97
Kidney Beans
(canned)
52
Butter Beans
36
Beans in
Tomato Sauce
56
47
Raw Carrots
16
Boiled Carrots
41
Dairy
Chick Peas
42
Medium GI
Low GI
Eggplant/
Aubergine
15
Broccoli
10
Cauliflower
15
Cabbage
10
Mushrooms
10
Tomatoes
15
Chillies
10
Lettuce
10
Green Beans
15
Red Peppers
10
Onions
10
Haricot/Navy
Beans
31
Lentils, Red
Whole milk
31
21
Skimmed milk
32
Lentils, Green
30
Chocolate milk
42
Pinto Beans
45
Sweetened
yoghurt
33
50
Artificially
Sweetened
Yoghurt
23
Custard
35
Soy Milk
44
Blackeyed
Beans
Yellow Split
Peas
32
Icecream
62
Snacks &
sweet food
Staples
Low GI
Medium GI
Wheat Pasta
Shapes
54
New Potatoes
54
Meat Ravioli
39
Spaghetti
32
Tortellini
(Cheese)
50
Egg Fettuccini
32
Brown Rice
50
Buckwheat
51
White long
grain rice
50
Pearled Barley
22
Yam
35
Sweet
Potatoes
48
Instant
Noodles
47
Wheat tortilla
30
Basmati Rice
58
Couscous
61
Cornmeal
68
Taco Shells
68
Gnocchi
68
Canned
Potatoes
61
Chinese (Rice)
Vermicelli
Low GI
High GI
Instant White
Rice
87
Glutinous Rice
86
Short Grain
White Rice
83
Tapioca
70
Fresh Mashed
Potatoes
58
French Fries
Baked
Potatoes
60
Instant Mashed
Potatoes
Wild Rice
57
73
75
80
Slim-Fast meal
replacement
High GI
Medium GI
27
Snickers Bar
(high fat)
41
Nut & Seed
Muesli Bar
49
Sponge Cake
46
Nutella
33
Milk Chocolate
42
Hummus
6
Peanuts
13
Walnuts
15
Cashew Nuts
25
Nuts and Raisins
21
Jam
51
Corn Chips
42
Oatmeal
Crackers
55
Ryvita
63
Pretzels
83
Digestives
59
Water
Crackers
78
Blueberry
muffin
59
Rice cakes
87
Honey
58
Puffed
Crispbread
81
Donuts
76
Scones
92
Maple
flavoured
syrup
68
Fruit
Medium GI
Low GI
Cherries
22
Plums
24
Grapefruit
25
Peaches
28
Peach, canned in natural juice
30
Apples
34
Pears
41
Dried Apricots
32
Grapes
43
Coconut
45
Coconut Milk
41
Kiwi Fruit
47
Oranges
40
Strawberries
40
Prunes
29
High GI
Mango
60
Sultanas
56
Bananas
58
Raisins
64
Papaya
60
Figs
61
Pineapple
66
Watermelon
80
Dates
103
Fats
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All swimmers should follow a low fat
diet. Low fat levels help us move
through water faster.
Too much fat slows performance.
Don’t diet - it slows your
performance. Your body needs the
calories for energy !
30% Fat Rule
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It is recommended that swimmers should eat high carbohydrate low fat meals. Low fat
is defined as food items with less than 30% fat by calories.
This is NOT the value that is presented by the food manufacturers, who display fat
content by weight, which makes the foodstuff appear to be “healthier” than it usually
is.
How can you work out the real fat content in food, so that they can be accepted or
rejected as appropriate?
An easy way to calculation the true fat content of food:
Each gram of fat produces 9.3 kcal. This value is close to 10 which can be used as the
“rule of thumb’ value.
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1. Look at the label on the food item and see how many grams of fat it contains
per serving.
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2. Multiply the number of grams by 10 to calculate the number of kcal from fat per
serving.
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3. Look at the label for the total energy, the number of kcal per serving.
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4. Divide the kcal from fat by the total kcal and multiply by 100.
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You now have the TRUE fat content of the food stuff.
Examples of 30% fat rule
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1. McCain oven chips: The front of the packet claims to be “LESS THAN 5% FAT”.
The label shows that there are 5.4 grams of fat per serving. Our “rule of thumb” gives a
value of 54 kcal per serving (5.4 x 10).
The label shows that there are a total of 163 kcal per serving.
The % fat content is, therefore, 54 divided by 163 times 100 = 33.1%
This is greater than 30%, therefore, these chips should be rejected by the swimmer.
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2. Salad is an excellent food but what about the dressing?
Be Good To Yourself Salad Cream (Sainsbury) claims to be “60% less Fat”. Is this OK?
The label on the jar shows that a serving has 14.0g fat, which gives 140 kcal, from the
“rule of thumb”.
The total calories per serving is 210 kcal. 140 divided by 210 times 100 = 66.7% Fat.
Decision: Reject!
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3. Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (Tesco):
A 100g portion provides 0.3g Fat = 3 kcal.
Total energy = 85 kcal
%Fat content = 3 divided by 85 times 100 = 3.5 %
Decision: Accept
Eating low fat
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2 sources of fat- visible & invisible.
Visible = fat on meat, chicken skin,
margarine and oil.
Invisible = milk, cheese, chips, meat,
takeaways, biscuits.
Bad fats
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Saturated fats; Are found in animal fats and produce
made with palm oil or palm kernal oil. They raise
blood cholesterol levels and increace the risk of heart
disease. No more than 10% of total calorie intake
should come from saturated fats
Trans fats; Are even more harmful than saturated
fats. Most are formed artificially when vegetable oils
are converted into hardened hydrogenated fats. Often
used in cakes, biscuits and pastries. They increase
LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood while lowering HDL
(good cholesterol)
Good fats
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Monounsaturated fats; Lower harmful LDL
cholesterol level. Main sources include:
olive oil, avocados, peanuts almonds,
cashews, peanut butter, sunflower and
sesame seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats; Are extremely
important for maintaining correct structure
of the cell membranes in the body. Found in
sunflower oil, nuts and seeds
Omegas
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Omega-3 fatty acids; Found in fish oils, they are
necessary for proper brain function, regulating
hormones, for the immune system and blood flow. For
regular exercisers, omega-3s increase the delivery of
oxygen to muscles, and improve aerobic capacity and
endurance. They also help speed up recovery and reduce
inflammation and joint stiffness. Main sources are:
sardines, mackerel, salmon, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and
sweet potato.
Omega-6 fatty acids; Are easier to find in foods than
omega-3 and for that reason, most people eat too much
omega-6 in relation to omega-3, which can result in an
imbalance in hormones that control inflammation and
the immune system. Main sources are: sunflower oil and
seeds, corn oil, olive oil, peanuts and sesame seeds.
Protein
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Is needed for the growth, formation and repair of
body cells.
Athletes need more protein than inactive people to
compensate for the increase muscle breakdown that
occurs during and after intense exercise, as well as to
build new muscles cells.
You will need about 1.2-1.8g of protein per kg of
bodyweight daily e.g. 60kg person should consume
between 72-108g of protein daily.
MYTH: to build muscle you need to
take protein powders.
Foods high in protein include:
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Meat, chicken, fish, eggs.
Milk, yoghurt, custard, cheese, ice
cream.
Baked beans, lentils etc.
Small amounts in breads and cereals,
veggies.
Pre - event meals
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Aim is to top up glycogen stores.
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Boost fluid levels.
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Stop hunger during events/ training.
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The meal before an event CAN’T
replace a poor diet during the week.
Should eat 3-4 hours before the
events/ training.
Pre - event meal tips
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Top up 1-2 hours before.
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Make sure it is low fat, high CHO.
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Trial low GI types.
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If nervous try low fibre choices.
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Drink, drink ,drink.
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porridge, yoghurt + fruit, toast + jam or honey,
meal replacement shake, milkshake or smoothie.
During training
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Top up blood sugars and fluid.
Don’t wait till thirsty - you will be too
dehydrated to be performing at your
best at that stage.
Water, cordial, diluted fruit juice
After the event / training
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30 Minute Rule: The muscles are most susceptible to restoration of
carbohydrate stores within the first 30 minutes after exercise.
Thereafter, the process becomes progressively more difficult. The
swimmer should eat 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate, whilst
keeping fat ingestion low, as soon as training finishes, and
definitely within the first 30 minutes after training.
The following are examples of appropriate snack foods and their
approximate carbohydrate content:
An apple, banana or orange: 15-20g
Muller rice: 20g
Nutrigrain Elevenses bar: 25-30g
Fruit Shake or Smoothie: 25-30g per glass
1 thick Jam or Honey sandwich (no or minimal butter): 50g
Malt Loaf (Soreen): 18g per eighth of a loaf
Fig Rolls: 13g per biscuit
Chocolate milk: 59g
Other excellent snacks: Rice cakes, dried fruit, flapjack
It is advised to then eat a bigger meal which includes a portion of
protein within 2 hours
Fluids
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Only a small number of athletes replace
the amount of fluid they have lost
during the activity.
Some even start out dehydrated
before the events /training.
Urine = clear /pale yellow is good.
Swimmers need lots of fluid - hot
environment, not aware of losses.
Do’s and Dont’s of fluid
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Don’t rely on thirst. Drink every hour.
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Don’t drink Coke, Redbull, Monster etc before a events =
dehydrating effect and too much sugar and bad sweeteners.
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Do avoid drinks containing Acesulfame-k and Aspartame!
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Do look at your urine.
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Water is good if you have topped up
your glycogen stores before the
event.
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Do have a drink bottle at the end of
the lane.
Drink during breaks and between
sets.
Try Diluted fruit juice, cordials, water
etc.
Healthy eating during the week
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A good diet is low in fat, high in CHO,
high fibre, adequate protein, calcium
and iron.
Learn food labels, eat low salt foods.
Eat regular meals and snacks to make
sure you are eating enough CHO.
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Eat a rainbow (colourful foods) every day.
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Try to eat whole foods (not processed) as much as
possible.
Recipes
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Walnut and date flapjacks
150g (5oz.) butter
60g (2oz.) light brown sugar
5 tbsp golden syrup
200g (7oz.) porridge oats
60g (2oz.) chopped dates
100g (3.5oz.) chopped walnut
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pre heat oven to 180C lightly oil 9 inch square baking tin
Put butter, sugar and syrup in saucepan and heat together, stirring occasionally, until
the butter has melted, remove from heat
Mix the oats, dates and walnuts until thoroughly combined
Transfer the mixture into prepared tin, level the surface and bake in the oven for 20
mins until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle
Leave in tin to cool. While still warm, score into 12 bars with a sharp knife
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Banana cake
2 large bananas
250ml orange juice
300g (10oz.) self raising flour (half wholemeal, half white)
125g (4oz.) brown sugar
pinch of salt
half tsp each of mixed spice and cinnamon
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mash the banana with orange juice
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.
Add the banana juice mixture together with the egg and oil. Combine together.
Spoon into lightly oiled 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
Bake at 170C for about 1 hour. Check the cake is cooked by inserting a knife into the
centre, it should come out clean.
Good sports nutrition books
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Anita Bean – food for fitness £10.50
Ann Litt – food for young athletes
£10.99