SWIMMING NUTRITION TIPS

Swimming requires a commitment to training on the level of an endurance sport, yet most of the events themselves last less than a few minutes. Even the 1500 metres, the Olympic distance event, only takes 14–18 minutes for world-class swimmers to complete. Compare that with a typical training day for a competitive swimmer, who may do a 2-hour pool workout in the morning, another 2 hours after class, plus dry-land resistance training multiple days in a week. Olympic champion Michael Phelps trained for 6 hours daily leading up to the Beijing games and required upwards of 10,000 calories per day! You may not be a Michael Phelps just yet, but if swimming is your sport, you’ll benefit from a performance nutrition and hydration plan that not only meets the arduous demands of high-volume training but also enables you to be fueled, hydrated, and comfortable throughout meets. Applied strategically, sports nutrition can help you maximize the gains from your training and achieve your very best during competitions.

Elite competitive swimmers typically train in the pool twice daily for 90 minutes to 3 hours at a time. With roughly 6–12 sessions per week, athletes generally swim 30–70 km over the course of a training week. Calorie needs vary based on training demands, but typical intakes are 3,000–6,000 per day. Pool workouts often consist of aerobic warm-ups and cool-downs; drills to perfect technique and to practice elements of a race such as starts, turns, and touches; and intervals of swimming at varying intensities, for varying lengths of time, and with varying amounts of time for recovery. The goals of all this training are to develop conditioning, to perfect technique, and to refine racing strategies. Time in the pool is frequently augmented by dry-land training, including stretching, flexibility work, and resistance-training workouts 2 or 3 times per week. Some swimmers also add cross-training to the mix. For example, cycling or running may be part of your weekly regimen in order to further improve conditioning, help control body weight, or drop body fat. In total, elite competitive swimmers often train 20–30 hours every week. School or club swimmers put in somewhat less time, but the fact is that high-volume training is a formidable physical challenge. Nutrition is critical to meeting the demands of training, and falling behind nutritionally, even for a few days, can seriously undermine your ability to train and compete. Swim competitions present another challenge: The events themselves are relatively brief, but meets can span a few days to over a week. Here, the sports nutrition focus is on being hydrated, fueled, and comfortable for each event.

The three most important principles of sports nutrition for swimming are to stay hydrated; to provide fuel for your muscles; and to promote optimal recovery after practices, workouts, and swimming events. Apply these principles correctly, and you can maximize the gains from your training and perform at your best in the pool.