fact sheet

SWIMMING
ABOUT SWIMMING MEAL FOOD
Swimming requires a dedicated commitment to training, with elite
Before training 2 crumpets with banana and honey
swimmers training 6 to 12 times per week. Depending on the race
Recovery Tetra pack low fat flavoured milk
distance, training sessions can cover up to 10km and include 1-2km of
Snack
high-intensity sprints. As well as water based session, weight training
sessions are completed several times a week by elite swimmers. Dinner Stir fry with lean meat and plenty of veg-
Training commitments are usually lower at a school or club level. (also completing etables + large serve of rice or noodles +
Swimming competitions may last for 3 to 7 days with heats usually recovery from af- bread roll
swum in the morning with finals at night. Races can last from 20 ternoon session)
seconds to 15 minutes, which makes swimming a very anaerobic
sport although aerobic metabolism increases the longer the distance. Snack Low fat custard or creamed rice + frozen
In some competitions, swimmers may race 2 to 3 times in a day and berries
have anywhere from 20 minutes to long as several hours between Don’t forget to include a glass of water at meals and sip on
events. water over the day. Sports drink might be useful during long
Many top swimmers are in their teens. This means that swimmers training sessions not only to help hydration but to also help
they are often completing high volumes of training during periods top up fuel supply.
of growth and muscular development. This can result in high energy Note, this is an example only and requirements will depend on indi-
and nutritional requirements and make eating sufficient amounts a vidual training loads, age and body weight and height.
challenge.

Training Diet Fluid Needs

Typically, training sessions are held early in the morning and, as a Although it can be difficult to sense sweat losses because of the wa-
result, some swimmers not eat beforehand for stomach comfort, lack ter-based environment, pool areas (especially indoor) are often warm
of appetite or to sneak in an extra 10 minutes in bed! Ideally, swim- and humid increasing fluid loss from the body. Water bottles should
mers should aim to eat breakfast or a light snack prior to training to be taken to training and competition and placed in an accessible loca-
maximise performance. Liquid meals (e.g. Sustagen® Sport) or low fat tion to ensure fluids are consumed regularly during exercise. Swim-
milk tetra packs can be useful for fuelling and maintaining stomach mers can estimate how much fluid they lose during a training session
comfort, especially when appetite is poor. by weighing themselves pre and post training. For more details see
Many swimmers will train twice a day, so carbohydrate based, nutri- the Fluids in Sport factsheet.
tious snacks should be included over the day to ensure energy needs Sports drinks can be useful during long training sessions (more than
are met for training, recovery and growth. 90 minutes) if training for maximum performance or during competi-
Athletes may also have busy schedules outside of training (e.g. work, tion as they provide electrolytes and carbohydrate along with the
school, university, social lives, family commitments, etc) so meals and fluid in between swims. They can also help to meet fuel goals, espe-
snacks may need to be eaten “on the run”. This requires a good plan- cially in the case of adolescent swimmers’ growth and training needs.
ning to avoid rather than relying on takeaway options. See example
below. Eating before competition
Swimmers should have a high-carbohydrate meal 2 to 4 hours prior
to competition, and include a drink of water or sports drink. To avoid
MEAL FOOD
stomach discomfort, foods low in fibre and fat can be preferred. The
Before training 1-2 toasted English muffin/s with jam
competition meal should be well planned, and include familiar foods
Breakfast 1 bowl cereal + low fat milk + sliced straw- and fluids. Examples include:
(also recovery berries • Breakfast cereal + low fat milk
from morning Or • Pikelets with banana and honey + glass of juice
session) 2 poached eggs on wholegrain toast + glass • Fruit salad + low fat yoghurt
milk • English muffin or crumpet with jam/honey
Snack Low fat yoghurt + small fruit tub in natural • Sandwich/roll + salad + lean meat/cheese
juice If athletes are nervous pre-event and appetite is a problem, carbohy-
Lunch 1-2 salad and lean meat sandwiches + piece drate-rich fluids can be a good option as they are easy to digest (e.g.
fruit low fat milk or smoothie or liquid meal replacement).

www.sportsdietitians.com.au
fact sheet
SWIMMING

Eating and drinking during competition? Other Nutrition Tips

Swimmers need to ensure they take advantage of opportunities to eat • Body Fat Levels: Low body fat levels can be advantageous in
and drink between events. Swimmers should develop an eating plan swimming, for agility, power and technique. Body fat levels can
that fits in with their competition schedule and that includes foods creep up due to injury or time off from training, or if dietary
that are familiar with them that will not affect their performance. intake is not in line with training requirements. This can be man-
Practising competition eating during training sessions will help to aged by consulting an Accredited Sports Dietitian or trying some
identify food choices that will suit them best. Examples below: of these tips below:
If less than 30 minutes between races: carbohydrate containing fluids • Avoid extreme hunger – a small snack can prevent you from
(e.g. sports drinks, juices) or chopped fruit are good options (as they over-eating later on
are rapidly digested from the gut). • Eat slowly to give your body time to register fullness
If 30-60 minutes between races: sandwiches with honey/jam/banana, • Include high-fibre foods in meals and snacks to help manage
cereal bars or muesli bars are good choices. appetite
If more than 1-2 hours between races: a more substantial meal such as • Limit high-energy fluids (e.g juice, cordial and soft drink)
a small serve of pasta, rice or noodle-based dishes with low fat sauce/ • Limit saturated fat, alcohol and sugar
toppings or sandwiches or rolls are good choices. • Tapering pre-competition energy requirements are usually less
Competition and training venues do not always have suitable food than during training so it is important to match your eating to
and fluid options available so swimmers need to arrive at venues with your training to avoid weight gain.
snacks prepared!! A cooler bag with cool drinks and snacks should be
packed and kept in an easily accessible area for topping up fuel and
fluid over the day.
A small snack such as a muesli bar, fruit or dried fruit can be eaten
about an hour prior to the race as a final effort to top up energy levels.

Recovery
It is important to recover with a meal or snack containing carbohy- © This is a sports nutrition publication of Sports Dietitians
drate to replace muscle glycogen stores; protein to speed up muscle Australia.
repair and fluid to replace sweat losses. Ideally a recovery meal or
snack should be consumed within 30-60 minutes of finishing training
or competition. This is especially important during competitions that
are held over a several days or during weeks of heavy training.
Examples of recovery snacks that include carbohydrate, protein and
fluid are:
• Low fat yoghurt + 600ml sports drink
• Low fat fruit smoothie
• Ham sandwich + banana + water
• 600ml reduced fat flavoured milk

www.sportsdietitians.com.au