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[ Eat to win ] [ Energy systems ] [ Target Times ] [ Mid District Times ]
WHAT
TO EAT?
The
basis of any diet is in the nutrients. These fall basically into six main
groups:
-
CARBOHYDRATES
form the bulk of a diet, as they are the energy providers. When training or
competing this is the first form of food that the body uses. There are two
types of carbohydrates:
-
Simple
(sugars) - Food such as Mars Bars, Kit Kats etc. These are quick
burning fuels. This, you may think is exactly what you need. WRONG!!,
if fuel enters the body too quickly then the body says "Sugar let me
have it" and starts to gobble it up as fast as possible. Pretty
soon you are empty again and may feel worse than you did before.
-
Complex-
Food such as Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, Fruit, Vegetables. These are slow
burning fuels, and will provide you with a constant supply of energy.
If
you eat too much fast burning food, like chocolate, your body will forget
how to use the slow burning food like Potatoes, Rice etc.
WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN?
When
you need your reserves the most, like in the middle of a training session or
even worse, in the middle of a race, NOTHING WILL BE LEFT!!
-
FATS
- Food such as Butter, Cream etc. Fat is another form of energy, but
not very efficient. It is harder for the body to make fat into energy and is
not usually used until the store of carbohydrates has been used up. When
this happens it does not feel particularly brilliant and performance levels
will generally drop.
-
PROTEINS
- Food such as Milk, Meat, Eggs, Fish, Cheese. Protein also provides
energy but its' main use is to serve as the basic structure of most body
tissue. Any form of exercise causes damage to the tissues, and when the
tissue grows again, the body gets stronger. Protein helps repair tissue.
-
VITAMINS
-
Vitamin
A: Helps with formation of bones, assists with vision, and maintains
healthy skin.
-
Vitamin
D: For strong bones and teeth.
-
Vitamin
E: Helps in the uptake of oxygen to the heart.
-
Vitamin
B: Very important. B1 converts carbohydrates into energy. B15 improves
oxygen uptake. Active people may need more of this vitamin than inactive
people.
-
Vitamin
C: Very good for boosting the immune system, which is vital when
training hard or feeling run-down.
-
Vitamin
K: Recovery from injury, clotting of the blood.
It
may be beneficial for athletes to take small dosage vitamin supplement (multi-vit
kind).
-
MINERALS
- Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Chlorine, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sodium,
Sulphur. All these need to be provided in large quantities in the diet. As
long as a variety of different foods are eaten these minerals should be
taken in. You may need an extra iron supplement as it helps to increase the
oxygen capabilities of the red blood cells. This increases ENDURANCE.
-
WATER
- Performance can suffer when a swimmer loses as little as 2% of body
weight as sweat. It may seem like you're not sweating because of the water
keeping you cool!! BRING A WATER BOTTLE TO EVERY SWIM SESSION, and
drink constantly between sets. Mineral water ('Vittel') is recommended
because of its' high calcium content.
AVOID:
TAP
WATER - May not provide the minerals required, or may have chemicals that
are harmful.
SPRING
WATER - Can be just the same as tap water.
WHAT
TO EAT BEFORE GALAS / TRAINING?
What
you eat before competition influences how well you will perform.
When
to eat?
2
- 3 hrs before competition / training. You need as much energy in the muscles as
possible. If there's food still lying in your stomach, energy will be taken away
from your muscles to help break down and digest that food.
What
to eat? The best meal should contain mainly carbohydrates (pasta, cereal,
bagels, fruit, vegetables etc). AVOID fatty foods such as chips, donuts, and
pastries as these will take longer to digest, and provide little energy during
racing. Also protein foods are more slowly digested.
EXAMPLE
OF A HIGH CARBOHYDRATE DIET
-
Breakfast
- Cornflakes, Skimmed Milk, Sugar, Wholemeal Bread, Low fat spread
Honey
-
Lunch
- Chicken, Pasta, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes, Apricots, Ice Cream
-
Dinner
White Fish, Boiled Potatoes, Broccoli, Carrots, Rice Pudding
Finally
. . . .
BRING
A WATER BOTTLE TO SWIMMING GALAS, AND DRINK BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER. Because
of the hot atmosphere, you need to drink plenty to PERFORM TO YOUR BEST!!
A.COX |
