Diving Deep: 10 Diet Myths for Swimmers Busted
By: Natalia Diamond, reviewed by James Richardson, registered dietitian and sports activities nutritionist
Earlier than we bust varied frequent diet myths for swimmers, we really feel a preamble is critical.
Diving into the world of swimming calls for dedication, lengthy hours and lots of very early mornings. It’s additionally simple that correct fuelling is essential for swimmers. Regardless of this reality, many swimmers fail to satisfy and prioritize their dietary wants.
A current research involving feminine collegiate swimmers discovered that 95.9% fell wanting assembly the really helpful dietary allowances (RDA) for carbohydrates, protein and fats. It is very important spotlight that the RDA is simply the baseline well being requirement. It doesn’t even take into account the extra power and dietary wants of athletes like swimmers. Having insufficient diet for an athlete not solely negatively impacts efficiency when it comes to fatigue, restoration, and maximal capability but additionally will increase the chance of sickness and damage.
On the earth of aggressive swimming, the place each stroke and switch counts, correct diet isn’t just necessary, it’s essential for peak efficiency and optimum restoration. But, regardless of its significance, many nonetheless fall sufferer to frequent diet myths for swimmers.
Due to this fact, on this put up, we’ll dive deep into the pool of misinformation and bust 10 prevalent myths which may be hindering your swimming efficiency.
Let’s soar in and uncover the reality.
Diet Myths for Swimmers:
Fable 1: Exercising on an empty abdomen is superior and skipping pre-workout meals is okay
This can be a comparatively frequent diet delusion for swimmers.
Fuelling up earlier than a exercise is essential, not just for peak efficiency throughout observe but additionally for optimum restoration afterward. It’s really helpful to have a pre-workout meal 3-4 hours previous to your coaching session, together with smaller, simply digestible snacks 1-2 hours earlier than.
When planning your pre-workout meal, take into account these three key elements:
1. Prioritize Carbohydrates
Ensuring you may have a adequate quantity of carbohydrates earlier than your exercise ensures your power shops are absolutely stocked in your muscle mass and liver. This lets you push your self to the max, particularly throughout high-intensity workouts, suggests our sports activities dietitian in Edmonton, Alana.
Goal to devour 1-4 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of your physique weight in your pre-workout meal.
What would this seem like?
For a 70 kg athlete (154 lbs.), this might translate to roughly 70-140 grams of carbohydrates.
Instance: 2 slices of complete wheat bread with peanut butter present round 60 grams of carbohydrates, whereas 1 cup of oatmeal with fruits provides one other 60 grams.
2. Embrace Protein
Analysis has proven that consuming protein earlier than train can increase muscle protein synthesis and stop muscle breakdown in comparison with having a pre-exercise meal missing in protein. Goal for 20-25 grams of high-quality protein, suggests Megan, our sports activities diet dietitian who providers Halifax and Nova Scotia.
3. Restrict Fibre and Fats Consumption
Meals which are excessive in fats and fibre can result in bloating, fuel and an upset abdomen, which is much from supreme earlier than or throughout a coaching session.
Nevertheless, it’s necessary to notice that tolerance ranges differ amongst athletes based mostly on their traditional dietary consumption. Some athletes might deal with these vitamins higher and may alter accordingly.
Tip: As a result of it’s not at all times potential for a lot of athletes to get a full meal in 2-4 hours earlier than coaching, remember to have a pre-workout snack (easy carbohydrates with some protein).
Fable 2: All athletes require the identical quantity of carbohydrates
That is one other prevalent diet delusion for swimmers.
Carbohydrates play a elementary function in an athlete’s food plan, serving as the first supply of power for each muscle mass and the mind. It’s no secret that low carbohydrate consumption can result in adversarial results for athletes. This contains fatigue, lowered focus, impaired coaching adaptation and an elevated threat of damage.
One frequent false impression is that carbohydrate wants are uniform throughout all athletes or stay static inside every particular person, emphasizes Natalie, sports activities dietitian for British Columbia.
Carbohydrate consumption, nevertheless, ought to fluctuate based mostly on the power calls for of coaching. Put merely, as coaching depth will increase, so ought to carbohydrate consumption.
Moreover, it’s essential to grasp that carbohydrate wants are extremely personalised. They’re influenced by elements akin to gender, coaching quantity and depth, power expenditure, kind of train and environmental circumstances.
Whereas analysis means that athletes ought to goal for consuming 6-10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of physique weight on common, it’s important for athletes to fine-tune their carbohydrate consumption to swimsuit their distinctive circumstances and optimize efficiency.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) outlines carbohydrate consumption outlined by coaching load:
Chart courtesy of The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC)
Fable 3: Protein serves as a gas supply for working muscle mass
No swimmer’s diet myths record could be full with out this one.
Protein holds an important place in an athlete’s food plan, however not as a major gas supply. Its primary operate lies in being the important constructing block for our our bodies, aiding within the restore and synthesis of tissues, akin to muscle mass.
When you’ve got an enough consumption of carbohydrates, your physique will use nearly all of your protein consumption in the direction of constructing and repairing tissue (protein-sparing impact).
In case you are following a low-carb food plan, nevertheless, your physique is much extra probably to make use of these proteins for power. That is much less optimum for athletes, suggests Sudbury registered dietitian, Tylor.
Fable 4: Athletes require extraordinarily excessive ranges of protein
A prevalent false impression relating to protein consumption is the idea that athletes want it excessively excessive quantities.
Whereas adequate protein consumption is essential, the effectivity of protein utilization really will increase with excessive coaching volumes.
Educated people, like swimmers, can derive higher advantages from the identical quantity of protein. There isn’t any proof supporting the notion of elevated protein necessities for athletes so long as they meet their power wants. Any extra protein is solely excreted, slightly than utilized.
So, how a lot protein do you really want?
Research counsel that athletes ought to goal to devour roughly 20-40 grams of high-quality protein per meal. That is equal to 0.25-0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of physique weight (or 1.5-2g/kg BW per day).
These meals must be spaced out each 3-4 hours all through the day to maximise your muscle protein synthesis charges.
When it comes to your post-workout meals, athletes ought to goal to devour a post-exercise meal containing at the very least 20-25 grams of high-quality protein inside an hour after their exercise, alongside carbohydrates.
Research point out that post-workout meals containing each carbohydrates and protein provide essentially the most optimum results on power storage and muscle restoration in comparison with meals with solely protein or carbohydrates.
Fable 5: Carb-loading earlier than a race is an outdated and ineffective approach
One of many extra frequent diet myths for swimmers pertains to carb-loading.
Ensuring you’re correctly fuelled earlier than a contest is paramount in sports activities efficiency.
Whereas some might view carb-loading as an antiquated methodology, it stays an efficient approach for gearing up earlier than a contest.
Carb-loading includes tremendous compensating glycogen shops, making certain ample gas to carry out at peak ranges throughout the occasion. Glycogen shops are only a fancy means of claiming your physique’s power shops.
If you devour extra power (within the type of carbohydrates) than your physique wants instantly, it shops this extra power in your muscle mass and liver for later use.
Unquestionably, optimizing glycogen shops earlier than a contest is essential to keep away from relying solely on carbohydrates throughout the occasion, which might result in efficiency declines and fatigue.
What’s extra, carb-loading is especially useful for athletes engaged in occasions lasting longer than 90 minutes.
For efficient carb-loading, goal for a carbohydrate consumption of 9-12 grams per kilogram of physique weight per day within the 24-48 hours main as much as the occasion.
Fable 6: Skipping breakfast earlier than morning observe is okay
This needs to be one of many extra prevalent diet myths for swimmers. Little doubt.
Early morning exercises are an indicator of swimming. That mentioned, many swimmers discover themselves skipping breakfast as a consequence of lack of urge for food at such an early hour.
This behavior, nevertheless, could be counterproductive, resulting in early fatigue and compromised restoration.
Analysis signifies that consuming as little as 30 grams of simply digestible carbohydrates earlier than a morning coaching session can considerably improve efficiency. This might be so simple as consuming a single banana, which comprises roughly 31 grams of carbohydrates.
Consequently, fuelling up even with a small snack earlier than morning observe could make a giant distinction in your efficiency.
Tip: Make sure that to have a extra full well-rounded breakfast or meal following the observe, as soon as your urge for food returns, facilitating the absorption of fat-soluble nutritional vitamins (A, D, E, Okay).
Fable 7: Fats is dangerous, and a low-fat food plan is good for athletes
This isn’t solely a typical diet delusion for swimmers, but additionally a typical diet delusion, interval.
Regardless of the destructive portrayal of fats within the media, it’s really an important element of a nutritious diet, particularly for younger, lively athletes.
Fatty acids function the first power supply for low to average depth and extended workouts.
Past power provision, fat play important roles in regulating hormones, sustaining nerve operate, controlling physique temperature, supporting immune operate and facilitating the absorption of fat-soluble nutritional vitamins (A, D, E, Okay).
In line with the Dietitians of Canada Diet and Athletic Efficiency pointers, roughly 20-25% of an athlete’s complete power consumption ought to come from varied sources of fat, together with each animal and plant-based choices.
Inside this consumption, prioritizing wholesome fat akin to mono- and polyunsaturated fat is really helpful.
Moreover, incorporating sources wealthy in omega-3 fatty acids, together with EPA, DHA, and ALA, is helpful. Some proof even means that EPA and DHA might scale back muscle soreness and improve endurance capability.
To this finish, slightly than hating on fat, athletes ought to concentrate on together with a various vary of wholesome fat of their diets to assist optimum efficiency and general well being.
Fable 8: Since I’m within the water, I don’t sweat
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at this swimmer’s diet delusion.
Whereas it’s true that swimmers might not sweat as visibly as athletes who participate in different sports activities, they nonetheless lose a big quantity of fluid via sweating. That is very true in hotter water temperatures.
Undoubtedly, steady hydration is essential for sustaining efficiency and supporting restoration.
Guaranteeing correct hydration earlier than and through observe is important for swimmers.
Whereas the standard method is to drink when thirsty, relying solely on thirst will not be adequate for athletes.
Associated: The significance of consuming water
New suggestions counsel that athletes develop a personalised fluid plan to make sure enough hydration. A basic guideline is to drink at a fee that replaces the fluid misplaced via sweat throughout train.
After train, it’s necessary to concentrate on replenishing misplaced fluids. This usually includes consuming 1.2-1.5 litres of fluid for each kilogram of weight misplaced throughout train.
Moreover, replenishing electrolytes misplaced via sweating, akin to sodium and potassium, is required as properly. By prioritizing hydration earlier than, throughout, and after coaching periods, swimmers can optimize their efficiency and restoration.
Fable 9: I don’t must eat throughout a exercise since I eat earlier than and after
Though this can be a much less frequent swimmer’s diet delusion, it’s one which warrants a deeper dive.
Opposite to common perception, analysis suggests in any other case.
Quite a few research have demonstrated that consuming gas throughout coaching can considerably improve efficiency. This contains advantages akin to sustaining an optimum tempo, spending extra time at increased intensities and sustaining expertise and focus all through the exercise.
Associated: Easy methods to Enhance Vitality
Latest suggestions spotlight the significance of adjusting carbohydrate fuelling methods based mostly on the length and depth of the exercise. It’s suggested to refuel throughout workouts lasting longer than an hour. Throughout this time, the main target must be on consuming simply digestible carbohydrates together with fluids. This could embody choices akin to sports activities drinks, power gels, gummies, and fruits akin to dates, apricots, bananas and applesauce.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) gives basic suggestions for carbohydrate consumption throughout train:
- For periods lasting 45 minutes to 75 minutes at sustained excessive depth, small quantities of carbohydrates (e.g., mouth rinse) are really helpful.
- For endurance actions lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, together with intermittent stops and begins, 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour are suggested.
- For ultra-endurance actions lasting over 2.5 hours, consumption of as much as 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour is really helpful.
By incorporating fuelling methods throughout exercises, athletes can optimize their efficiency and endurance ranges.
Associated: Nutritionist for endurance athletes
Fable 10: I must take dietary supplements to carry out properly
Unquestionably, this can be a diet delusion for swimmers (and different athletes) that we really feel we should handle.
Using dietary supplements is a extremely debated subject within the diet world. Whereas it’s broadly believed that athletes can meet their dietary wants via a balanced and various food plan, we acknowledge that this can be more difficult for some people.
It’s essential to acknowledge that each athlete’s dietary necessities are distinctive, and they need to fastidiously take into account the dangers and advantages of dietary supplements earlier than incorporating them into their routine.
There’s a huge array of dietary supplements in the marketplace, starting from these geared toward stopping deficiencies to these promising to boost power, efficiency and restoration.
Potential drawbacks to dietary supplements
Whereas some dietary supplements might provide advantages to athletes, others may doubtlessly hurt their well being, efficiency, and even their fame, particularly in the event that they end in an anti-doping rule violation.
Quite a few research have revealed that many complement merchandise don’t comprise the elements they declare are there. Some might even comprise undisclosed substances that might be dangerous or prohibited beneath anti-doping rules.
Due to this fact, it’s important for athletes to hunt professional skilled recommendation or help earlier than beginning any complement routine.
To assist athletes in making knowledgeable choices about dietary supplements, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has developed a flowchart to information them via the method. This software may help athletes navigate the complicated panorama of dietary supplements and make decisions that align with their well being, efficiency and moral issues.
Diet Myths for Swimmers Closing Phrases
There you may have it, a listing of the most typical diet myths for swimmers. If you happen to really feel we missed an necessary delusion or false impression, please be at liberty to tell us.
Conclusion
If you happen to’re fascinated with participating our nutritionist who works with endurance athletes akin to swimmers, ebook a free session or contact us for an appointment, and we’ll gladly assist.
Different Associated & Fashionable Posts:
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Diet Myths for Endurance Athletes
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