In preparation for a swimming competition, it is important to pay attention to your nutrition. What you eat and drink before, during, and after a swimming competition can have a significant impact on your performance. You need enough energy to perform well, but you do not want to start with a bloated feeling. This article provides some tips on what you could eat during a swimming competition.
The day before the competition
To perform optimally, it is important to plan your meals in advance. During the competition, you want to focus on your performance, not worry about whether you are eating and drinking enough.
Preparation starts the day before. Carbohydrates (energy) are stored in the muscles as glycogen. A carbohydrate-rich diet ensures that glycogen stores in your muscles and liver are optimised. It is also important to drink enough to avoid dehydration leading up to the competition.
Eat small amounts regularly to keep your blood sugar stable and provide your muscles with sufficient energy.
It is better to eat smaller portions several times a day rather than having two or three heavy meals. You could eat every 2-4 hours, for example, breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and an evening snack. Good snack options include a currant bun, a smoothie, crispbread with toppings, nuts, rice cakes, a muesli bar, fruit yoghurt, an apple, grapes, breakfast cake, or raw vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber, radish, or carrots.
Drink small amounts regularly to maintain fluid balance.
A simple way to check if you have drunk enough is by observing the colour of your urine. It should always be light in colour, pale yellow to white. You should go to bed in fluid balance, as you lose more fluids overnight. If you have drunk enough, it will also be easier to eat in the morning. Drink small amounts regularly throughout the day so that you do not need to get up at night to urinate.
Avoid heavy meals the night before a competition.
Stick to foods that you normally eat.
What should you eat on the day of the competition?
Never swim on an empty stomach. Even if you are nervous and find it difficult to eat, it is important to have something. Try to consume easily digestible foods such as porridge, muesli with milk or yoghurt, yoghurt with banana, fruit, or toast with jam. Take your time for breakfast and eat small bites if necessary. A warm drink such as tea can also help relax your stomach.
If you still struggle to eat, you could opt for a liquid meal such as a milkshake, a yoghurt drink, or a smoothie. Sip slowly and take your time.
Eating a pasta meal early in the morning is not beneficial and may even have a negative effect. You do not want to start a competition with a bloated feeling.
Snacks between races
The most important thing is to maintain your main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). There is no point in eating a pasta meal between two races. Stick to small snacks or a sports drink.
If you need to swim multiple times in a session, it is important to eat something as soon as possible after your first race so you have more time to recover before your next one. If races are too close together, eating may not be practical. Additionally, it is essential to keep drinking small amounts regularly. Even in water, you lose fluids through sweating, and in a warm swimming pool, this effect is even greater.
Examples of snacks you could eat or drink between races include:
- Banana, grapes, apple, plums, pear
- Dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, or mango
- A smoothie
- Fruit juice diluted with water, or a sports drink
- Rice cakes, banana bread, pancakes, muffins
- Muesli bar, fruit bar, Sultana biscuits, or an energy bar
- Nuts
- Vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber, radish, or carrots
Recovery after a competition
If you are competing in a multi-day tournament or have morning and afternoon sessions, post-race recovery is also important. Anyone with a healthy and varied diet already consumes more than enough protein daily. Additional protein is not necessary, but to enhance recovery, it is beneficial to plan protein intake around your exertion.
By drinking a small carton of chocolate milk or a milkshake at the end of a session, you supply your body with protein at the time it needs it most. This helps promote muscle recovery.
