When you’re heading to your next swimming workout, from work or class, nutrition may be the last thing on your mind. However, the right nutrition can be the difference between you crashing mid-workout out having a great session. Here are three tips to help you get ready for a great workout.
1). Prevent Hunger
How much time you have before your workout will determine how much food you eat. Even if you don’t have a lot of time, you should still eat something small to avoid hunger pains and fatigue. You should also drink something to stay hydrated.
Try to eat something with a combination of carbohydrates, at least 30 grams, with moderate protein and low fat, before you work out. If you’ve got more than 3-4 hours before your workout, you could enjoy something more substantial like a sandwich on whole wheat bread, with lean meat and a slice of low-fat cheese. If you’ve only got an hour or less before you work out stick to carbohydrates that are easily digested, like a fruit smoothie, fresh fruit or vegetable juice. A nutritional shake can provide you with easily digestible nutrients and can often be mixed into smoothies.
2) Stay hydrated
Getting the right nutrition before you work out also means staying hydrated. This is important for swimmers because hydration contributes to our metabolic processes and ensures that the nutrients you consume are properly absorbed. Staying hydrated is also important for optimal cardiovascular function. This is critical for swimmers who are pushing their heart rates to the max at training.
Our bodies are made up of mostly water; our blood consists of about 90% water, which allows for the transport of oxygen to our cells and throughout our bodies. It is recommended that the average should person drink between 6-8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated, so as an athlete so try to get more.
When swimmers workout, they often underestimate the amount of fluids and important nutrients they lose through sweat (yes you sweat in the water!), while working out in the water. Enjoy a banana as a pre-workout snack if you’re in a hurry. They’re full of potassium, an important electrolyte lost in sweat.
3) Eliminate overeating
One of the worst things you can do to is to starve yourself before a swimming workout. You’ll put yourself at risk for fainting, fatigue, and cramps. You’re also more likely to overeat after your workout and may be tempted to indulge in unhealthy foods, which are bad for your training and aren’t part of your nutrition plan. Appetite management throughout the day allows you to avoid “back-loading” or eating large amounts late in the day.
4) Eat dinner at least 2 hours before you go to bed, followed by a light nutritious pre-bedtime snack.
Going to bed with a full stomach, after a heavy meal can hinder your recovery, and leave you feeling far from refreshed the following day. Instead, try having a light, nutritious snack before your workout and before you go to bed. See how you feel the next day after you’ve given your body the nutrients it needs to perform well and recover efficiently. One option might be a nutritional shake, like the NutriBoost, which contains 29 essential nutrients the body needs to maximize recovery and get you ready for your next training.
To make the most out of your swimming workouts make sure you stay properly fueled and hydrated.
ABOUT P2LIFE
P2Life is family owned, performance-based, nutritional supplement company that was designed for swimmers, by swimmers, to protect health and promote performance. P2Life takes great care in ensuring that every batch of their performance line is tested to be free of banned and illegal substances. Even though P2Life products were the preferred choice for over 40% of the USA Men’s Olympic Swim team during the London Olympics, it is not just for Olympians. It is also the preferred choice for the top high school, collegiate and masters swimmers across the globe.
P2Life was founded by Tim Shead, a Masters Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee and 42x World Record Holder, and co-founded by Michael Shead, who was a national water polo player. Tim’s expertise in swimming and years of experience and knowledge working with nutritional products, combined with Michael’s love of innovation and technical background, has enabled the P2Life team to create a technologically savvy company that is dedicated to furthering athletic potential. P2Life has a strong e-commerce platform, which allows them to spend less time and funds on retail stores, and dedicate more time to the swimming community.
A Proven Track Record:
- Over 40% of the USA Men’s Olympic Swim Team were taking P2Life products during the London Olympics. The athletes brought back 12 medals, seven of which were gold.
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Sources:
- http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=5530&mid=8712
- https://www.teamunify.com/nebsc/UserFiles/File/NUTRITION_2012.pdf
- http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=1&itemid=4360&mid=8712
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/526432-pre-workout-nutrition-for-swimming/
- https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
- https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fnic_uploads//DRI_RDAs_Adequate_Intakes_Total_Water_Macronutrients.pdfhttps://staging2.swimswam.com/swimmers-sweat-and-why-you-need-electrolytes-2/
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/546667-dehydration-in-swimmers/