Swimming and Nutrition

The Basics of good eating Carbohydrate foods + Glycemic Index

Fats

Proteins

Before, during and after events

Fluids

During the week

Swimming and Nutrition

The Basics

Our body can obtain energy from 3 Components in food:

Carbohydrates (glucose, sugar)

Fats

Protein (amino acids)

Food also contains fibre, water,

vitamins, minerals eg calcium, iron.

Carbohydrate CHO’s break down into glucose (sugar)

Body’s favourite type of energy.

The body uses it to make our heart, brain and muscles work.

Glucose is stored in long chains called ‘glycogen’ .

Glycogen is stored in our muscles and liver.

What happens when we exercise ?

Our body burns glycogen, releasing glucose into the muscles for energy.

Our supplies will last about 30-45 minutes....training uses our supplies.

To train and compete we need to make sure we have a full ‘tank’ of glycogen.

Your aim is to keep your glycogen levels as full as possible so you can train and swim more effectively and recover quicker.

Low levels cause sore muscles and tiredness.

What happens when we don’t have enough glycogen ?

Dizzy, nauseous, hungry, in ‘slow motion’ this is called ‘hitting the wall’.

Your body sends a signal to start breaking down muscles to release glucose. This will happen if you are constantly running out and you don’t ‘top up’.

How much CHO do I need ?

At least 8g per kg body weight eg. 60kg = min 480g CHO each day.

‘what does this mean - how much food should I eat ?’

To work this out you need to know how much CHO is in food.…

CHO containing foods Fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, tinned fruit.

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, muesli bars.

Milk, yoghurt, custard, ice cream.

sugar, glucose, honey.

potato, sweet potato, corn.

baked beans, lentils, kidney beans.

The Glycemic Index

Some CHO’s release their glucose slowly, and others quickly. This is important. e.g. if your glycogen stores are low –

to top them up quickly you need to eat the quick release CHO.

The Glycemic Index is a ranking of CHO foods based on how quick they release glucose.

Just because something is sweet doesn’t necessarily mean it will break down into glucose quickly.

CHO’s that break down quickly have a high GI number.

Those that break down slowly have a low GI number.

The numbers range between 0-120.

Glucose =100 and all foods are compared to it.

How can it help my swimming ? High GI foods in recovery to top up glycogen stores quickly.

High GI foods and fluids during training maintain glucose levels.

Low GI foods 2-3 hours before events and training help keep glucose levels going longer.

See the table of foods and GI values.

Low GI

All-bran (UK) 30

All-bran (US) 50

Oat bran 50

Rolled Oats 51

Special K (UK) 54

Natural Muesli 40

Porridge 58

Breakfast Cereal

Low GI

Soya and Linseed 36

Wholegrain Pumpernickel

46

Heavy Mixed Grain

45

Whole Wheat 49

Sourdough Rye 48

Sourdough Wheat 54

Medium GI

Bran Buds 58

Mini Wheats 58

Nutrigrain 66

Shredded Wheat

67

Porridge Oats 63

Special K (US) 69

High GI

Cornflakes 80

Sultana Bran 73

Branflakes 74

Coco Pops 77

Puffed Wheat 80

Oats in Honey Bake 77

Team 82

Total 76

Cheerios 74

Rice Krispies 82

Weetabix 74

Medium GI

Croissant 67

Hamburger bun

61

Pita, white 57

Wholemeal Rye 62

High GI

White 71

Bagel 72

French Baguette 95

Bread

Low GI

Frozen Green Peas

39

Frozen Sweet Corn

47

Raw Carrots 16

Boiled Carrots 41

Eggplant/Aubergine

15

Broccoli 10

Cauliflower 15

Cabbage 10

Mushrooms 10

Tomatoes 15

Chillies 10

Lettuce 10

Green Beans 15

Red Peppers 10

Onions 10

Vegetables

Medium GI

Beetroot 64

High GI

Pumkin 75

Parsnips 97

Low GI

Kidney Beans (canned)

52

Butter Beans 36

Chick Peas 42

Haricot/Navy Beans

31

Lentils, Red 21

Lentils, Green 30

 Pinto Beans 45

Blackeyed Beans

50

Yellow Split Peas

32

Medium GI

Beans in Tomato Sauce

56

Low GI

Whole milk 31

Skimmed milk 32

Chocolate milk 42

Sweetened yoghurt

33

Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt

23

Custard 35

Soy Milk 44

Medium GI

Icecream 62

Dairy

Legumes (Beans)

Low GI

Wheat Pasta Shapes

54

New Potatoes 54

Meat Ravioli 39

Spaghetti 32

Tortellini (Cheese)

50

Egg Fettuccini 32

Brown Rice 50

Buckwheat 51

White long grain rice

50

Pearled Barley 22

Yam 35

Sweet Potatoes

48

Instant Noodles

47

Wheat tortilla 30

Medium GI

Basmati Rice 58

Couscous 61

Cornmeal 68

Taco Shells 68

Gnocchi 68

Canned Potatoes

61

Chinese (Rice) Vermicelli

58

Baked Potatoes

60

Wild Rice 57

High GI

Instant White Rice

87

Glutinous Rice 86

Short Grain White Rice

83

Tapioca 70

Fresh Mashed Potatoes

73

French Fries 75

Instant Mashed Potatoes

80

Staples

Low GI

Slim-Fast meal replacement

27

Snickers Bar (high fat)

41

Nut & Seed Muesli Bar

49

Sponge Cake 46

Nutella 33

Milk Chocolate 42

Hummus 6

Peanuts 13

Walnuts 15

Cashew Nuts 25

Nuts and Raisins 21

Jam 51

Corn Chips 42

Oatmeal Crackers

55

Medium GI

Ryvita 63

Digestives 59

Blueberry muffin

59

Honey 58

High GI

Pretzels 83

Water Crackers

78

Rice cakes 87

Puffed Crispbread

81

Donuts 76

Scones 92

Maple flavoured syrup

68

Snacks & sweet food

Low GI

Cherries 22

Plums 24

Grapefruit 25

Peaches 28

Peach, canned in natural juice 30

Apples 34

Pears 41

Dried Apricots 32

Grapes 43

Coconut 45

Coconut Milk 41

Kiwi Fruit 47

Oranges 40

Strawberries 40

Prunes 29

Medium GI

Mango 60

Sultanas 56

Bananas 58

Raisins 64

Papaya 60

Figs 61

Pineapple 66

High GI

Watermelon 80

Dates 103

Fruit

Fats All swimmers should follow a low fat diet. Low fat levels help us move through water faster.

Too much fat slows performance.

Don’t diet - it slows your performance. Your body needs the calories for energy !

30% Fat Rule

It is recommended that swimmers should eat high carbohydrate low fat meals. Low fat is defined as food items with less than 30% fat by calories.

This is NOT the value that is presented by the food manufacturers, who display fat content by weight, which makes the foodstuff appear to be “healthier” than it usually is.

How can you work out the real fat content in food, so that they can be accepted or rejected as appropriate?

An easy way to calculation the true fat content of food: Each gram of fat produces 9.3 kcal. This value is close to 10 which can be used as the “rule of thumb’ value.

1. Look at the label on the food item and see how many grams of fat it contains per serving.

2. Multiply the number of grams by 10 to calculate the number of kcal from fat per serving.

3. Look at the label for the total energy, the number of kcal per serving.

4. Divide the kcal from fat by the total kcal and multiply by 100.

You now have the TRUE fat content of the food stuff.

Examples of 30% fat rule 1. McCain oven chips: The front of the packet claims to be “LESS THAN 5% FAT”. The label shows that there are 5.4 grams of fat per serving. Our “rule of thumb” gives a

value of 54 kcal per serving (5.4 x 10). The label shows that there are a total of 163 kcal per serving. The % fat content is, therefore, 54 divided by 163 times 100 = 33.1% This is greater than 30%, therefore, these chips should be rejected by the swimmer.

2. Salad is an excellent food but what about the dressing? Be Good To Yourself Salad Cream (Sainsbury) claims to be “60% less Fat”. Is this OK? The label on the jar shows that a serving has 14.0g fat, which gives 140 kcal, from the

“rule of thumb”. The total calories per serving is 210 kcal. 140 divided by 210 times 100 = 66.7% Fat. Decision: Reject!

3. Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (Tesco): A 100g portion provides 0.3g Fat = 3 kcal. Total energy = 85 kcal %Fat content = 3 divided by 85 times 100 = 3.5 % Decision: Accept

Eating low fat

2 sources of fat- visible & invisible.

Visible = fat on meat, chicken skin, margarine and oil.

Invisible = milk, cheese, chips, meat, takeaways, biscuits.

Bad fats Saturated fats; Are found in animal fats and produce

made with palm oil or palm kernal oil. They raise blood cholesterol levels and increace the risk of heart disease. No more than 10% of total calorie intake should come from saturated fats

Trans fats; Are even more harmful than saturated fats. Most are formed artificially when vegetable oils are converted into hardened hydrogenated fats. Often used in cakes, biscuits and pastries. They increase LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood while lowering HDL (good cholesterol)

Good fats Monounsaturated fats; Lower harmful LDL

cholesterol level. Main sources include: olive oil, avocados, peanuts almonds, cashews, peanut butter, sunflower and sesame seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats; Are extremely important for maintaining correct structure of the cell membranes in the body. Found in sunflower oil, nuts and seeds

Omegas Omega-3 fatty acids; Found in fish oils, they are

necessary for proper brain function, regulating hormones, for the immune system and blood flow. For regular exercisers, omega-3s increase the delivery of oxygen to muscles, and improve aerobic capacity and endurance. They also help speed up recovery and reduce inflammation and joint stiffness. Main sources are: sardines, mackerel, salmon, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sweet potato.

Omega-6 fatty acids; Are easier to find in foods than omega-3 and for that reason, most people eat too much omega-6 in relation to omega-3, which can result in an imbalance in hormones that control inflammation and the immune system. Main sources are: sunflower oil and seeds, corn oil, olive oil, peanuts and sesame seeds.

Protein Is needed for the growth, formation and repair of body

cells.

Athletes need more protein than inactive people to compensate for the increase muscle breakdown that occurs during and after intense exercise, as well as to build new muscles cells.

You will need about 1.2-1.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily e.g. 60kg person should consume between 72-108g of protein daily.

MYTH: to build muscle you need to take protein powders.

Foods high in protein include: Meat, chicken, fish, eggs.

Milk, yoghurt, custard, cheese, ice cream.

Baked beans, lentils etc.

Small amounts in breads and cereals, veggies.

Pre - event meals Aim is to top up glycogen stores.

Boost fluid levels.

Stop hunger during events/ training.

The meal before an event CAN’T replace a poor diet during the week.

Should eat 3-4 hours before the events/ training.

Pre - event meal tips Top up 1-2 hours before.

Make sure it is low fat, high CHO.

Trial low GI types.

If nervous try low fibre choices.

Drink, drink ,drink.

porridge, yoghurt + fruit, toast + jam or honey, meal replacement shake, milkshake or smoothie.

During training

Top up blood sugars and fluid.

Don’t wait till thirsty - you will be too dehydrated to be performing at your best at that stage.

Water, cordial, diluted fruit juice

After the event / training 30 Minute Rule: The muscles are most susceptible to restoration of

carbohydrate stores within the first 30 minutes after exercise. Thereafter, the process becomes progressively more difficult. The swimmer should eat 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrate, whilst keeping fat ingestion low, as soon as training finishes, and definitely within the first 30 minutes after training.

The following are examples of appropriate snack foods and their approximate carbohydrate content: An apple, banana or orange: 15-20g Muller rice: 20g Nutrigrain Elevenses bar: 25-30g Fruit Shake or Smoothie: 25-30g per glass 1 thick Jam or Honey sandwich (no or minimal butter): 50g Malt Loaf (Soreen): 18g per eighth of a loaf Fig Rolls: 13g per biscuit Chocolate milk: 59g Other excellent snacks: Rice cakes, dried fruit, flapjack It is advised to then eat a bigger meal which includes a portion of

protein within 2 hours

Fluids Only a small number of athletes replace the amount of fluid they have lost during the activity.

Some even start out dehydrated before the events /training.

Urine = clear /pale yellow is good.

Swimmers need lots of fluid - hot environment, not aware of losses.

Do’s and Dont’s of fluid Don’t rely on thirst. Drink every hour.

Don’t drink Coke, Redbull, Monster etc before a events = dehydrating effect and too much sugar and bad sweeteners.

Do avoid drinks containing Acesulfame-k and Aspartame!

Do look at your urine.

Water is good if you have topped up your glycogen stores before the event.

Do have a drink bottle at the end of the lane.

Drink during breaks and between sets.

Try Diluted fruit juice, cordials, water etc.

Healthy eating during the week A good diet is low in fat, high in CHO, high fibre, adequate protein, calcium and iron.

Learn food labels, eat low salt foods.

Eat regular meals and snacks to make sure you are eating enough CHO.

Eat a rainbow (colourful foods) every day.

Try to eat whole foods (not processed) as much as possible.

Recipes Walnut and date flapjacks 150g (5oz.) butter

60g (2oz.) light brown sugar 5 tbsp golden syrup 200g (7oz.) porridge oats 60g (2oz.) chopped dates 100g (3.5oz.) chopped walnut

1. Pre heat oven to 180C lightly oil 9 inch square baking tin2. Put butter, sugar and syrup in saucepan and heat together, stirring occasionally,

until the butter has melted, remove from heat3. Mix the oats, dates and walnuts until thoroughly combined4. Transfer the mixture into prepared tin, level the surface and bake in the oven for 20

mins until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle5. Leave in tin to cool. While still warm, score into 12 bars with a sharp knife

Banana cake2 large bananas250ml orange juice300g (10oz.) self raising flour (half wholemeal, half white)125g (4oz.) brown sugarpinch of salthalf tsp each of mixed spice and cinnamon1 egg1 tbsp oil

1. Mash the banana with orange juice2. Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.3. Add the banana juice mixture together with the egg and oil. Combine together.4. Spoon into lightly oiled 900g (2lb) loaf tin.5. Bake at 170C for about 1 hour. Check the cake is cooked by inserting a knife into the

centre, it should come out clean.

Good sports nutrition books

Anita Bean – food for fitness £10.50

Ann Litt – food for young athletes £10.99