What to eat before and after swimming25 Feb

Take your training to the next level with these nutrition tips!

Are you training for the 2016 Swimathon Challenge? If you are, you may not have thought about the importance of nutrition, and what you eat before and after the event. Fear not though – Yvonne, our Aquatics Officer at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, has put together these top tips for what to eat (and not eat) before and after your Swimathon.

Before the event

No matter what Swimathon distance you’re tackling, you’re going to need plenty of energy, so carbohydrates will be your best friend. Eat a small amount of carbs before you hit the pool to benefit from their slow release energy while you swim, so you can keep going for longer and do your absolute best! Make sure you leave about an hour between eating and swimming though, to avoid feeling bloated.

Foods to try

• A small portion of wholemeal pasta with some simple tomato sauce will provide plenty of carbs. If you fancy something sweet afterwards then a banana is great because of its high potassium levels.
• Brown rice is another fantastic source of carbohydrates, which will keep you full of energy for your swim

Don’t forget to hydrate too!

Foods to avoid

Anything fatty! Fatty foods are harder for your stomach to digest, so can lead to indigestion and discomfort while swimming.

After the event

So, you’ve done your best and now it’s time to refuel. Recovery is key, so you’ll need to eat as soon as you can, preferably within an hour after you’ve finished swimming. If that’s not possible then a snack or sports drink will do until you can have something more substantial.

You need a mix of carbs (as you used your store during the swim!), and protein (to help repair your muscles), so alongside some more pasta or rice, try and incorporate one or two of the following:

• Fish
• Lean chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Eggs
• Low-fat cheese
• Low-fat yoghurt

And that’s it! We hope this advice helps you with your Swimathon 2016 training – if you’ve got any of your own tips you’d like to share then feel free to do so in the comments below!

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