Romsey and Totton Swimming Club

NUTRITION & HYDRATION

Training,The Diet

The training diet aims to

Provide athletes with enough fuel and fluid to meet the demands of training.

Provide them with all the nutrients essential for good health and in the right balance.

Help them achieve long-term health goals through adequate nutrition and

Trial various eating strategies for competition.

                               Types of food

A balanced diet including a variety of foods is the key to good health and the ability to sustain levels work as an athlete below is the approximate breakdown of daily intake in each of the main food groups.

Carbohydrates (65%)

Fats        (20%)

Protein          (15%)

Vitamins           RDA

Minerals           RDA

FibreFluids

                          Carbohydrates

     Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates (starch not sugar) which should be the main part of every meal.

                                                              Pasta                   

                                                     Rice                  

      Breads      

Pulses

    Potatoes

    Cereals

     Fruit and Vegetables

Carbohydrates (65%)
6-11 servings per day

     Calories                     Weight (grammes)

    1500                           225g

 2000                          300g

     2500                          375g 

      3000                          450g

      3500                          525g

 4000                          600g

FATS

     Essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins are required for a balanced diet. The best sources of unsaturated fats are

                            Margarine       

                                              Olive oil           

      Oily fish

     Whole grains

         Nuts and seeds.

Fats(20%)
2-3 servings per day

    Calories                Weight (grammes)

   1500                     50g

2000                    65g

  2500                    85g

    3000                    100g  

    3500                    115g  

4000                    135g

Protein

Protein is essential in the diet for building and maintaining the body’s tissues. Protein is made up of 20 amino acids 8 of which are essential since the body cannot make them.

 Best sources of protein are

Animal products ( meat, eggs, dairy produce, fish, shellfish and poultry)

     Plant food (nuts, legumes, dried beans, lentils and cereal products)

Protein(15%)
2-3 servings per day

     Calories                Weight (grammes)

   1500                             55g

2000                          75g

     2500                          95g

     3000                          115g

3500                          130g

 4000                          150g

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are required fore health and are essential for optimal physical performance.

Best sources of vitamins and minerals are

    Vegetables

                                                                                       Fruit                        

     Fish and shellfish

    Meat

      Dairy products

Fibre

  Dietary fibre is found mainly in cereal foods, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables.

      Dietary fibre can not be broken down by human digestive enzymes, although micro-organisms that live in the large intestine are able to digest fibre.

   Dietary fibre promotes a number of physiological effects, such as helping to prevent constipation, and helping to lower blood cholesterol and/or glucose levels.

     Eating enough fibre in your diet ensures the health of your gut so that it is more effective in absorbing the nutrients from the food we eat.

Energy from food

    Muscular contraction uses the breakdown of ATP (adenosine tri phosphate) to ADP (adenosine  di phosphate).

    The food we eat is stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver this fuels the conversion of ADP back to ATP so that muscular contractions can continue.

     Glycogen is stored carbohydrate which is the main source of energy although at low levels of exercise we can use fat to ‘refuel’ our system.

     Generally exercise where the heart rate is 150-160bpm or higher uses glycogen, exercise with a heart rate 130-150bpm uses fat however these values are age and fitness related.

The Food Pyramid

Fluids and Hydration

    Essential to maintain daily life – 8 servings of 250ml per day of water,  athletic training and performance requires even greater levels of fluid.

    Swimmers should try to maintain their hydration levels during training sessions this usually means 1-2 litres of fluid per hour of training in addition to the above daily intake

Effects of de-hydration

    Dehydration in an athlete has dramatic negative ramifications for levels of speed, strength, stamina, alertness and co-ordination. As little as a 2% decrease in body weight through

     dehydration can have a significant negative effect on performance levels.

  As well as water you also lose electrolytes (mineral salts which are required for chemical reactions) which can effect brain and  muscular function- cramp is usually related to electrolyte loss.

     This can be avoided by using a hydration strategy as you will see.

Symptoms of de-hydration

When should I drink?

    This is a common question. The normal assumption is that “if I’m thirsty – it’s time to get a drink”.

    This is not the case.

     In truth, we get thirsty as the body’s response to there being an undesirable increase in the concentration of salts in the body fluids (due to a decrease in water). If concentration has reached that point, you’re already significantly dehydrated and you’re already fighting a losing battle.

     As an athlete, if you start exercising in a dehydrated state you are only going to make the situation worse. Therefore, it is essential to begin exercise fully hydrated.

     When we exercise we lose water all the time, so to combat the negative performance related effects of dehydration it makes sense to include some sort of re-hydration strategy to your sport – the longer your event in duration, the more important this becomes. Consuming little and often is a good rule of thumb.

Are there other factors to consider

     Environmental factors are the most important to keep in mind. Obviously when it is hot we will sweat more, losing more water and electrolytes. Humid conditions will also increase the rate of dehydration as the body sweats more but as the sweat doesn’t evaporate there is no cooling effect. So the body sweats some more, this can lead to dehydration very quickly

     Swimmers bodies are not cooled by evaporation therefore dehydration can be a real problem

What should I drink?
Hydration Methods

     “Hypotonic”

       Hypotonic drinks are less concentrated than your body fluids, meaning that the drink is absorbed into your system very quickly as it contains little in the way of electrolytes or sugars.

      Home made Hypotonic drinks 250ml unsweetened fruit juice 750ml water pinch of salt ( approx 1g) OR 1OOml squash 1 litre water pinch of salt (approx 1 g)

   “Isotonic”

        The name Isotonic indicates that the drink has the same or similar concentration of sugars and electrolytes to your body fluids, meaning it is not only absorbed quickly but also allows for effective refuelling, an ideal combination during sports activity. Isotonic drinks should ideally contain 6g of carbohydrate per 100ml for optimal absorption.

   Home made ISOTONIC drinks5OOml unsweetened fruit juice 5OOml water pinch of salt      ( approx 1g) OR 200ml squash 1 litre water pinch of salt ( approx 1g )

    “Hypertonic”

        Hypertonic drinks are much greater in concentration of sugars and electrolytes than the bodily fluids. Therefore they absorb much more slowly and are less effective at re-hydrating the body. However, as refuelling drinks they are effective post sport.