The diet of an amateur swimmer (swimming pool) should, first of all, supplement the high energy losses caused during swimming. The most important thing is to eat well-balanced meals rich in protein and carbohydrates before and after training to keep your muscles working and to prevent catabolism. In a swimmer's diet, it is also important to eat a lot of alkaline foods and foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids on a daily basis.

Rulesof the swimming pool dietshould be adopted by all people who go swimming regularly 2-3 times a week. This is not a strictly defined menu as indiets for swimmersprofessional swimmers, but rather a set of tips on how to eat to have energy for training and help the body maintain a proper caloric balance.

And it should be noted that swimming is one of the most energy-consuming sports - just being in a swimming pool increases the metabolic rate by as much as 50%, moreover, to overcome water resistance, all muscles have to work with great intensity. The water temperature is also important - the lower it is, the more forces it "pumps out", which is associated with a greater energy loss.

If you want to get the most out of your swimming workouts, read the rules of the pool diet.

Rules of the pool diet: a meal before swimming

A meal before swimming in the pool is essential - people who swim on an empty stomach make a big mistake because the body, deprived of energy reserves, loses strength quickly. Effect? Increased fatigue during and after training, worse sports performance, high risk of catabolism (loss of muscle tissue). Also, do not be under the illusion that skipping a meal before swimming will help you lose extra pounds - the lack of fuel for muscles in the form of glycogen will make your body burn muscle tissue instead of fat.

On the other hand, a meal before training in the pool should not be heavy and stay in the stomach for a long time. This is because the body takes a horizontal position when swimming, so heavy food can induce reflux, heartburn and even cause intestinal cramps, which are very dangerous in water. So, in the swimmer's diet, fatty meat, processed products and are excludedhigh fiber.

An easily digestible meal, rich in carbohydrates, is recommended. You should eat it at least one hour before training. If we deliver the food later, the body that has been set to digestive mode will send more blood to the digestive tract instead of to the working muscles. This will translate into lower efficiency of the muscular system during exercise.

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Sample meal before swimming in the pool: yoghurt porridge with apple, banana and nuts

This porridge, in addition to giving you a lot of energy, helps to maintain the acid-base balance of the body (yogurt, apples and bananas are alkaline).

Ingredients:

  • a cup of natural yoghurt
  • 3 tablespoons of oatmeal
  • half a banana
  • half an apple
  • a few walnuts
  • teaspoon of raisins

Flakes pour boiling water in a 1: 1 ratio. Wait a few minutes for them to absorb the liquid and cool down. Meanwhile, cut the banana and the apple into small pieces. Chop the nuts. Mix the yoghurt with cereals, fruit and nuts, then add the raisins.

Rules of the pool diet: meal after swimming

After a long swim, we usually feel very hungry. This is because exercise in water weakens the body - the body is cold and tired, therefore it requires a quick burst of energy. For this reason, the first meal after the pool should be eaten shortly after leaving the water, preferably right after changing and drying. It can be (you can choose from the following): a banana, 2-3 oatmeal cookies, a muesli bar, a small fruit juice (no added sugar). They contain a large portion of carbohydrates that initiate the process of insulin release, which in turn affects the restoration of glycogen in the muscles. It is better to avoid ready-made bars and cookies, because in addition to the fact that they contain a sea of ​​sugar, they are most often made using the cheapest hardened fats, e.g. palm fats. It is safest to take your own homemade candy bars and vegetable sweets with you to the swimming pool.

The next, larger meal after swimming should be eaten within 2 hours of the end of training. It should contain, in addition to carbohydrates (this time complex), a large amount of easily digestible protein.

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Sample meal after the pool: oriental chicken fillet with brown rice

The following recipe is also suitable for people who are slimming.

Ingredients:

  • half a small chicken breast
  • 2 pineapple slices
  • large tomato without skin
  • white part of leek
  • carrot
  • half an onion
  • garlic clove
  • spooncashew nut
  • brown rice
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • olive oil
  • powdered chili
  • s alt, pepper

Cut the chicken into lengthwise strips, season with pepper and marinate in soy sauce (about an hour). Then fry in a grill pan in a little olive oil. Cut the carrots into sticks, cut the pineapple into pieces, and slice the leek. Finely chop the onion and garlic, sauté in olive oil, add the rest of the vegetables (except the tomato) and fry briefly. Then add the chopped tomato without the skin, season it with s alt, chili and stew, covered, for a few minutes until the tomato falls apart and the vegetables are al dente. At the end of stewing, add the chicken, mix. Sprinkle everything with chopped cashews. Serve with brown rice.

Pool diet - what to eat every day

Also remember about he althy eating every day. Swimming, especially vigorous short-distance swimming, increases the acidity of the body. In addition, it is believed that reduced sweating in cool water promotes lactic acid build-up in swimmers' muscles and blood. Therefore, take care of the increased amount of alkaline products in your diet.

Don't forget about vitamins and trace elements. In the diet of swimmers, magnesium and potassium are particularly important as they condition the proper transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. It is also worth taking care of an adequate supply of iron, which is involved in the production of hemoglobin. It is hemoglobin that is responsible for the proper oxygenation of the heart, brain and muscles, which is very important in such intense sports as swimming.

It should be added that swimming in the pool 3 times a week for an hour increases the daily caloric requirement of an average person by 200-300 kcal. This means that in order to maintain the current weight, the pool diet must be enriched with additional energy sources (except for people who are slimming). If we do not want to lose weight while swimming, we should eat more fatty products, but be careful! preferably those that are a source of unsaturated fatty acids. Sea fish and seafood, avocados, nuts, olive oil, cold pressed rapeseed oil will be suitable. Let's avoid simple sugars, which acidify the body, and saturated fats.

Category:

Diets for active people