This month’s topic is in response to two questions posed by Mr. Mark Royko:
“Should swimmers have a different diet than other sports?” AND
“What is the recommended amount of calories for swimmers like us?”
The optimal diet for swimmers who compete in short to medium distance races (50-1,500 yards/meters) is high in calories, and necessitates a good balance of nutrients.
· Energy needs: 35-50 calories/kilogram (3200-4500 calories/day for a 200 lb person depending on the level of training)
· Protein needs: 1.2-1.7 grams protein/kilogram (110-155 grams protein per day for a 200 lb person)
· Fat needs: about 1 gram fat/kilogram (91 grams fat per day for a 200 lb person)
As shown above, carbohydrate should make up about 55-65% of energy intake. This is important because carbohydrate is the main source of energy for muscles and the brain. If an insufficient amount of carbohydrate is consumed, athletic performance will decrease because the body will have to resort to attaining energy from breakdown of muscle protein or fat, which are not as efficient as using the carbohydrate stored in muscles and or in the blood.
Protein should make up about 14% of energy intake. Protein is needed for building and re-building of muscle mass, but is not the best source of energy for the body. If too much protein is consumed, it will be broken down and stored as fat or excreted in the urine.
Fat should make up 20-25% of energy intake. Adequate fat intake is necessary to meet essential fatty acid requirements. Fat also aids in producing satiety after eating. Additionally, too little fat can lead to decreased HDL levels and impairment of immune function. However, fat should be limited to 20-25% of energy intake for swimmers to allow carbohydrate and protein needs to be met without exceeding calorie needs. Healthy sources of fat include omega-3 fatty acids. These can be attained from mackerel, albacore tuna, salmon, sardines, lake trout, soybean oil and canola oil. Less healthy sources of fat include saturated and trans fats. These should be eaten in smaller amounts. Saturated fats can cause an increase in your LDL (bad) cholesterol and can be attained from meat, poultry, butter, whole milk, coconut, palm oil and palm kernel oil. Trans fats cause an increase in your LDL (bad) cholesterol and a decrease in your HDL (good) cholesterol. These are unsaturated fats processed to make them stable and solid at room temperature. They are most often found in highly processed foods.
Under-eating is common among swimmers. This is likely related to unnecessary pressure to lose weight because of the amount of time spent in swim wear. Some may need to realize that they may not need to lose weight to improve their health or performance. Swimmers are one type of many athletes who are at risk for eating disorders. Inadequate energy intake can lead to insufficient intake of calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin E. For this reason, all swimmers should take a multivitamin.
With all this being said, there is an optimal weight to strength ratio for every athlete that will help maximize their athletic performance. This means that there is a weight that will provide an optimal amount of muscle to produce maximum strength for an individual combined with a small amount of body fat that will not increase weight to the point that it deters performance. Nutrition is key to attaining this desired weight to strength ratio. Over-training will only lead to injury. Athletes should be mindful that performance will decline if energy, carbohydrate and protein intake are reduced too much in efforts to attain this weight. Major changes to diet for the goal of weight loss should always be made in the off-season or preseason so that performance is not sacrificed during competition.
Hydration should occur before, during and after training. Each athlete should compare his or her pre and post training weights, and consume the difference in fluid after training. It is also important to monitor urine color, which should be light yellow. Caloric sport drinks should be limited if the athlete is trying to reduce energy intake, but may be needed if sweat is lost during training or the athlete is having trouble maintaining their blood sugar level during training.
2) The women's team also dominated in relays, where Karen Scobbie, Natalie Oskvarek, Rachel Dickman and Cathy Sajn received medals with a 5th place finish in the 200 Freestyle Relay (18+) with an overall time of 1:51.19. They also placed 8th in the 200 Medley Relay at 2:11.23.
