Eating before swimming?

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:05:21 GMT

jelly-filled Glazed mostly. I'm just about to leave to go to the pool.

RE: Eating before swimming?

knelson — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:31:44 GMT

During the workout, water. It stinks to be drinking water while in water, but it's the best for your body. Gatorade AFTER to replenish all those lost electrolytes. I usually drink just water, but I also like to drink Diluted Gatorade during workouts. I use about a 1:4 Gatorade to water ratio. If you're only swimming an hour workout you probably don't need it, but when you're swimming for 90 minutes or two hours I think you want to replenish electrolytes and carbs during the workout.

RE: Eating before swimming?

swimmerb212 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:46:51 GMT

I have often thought about trying to swim a workout with no food in my system, but I'm afraid to even attempt it. I usually eat around 5am for a 6am practice, and it's cereal or oatmeal. During the fall, sometimes I eat leftover pumpkin pie, which for me, has great lasting power for a full workout. Life has been good since I abandoned all granola and nutrition bars, which are really hard for me to digest, as easy as they are to eat.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:50:23 GMT

I eat a small snack before swimming- an apple, orange, or granola bar. During the workout, water. It stinks to be drinking water while in water, but it's the best for your body. Gatorade AFTER to replenish all those lost electrolytes. I eat like a man afterwards...lots of pasta and carb rich foods. ~ButterflyBabe I am so bad at drinking water while swimming (well, outside pool water :)). I think because I am cool and not covered in sweat, I do not think about how much I am losing.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:35:21 GMT

RE: Eating before swimming?

gdanner — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:05:32 GMT

I know it is different for everyone, but what works for you? The only things I will eat within two hours of a race at a meet are power bars or fruit. I like to have very little in my system when I'm racing. This has worked out for me over the years. Similarly for my meals (at meets), I usually keep it pretty light for breakfast and lunch and then will have a solid dinner. I will throw in snacks if I am hungry, but basically try to avoid having big meals. For practice, my schedule just kind of works out where I'm not swimming close to my meals. I eat lunch around 1pm and don't swim until 5:30pm, so it doesn't matter much what I eat.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:21:49 GMT

I eat a luna bar on the way to the gym, followed by water, usually 15-20 minutes before I hit the pool. Packaging says that luna bars are low glycemic, so they don't burn out fast and boy is that true. I can do a 90 minute workout and not be hungry at all!

RE: Eating before swimming?

jethro — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:57:03 GMT

I typically have a package of frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts 45 minutes before my morning workout. Breakfast of champions. :agree:

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:51:52 GMT

donuts Thanks. The poor other swimmers in my pool thank you too.

RE: Eating before swimming?

That Guy — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:22:31 GMT

NEVER mention eating donuts to me while I'm swimming. I don't know why but it makes me so nauseous- the thought of donuts, swimming, and chlorine. I honestly thrown up in my mouth swimming on several occasions from people mentioning donuts during practice. donuts

RE: Eating before swimming?

sickfish — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:23:49 GMT

I try to eat a good hour or so before I swim just so things have a chance to digest and I'm not running on fumes. I'm fine eating anything; usually it's breakfast food, like cereal or oatmeal or whatever, but sometimes it's leftover pizza or frozen burritos. A few weeks ago I had a turkey sandwich for breakfast. The only negative side effect I experience from eating too close to a workout is belching whatever my breakfast was, which really is more of a negative for everyone else than it is for me :D

RE: Eating before swimming?

__steve__ — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:58:20 GMT

jelly-filled

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:52:54 GMT

7 AM swim: 2 eggs, toast, OJ, 32 oz water starting at 6 AM. Banana afterwards, maybe choc milk. Noon practice: I will have had breakfast 4 hours prior, so I eat a PB&J or something with protein/carbs, and hydrate plenty. For races and distance events, I follow my 7 AM schedule. Fuel up and hydrate. When it comes to running, I don't eat much at all because it bounces around in my gut making me feel awful.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:19:06 GMT

I finished an entire large pepperoni pizza from Sbarro's literally 15 minutes before a practice one time. I didn't feel sick or nauseous in the pool at all.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:21:46 GMT

This was awesome. Thanks everyone. Running before and then Not eating anything in between really took a lot out of me. But I'm experimenting with what works for me in swimming, and I've already noticed a difference in the energy that I have while I'm swimming. But by all means, keep discussing the topic.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Debugger — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:57:28 GMT

I finished an entire large pepperoni pizza from Sbarro's literally 15 minutes before a practice one time. I didn't feel sick or nauseous in the pool at all. IMO that depends on age. When I was young I could "eat an elephant" right before the workout and I was fine. :D But now my metabolism became slower and I need to be more careful to what I eat and how much I eat.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Debugger — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:51:05 GMT

Usually I have an early workout so I eat a small breakfast (2 sandwiches and yogurt with tea) 1/2 an hour before workout. After the workout I make second small breakfast which consists of fruit (banana, apples, nuts ets with juice). That works for me fine. If I don't eat at all before the workout I'm getting weak after half an hour swimming. If I have a large meal I definitely need 2h or more before the workout.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Water Rat — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:04:53 GMT

1/2 a clif bar and a cup of coffee on the way into morning practice at 5am. 1 whole clif bar and some water before evening practice (5:30pm). Both about 30 minutes before I swim. I find if I eat too soon, I "crash" in the middle sometimes.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Debugger — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:03:05 GMT

Small breakfast? Who are you, Michael Phelps? :) Why? Is that much? (Sandwiches are made of 1 piece of bread not double ones :D)

RE: Eating before swimming?

rxleakem — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:23:54 GMT

I like donuts with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. :D

RE: Eating before swimming?

knelson — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:06:18 GMT

Usually I have an early workout so I eat a small breakfast (2 sandwiches and yogurt with tea) Small breakfast? Who are you, Michael Phelps? :)

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:07:19 GMT

I don't like to eat before swimming. It has to be at least 1.5hrs beforehand. Sometimes that isn't even enough sometimes. NEVER mention eating donuts to me while I'm swimming. I don't know why but it makes me so nauseous- the thought of donuts, swimming, and chlorine. I honestly thrown up in my mouth swimming on several occasions from people mentioning donuts during practice.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:29:31 GMT

Funny how some trivia sticks in your mind. Back when I started swimming in the early '80's, I remember a quote from Mark Spitz saying that if you can't devour a double cheeseburger & fries before your workout, then you are not in shape... But swimming has changed a lot since the 80's :) More recently... I'm 58 and have always been a little hypoglycemic (keeps me thin). A couple months ago, I ate a bunch of sweets before bed. Got up, ate nothing and swam for an hour. Got home, and my short term memory was GONE...couldn't even remember my workout, or an email I had started writing earlier. I was walking around in a daze. My wife thought I was having a stroke and took me to the emergency room. Turns out it was a symptom of crashing blood sugar. I should have eaten something before my workout.

RE: Eating before swimming?

orca1946 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:52:05 GMT

1 1/2 to 2 hours for a real meal before practice, gatoraid during & a McDonalds salad when I get home at 10pm.

RE: Eating before swimming?

Former Member — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:16:15 GMT

Back when I started swimming in the early '80's, I remember a quote from Mark Spitz saying that if you can't devour a double cheeseburger & fries before your workout, then you are not in shape... When I was a bike messenger I HAD to eat while "working out". Oddly you don't consider it as working out even though my ten hour shift was tougher than any swim workout I ever did in my life. Due to the lack of time, I had to eat what went fast. I often got about 3 whoppers and 3 large fries at Burger King in the afternoon, shoved it down my throat, hopped on my bike and cycled the next few hours. I never got stomach cramps.