As a runner, I don't eat anything heavy or difficult to digest before I run. Specifically, I don't usually eat anything an hour before I run. But I'm curious as to what works for swimmers? I can't get out of my head that warning that was floating around when I was a kid: don't eat anything for two hours before you swim otherwise you'll get cramps and die. I know it is different for everyone, but what works for you?
Also in the field of food questions, what foods are good for swimmers? I assume we like carbs and protein, but are there other food groups or foods I should be paying attention to?
I go running and then swimming almost every day, and it's hard for me to know when to.eat for swimming. I get off work at 5, and go running immediately after for about an hour. Then I usually rest for an hour and eat a little, like some fruit or something, but otherwise I wait to really eat until I get done swimming around 9 or so. Any help or.suggestions for this new swimmer is greatly appreciated.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
