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 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.
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.
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.
If I am too hungry to swim I eat 1-2 bananas or a soft pretzel before I swim. Even if I eat that 10 minutes before I swim I'm fine. I just don't eat a whole meal.
I am probably at the far end of the spectrum, but I have to have 2 1/2 to 3 hrs in between eating and my workout, or else I feel nauseous... quite close to vomiting in he worst case, though I have managed to avoid actually doing it. I read something recently that this may be asthma related (I do have asthma) but I don't know if there is anything to that.
Obviously the "you'll get cramps and die" thing is nothing more than an old wives' tale. As you said, though, it really is different for everyone. Some people will tell you they can't eat before swimming. Others can eat like a horse with no adverse effects. I think you'll need to learn by trial and error, but there is no inherent reason NOT to eat before swimming. The same kind of foods that you'd want to eat before or after a running workout would work for swimming. No difference there that I know of.
I try not to eat a large meal before swimming because it makes me a little nauseous. Most of my practices are around our dinner time, so I will generally eat a granola bar before practice and then eat when I get home. I have eaten supper before leaving to swim, and I can feel my stomach churning.
