Greetings all!
I'm a recreational-level Masters swimmer who's been going for nearly a year now. I swim a mere 2x a week, 1hr a workout, and generally finish less than 5KM a week. This is fine for me, swimming is a hobby for me, and it fulfills my "hobby" requirements quite nicely.
I do, however, like to have goals, and distance goals just don't cut it for me. I decided that my main goal was to compete regularly, and to fill my event card, eventually, with times from 17 or 18 different events.
I want to do my best when it comes down to swim meets and being timed, and coincidentally, I also want to improve my (currently shoddy) eating habits, so I figured I'd come to others who might know...
What kinds of foods should I be eating the week before the competition? What kinds of foods should I be avoiding?
I would assume that McDonalds and the likes is assumed - but how harmful are things like chocolate and high-sugar foods, aside from the fullness they give you and the lack of other foods you consume as a result?
If anyone has special meals they like to eat before competition, and they don't mind sharing the logic behind the meals, I'd really appreciate the info!
Jill
Some Chick's Life
Parents
Former Member
Eat what you normally eat, the week of competition. Change is bad. Remember when the highly favored English sports team was forced to give up their " bangers and eggs " for some nutritionist's idea of healthy food? They didn't win another game ! On the day of competition, try to eat as little as possible. The trick is to not feel hungry and yet not pack pounds of digesting food down the pool. This is my meet-day menu: taught to me by the greatest coach I ever had (a Canuck, by golly). Coffee to wake up and stimulate. Avoid much cream or milk because it DOES create mucous. Those who say otherwise are full of malarkey. Avoid sugar, UNLESS you are sure you can time the inevitable down-turn (bonk) so it isn't in the middle of a race. Drink all day long-sports drinks, coffee, water- but no soft drinks. Now here is the part that always gets me in trouble with nutritionists, coaches and other pseudo-scientists: first food, two slices of toast slathered with as much butter as you wish. Honey or jam to make it palatable. The toast is long-term carbs, the spread is to fool your stomach into thinking you ate more( It hangs around longer than a banana). The honey or jam is for your own enjoyment. This has worked for me for 48 years and every time I let some yahoo talk me into something else, I pay the supreme price: poor performance. If you get part-way through the meet and begin to experience hunger, snack on part of a health/power/whatever bar, but just enough to keep un-distracted. Rebuttals welcomed !Good luck and......... Cheers! :D
Eat what you normally eat, the week of competition. Change is bad. Remember when the highly favored English sports team was forced to give up their " bangers and eggs " for some nutritionist's idea of healthy food? They didn't win another game ! On the day of competition, try to eat as little as possible. The trick is to not feel hungry and yet not pack pounds of digesting food down the pool. This is my meet-day menu: taught to me by the greatest coach I ever had (a Canuck, by golly). Coffee to wake up and stimulate. Avoid much cream or milk because it DOES create mucous. Those who say otherwise are full of malarkey. Avoid sugar, UNLESS you are sure you can time the inevitable down-turn (bonk) so it isn't in the middle of a race. Drink all day long-sports drinks, coffee, water- but no soft drinks. Now here is the part that always gets me in trouble with nutritionists, coaches and other pseudo-scientists: first food, two slices of toast slathered with as much butter as you wish. Honey or jam to make it palatable. The toast is long-term carbs, the spread is to fool your stomach into thinking you ate more( It hangs around longer than a banana). The honey or jam is for your own enjoyment. This has worked for me for 48 years and every time I let some yahoo talk me into something else, I pay the supreme price: poor performance. If you get part-way through the meet and begin to experience hunger, snack on part of a health/power/whatever bar, but just enough to keep un-distracted. Rebuttals welcomed !Good luck and......... Cheers! :D
