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
I don't tend to adopt a special diet in the week(s) before a big meet, though one guy I know cuts out all beer, ice cream, junk food, etc. and tries to eat nutritious stuff only for a couple weeks, and he swears this improves his performance. If anything, I might try to cut back a little on the quantity of food I'm eating so as to slightly minimize the gut that follows me around like a lost poodle.
On the morning of the meet, I also drink coffee, have a bowl of cereal (Grapenuts seems to keep you going for a couple hours), and a large glass of orange juice with protein powder dissolved in it. This may be a placebo effect as well, but it seems that the protein powder is easy to digest and provides a slower release of energy that keeps me from bonking later in the day.
During the meet, I try to remind myself to drink plenty of water, but I don't always do this. I usually don't have lunch--too nervous to eat in between swims--but I will try to have some cookies or something snacky. I also pop a few ibuprofens, which may or may not be a mistake, but I'd just as soon not feel any stiffness in my joints.
By the end of the day, I invariably have a headache. Does anyone else get this symptom? It's true even when I don't follow the meet with a few celebratory beers.
I don't tend to adopt a special diet in the week(s) before a big meet, though one guy I know cuts out all beer, ice cream, junk food, etc. and tries to eat nutritious stuff only for a couple weeks, and he swears this improves his performance. If anything, I might try to cut back a little on the quantity of food I'm eating so as to slightly minimize the gut that follows me around like a lost poodle.
On the morning of the meet, I also drink coffee, have a bowl of cereal (Grapenuts seems to keep you going for a couple hours), and a large glass of orange juice with protein powder dissolved in it. This may be a placebo effect as well, but it seems that the protein powder is easy to digest and provides a slower release of energy that keeps me from bonking later in the day.
During the meet, I try to remind myself to drink plenty of water, but I don't always do this. I usually don't have lunch--too nervous to eat in between swims--but I will try to have some cookies or something snacky. I also pop a few ibuprofens, which may or may not be a mistake, but I'd just as soon not feel any stiffness in my joints.
By the end of the day, I invariably have a headache. Does anyone else get this symptom? It's true even when I don't follow the meet with a few celebratory beers.
