Eating before swimming

Grilled cheese sandwich and Chocolate shake, usually while sitting on the blocks before my heat. It's a psych thing.

Meets: A small swig of Mylanta or Pepto Bismol (to calm the digestive system :eek:), half of a cold, plain belgian waffle and water. If my stomach is up to it - I'll drink some gatorade (either orange or fruit punch, the other ones taste so funky). Practice: I don't like to have anything in my stomach while practicing. I'll take small sips of cold water - but that is about it.

5:45 AM Practices: I eat nothing before the 1.5 hr practices. Drink water before and throughout the practice. If I practice 2 hrs w/ age group I use a sports drink (Power Bar drink) during the practice and maybe eat a banana before to prevent cramping. Now, as a kid, I would eat 2 pop tarts before my early AM practices. If I did that now, I'd feel like puking. Plus, I try and watch what I eat a bit more as an adult. Evening Practices: I eat a power bar 20-45 minutes before and drink water before, during, and after practice. I had one coach tell me that as long as the practice was 2 hours or less, I would not need the sports drink. And, as I don't want the calories that come with it (and I don't cramp up as it is), I avoid it. Meets: I will drink 1 diet coke (I avoid caffeine otherwise) and I do use the Gu gels which I love b/c they are easily digested. My favorite is chocolate or vanilla. Some flavors have caffeine and others don't, so look for it on the packaging. I feel they absolutely give me an extra boost. I take as directed on the package which is about 20 minutes before my swim. I also drink lots of water and Power Bar drink throughout the meet. This works for me. I always have to make sure that I don't feel heavy during meets or practice. This all seems to work well for me.

The Fish-- great question! I'm with you. Does anyone have any suggestions for liquid or gel snacks before evening practice? I eat during the day but I have to stop eating at 2 pm in order to keep it down and not feel like a brick. Practice is at 6 pm and I feel like crap up until I start swimming. Peanut butter, bananas, bagels, etc., are too bulky and weigh me down or come back up during the swim. Simple carbs put me into a sugar low (fruit, soda, Gatorade) unless it's right after a bulky lunch (and that's too early in the day). Has anyone tried GU gels? Thanks!

I apologize for resucitating this thread if some of you feel it was "done". Regular days: I typically swim at about 6:30 am and have something like half a bagel or toast. Depending on my hunger level sometimes I'll throw in a mix yourself carnation instant breakfast. Afterwards, I'll have a piece of fruit (apple, banana, or raisins) and about 1/4 cup of nuts like walnuts or almonds. MEETS: However I was hoping people would want to further explore what they eat at a swim meet. I understand why people like to use gels, etc. just before a race. However, what about full day meets? It's been forever since I've done one, so I can't remember how I used to handle these. This weekend I am going to a 3 day meet. On a typical day, I need to eat regularly throughout the day. It keeps my whole mind and body functioning better. I'm afraid the meet is going to mess up my body's natural hunger pattern and I'll swim kind of off for the entire event. For example, Friday night warm-ups start at 5:00 pm, positive check-in required by 5:30 pm. I expect to swim the 800 free at around 8:00 or 8:30? When do I eat dinner? Should I just eat some healthy "snacks" beforehand and then fill-up after the race? Satuday shouldn't be as difficult since I should be done by around 1:30. Sunday, I'll have 5 events scattered between 10:30 am and 7:00 pm. That's a long day. How do people plan their meals for a long meet like this?

Morning practices:Totally hungry, I drink water during the practice Later practices: I do not eat anything 3 hrs before the practice, I drink black cofee and consume water as much as I can. I drink water during the practice. If I need to eat something before the practice, any kind of fruit is OK. The wort case scenario is to eat oily food like meatballs, hamburgers or pizza. I need at least 4 hours to digest these (sometimes more). Before the meets, I eat a good breakfast (2-3 hours before the meet), I eat bananas 1 hour before the meet and drink a lot of water. Don't ask me about the post-meets or post-practice diets.

I guess I am boring. I eat the same things and make no changes whatsoever for either a swim practice or a meet. The reason is my body does not like change unless I make it months ahead of time. I just don't eat shortly before I swim and not because I get cramps; my body then has to use its energy to first digest the food and that is energy my swimming needs. I never found carbo loading to be much of a benefit for 3 swims a day during a meet. But when I get hungry at a meet, it is usually power bars. But there is a however here. I haven't a clue exactly what to do for an 18 mile swim. I haven't done a swim this far in 20 years. So this year I am experimenting. And not to hijack this thread, if anyone has done these long swims, I'd certainly love to hear what nutrition worked for you:help:. I have a feeling bananas and carb replacement drinks have a future in my long swim. Donna

For morning sessions I find that I can't eat a thing before I get in and for evening sessions I can't get in without eating quite a large meal. Something with rice works best for me.

Coffee. Lots of it. With some milk of course. I find it very uncomfortable to swim on a fuller stomach. I figure that I've got the whole day to fuel up back on land. Flash back to the future...3 years later...I now have a slice of raisin bread toast...or an Eggo with blueberry jam and some whipped cream cheese. With lots of coffee still. Surprisingly I found a big increase in energy levels from even this small snack.

I almost always swim in the evening after work. Here is my routine: ~1600-1500 hrs: Eat a banana 1800-1900 hrs (practice): Drink either Accelerade or Propel throughout workout. This helps me train harder and reduces soreness. 1930: Moderate dinner, usually chicken or pork with either brown rice or potatoes and a couple different veggies (sometimes raw, sometimes cooked). 2100: Either a high-protein snack (almonds, protein shake, or ice cream) or (sometimes) a high carbohydrate snack (cookies or beer). This works well for me. Normally, I graze throughout the day on fruit, nuts, protein bars, green tea, and other food. My main meals are balanced with protein, carbs, veggies, and good fats. Your mileage may vary...