nutrition for long distance swimmers

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 12:38:25 GMT

It is surprising how many carbs are required. I was in to see the dietician, I am overweight and diabetic. When I follow the regimum of swim, bike, run (I walk not run) every day. Eat 3 well balanced meals and have 3 snacks a day I can go off my medication for diabetese and high blood pressure. I must have my carbs and in grater amounts then I ever thought.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 08:57:41 GMT

Originally posted by Kevin in MD Your lifeguard friend is a little off base. It is true that at lower exertions you will burn higher relative proportions of fat. However, at any swimming velocity you are burning substantial amounts of glycogen form your stores. Those stores need to be full for you to perform your best. There's a pretty good book out called "Advanced Sports Nutrition" published here in the states by Human Kinetics. He covers the state of the art in nutrition research pretty thoroughly and you will definitely find good info and a good background on nutrition for distance swimming. As for monitoring heart rate, heart rate is a very important measure in running and to some degree for cycling because the same speeds can mean very different efforts. However, in a pool of constant distance and without substantial waves, the energy required to swim at a given speed is very reproducible form day to do. Swimming 10 seconds under your threshold pace on tuesday requires the same amount of energy it required on wednesday. The book is really great. Human Kinetics is a great company. They provide wonderful benefits to the Champaign/Urbana area. Each Spring they sponsor a race in the Crystal Laqe Park. They donate money to area nonprofits. Their management is required t sit on nonprofit boards. Go to their website and look at the wide range of books they publish.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 08:01:06 GMT

Originally posted by totalswimm Are your training sessions in excess of two hours? . No. I swim for about 90 minutes per session. And I feel best if I do not cut on carbs too much. So, judging by what my body tellst us, I just need some balanced diet - some carbs (eg. fruit) before session, complex carbs and protein in the post-session meal, protein-fat later during the day. This is what makes me feel fine and what makes me keep going during the session.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:35:27 GMT

Everyone has their own idea, we need carbs, protien and fat. 40/30/30 or what ever combination you wish.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:13:30 GMT

Heart rate monitors are available, or you can use perceived effort (less precise). Fortunately, I don't have any trouble finding my pulse.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:01:44 GMT

By the way, do you know how to be accurate in checking heartrate? It takes me several seconds to find my pulse when I am tired after a block and in that time it drops down a bit (I very quickly come back to my normal pulse after effort). I never know exactly at what HR I was swimming. Are there any instruments for checking pulse? Or maybe you can estimate the HR by the effort you put into exercise?

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:35:04 GMT

Your muscles need the carbs to replace the glycogen which is depleted during vigorous exercise. He may have been thinking of the fat utilization which occurs during low level exercise (En1, HR 30-50 bpm below max. HR).

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 10:54:03 GMT

Originally posted by Kevin in MD Swimming 10 seconds under your threshold pace on tuesday requires the same amount of energy it required on wednesday. For the most part, I agree with you--I don't use heart rate much, but it can be useful. For example, if I'm having a bad workout and struggling to exceed my threshold pace, my heart rate will tell me if I'm really pushing as hard as I think I am.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Former Member — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:16:51 GMT

Kevin Dr Shute told me years ago that vitamine e helped in the transfer of glycogen to the muscle and that too much iron effected the transfer negatively.

RE: nutrition for long distance swimmers

Kevin in MD — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:35:08 GMT

Your lifeguard friend is a little off base. It is true that at lower exertions you will burn higher relative proportions of fat. However, at any swimming velocity you are burning substantial amounts of glycogen form your stores. Those stores need to be full for you to perform your best. There's a pretty good book out called "Advanced Sports Nutrition" published here in the states by Human Kinetics. He covers the state of the art in nutrition research pretty thoroughly and you will definitely find good info and a good background on nutrition for distance swimming. As for monitoring heart rate, heart rate is a very important measure in running and to some degree for cycling because the same speeds can mean very different efforts. However, in a pool of constant distance and without substantial waves, the energy required to swim at a given speed is very reproducible form day to do. Swimming 10 seconds under your threshold pace on tuesday requires the same amount of energy it required on wednesday.