What do you eat the day before and the morning of a swim meet?
Do you carbo load? or Do you protein up?
Do you eat lots or meal replacement bars? or Do you eat lots of "real food"?
Do you drink "sports beverages"? or Do you drink "just" water?
I've said before what I do,and it has appalled some. I like to eat a big breakfast about 3 hours before I swim. I'll eat a balanced meal. Carbo loading is really only good for longer events and if you are going to do it right you should carbo fast until the day before the event. It seems more trouble than it's worth. I do like the excuse to eat a big dessert the night before though. At the meet I eat balance bars any time I get hungry. I don't feel comfortable if my stomach is growling.I drink 1/2 strength gatoraide any time I think about it,which is often.
Night before I usually do eat carbs. Even though it's not true "carb loading" it's still energy food. The morning of I usually only eat a banana unless it's an afternoon start then I eat cereal and banana.
During the meet I like protien (crackers and peanut butter) but sometimes just pretzels. I drink gatorade during the meet but also have water with me in case the gatorade is not sitting well (it sometimes bothers my stomach). I also eat evergy bars. Used to be Dr. Stiens bagel bars but I can't get them any more so I'm on Balance bars now. I do long distance events so I need that stomach just right feeling.
Alison
I think it depends on the event.
Here we go again.
Tom Bucy started eating Pizza before a marathon race, Abou Heif a couple of roasted chickens, me a large breakfast of bacon, eggs and home fries, or a steak with all the trimmins. I have even eaten Pizza.
As a drink I used to buy coca cola syrup add plain water, no fizzy stuff.
Before a regular meet I would eat a good breakfast of bacon and eggs or a steak. Before I raced any thing I felt like, hot beef sandwich, a steak diner and for desert a banana split, or an icecream sundae, either butterscotch or strawberry topping.
The only thing is eat anything that makes you feel good and does not make you sick.
I have a 500 fr. at a meet tomorrow and plan to follow the conventional wisdom of eating plenty of carbs today. My best times in practice so far are roughly the same speed as when I was 12 years old. I'd be happy to match my age 13 times tomorrow, we'll see!
