So in preparation for the ILMSA State Meet and for Nationals I feel it's important for us to take a moment to focus on the nutritional aspects our bodies need especially during competition.
Now - this comes from me - who when I usually give my list of events at a meet - people usually get bug eyed and ask if I'm positively insane. (You can sub "positively" with several other words ending in "ing"). That being said - I'm starting to feel like I've managed to capture that balance of nutrition during a meet that allows me to not feel bloated -but simultaneously - full of energy on the demands that I put on my body.
I personally don't do anything different with my diet before a meet. I feel that that only puts extra stress on your digestive system to adjust. During a meet - I pretty much strictly consume fruits (any will suffice, but I like bananas) and tons of water. After the meet - I love me some protein. Keeps me from over eating too.
What works for you? What do you eat? What do you drink? Is there something you eat before a meet? Something during? After? Perhaps this is something that can help you SFF Ande? ;)
I was looking for a thread like this before New England Championships! I couldn't find it, so I stuck with my usual, and it worked great.
please note - 85% of the reason I swim is so I can eat whatever I want.
The night before dinner I like to have some kind of pasta.
For breakfast I brought some oatmeal with flaxseed, brown sugar, cinnamon & raisins. Our hotel had a microwave, so I was able to eat right there in the room about 4 hours before my first event.
During the event, I snack on 2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (I eat a quarter of a sandwich whenever I have a break of 2 hours or more, and one quarter at the end of the day while I wait for the team to go to dinner.) I also like to snack on Veggie booty and an orange or pomegranate if it's in season. I drink a Gatorade after my first swim of the day, and then switch to water. Oh! And I snack on ginger candies when I get nervous, they help calm the butterflies. This past meet I felt I was better nourished than ever before.
And now, since I just had a great workout, I'm balancing that out with a slice of apple pie I made over the weekend.
I was looking for a thread like this before New England Championships! I couldn't find it, so I stuck with my usual, and it worked great.
please note - 85% of the reason I swim is so I can eat whatever I want.
The night before dinner I like to have some kind of pasta.
For breakfast I brought some oatmeal with flaxseed, brown sugar, cinnamon & raisins. Our hotel had a microwave, so I was able to eat right there in the room about 4 hours before my first event.
During the event, I snack on 2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (I eat a quarter of a sandwich whenever I have a break of 2 hours or more, and one quarter at the end of the day while I wait for the team to go to dinner.) I also like to snack on Veggie booty and an orange or pomegranate if it's in season. I drink a Gatorade after my first swim of the day, and then switch to water. Oh! And I snack on ginger candies when I get nervous, they help calm the butterflies. This past meet I felt I was better nourished than ever before.
And now, since I just had a great workout, I'm balancing that out with a slice of apple pie I made over the weekend.
