What to eat before swimming – Everything you need to know
Are you hungry for swimming training tips and wondering what the post-breakfast of swimming champions is?
Whether you’re looking for the optimum meal plan to get a personal record in the pool, or you want to ensure you’re hydrated and fuelled correctly before taking a dip – we’ve outlined what and when to eat during a training session.
Now, eating well is imperative for a focused workout. However, an Olympian going for Gold versus a hobby swimmer will be searching the shelves for different food groups and portion sizes while counting calories differently.
Your meal plan for swimming will have specific recommendations depending on your goals.
If you’re hitting the pool to lose weight compared to someone lapping up the lengths to put on muscle, expect different diets and even training intensities.
Let’s dip into the best times to eat for a swim and how you can mix up your food shop so that you’re not skipping out any crucial food groups for hydration, recovery, and energy.
Can You Eat Before Swimming?
Skipping the carbs before a swim session could mean your energy levels drag way before you’re ready to stop those lengths. Nutrition plays a core part before, during, and after a swim, so it’s recommended to have a high-energy snack pre-workout.
It’s been said for the longest time that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and with swimming it’s no exception. How you warm up and fuel up beforehand could make all the difference to your pool performance.
Here are some tasty treats to tuck into before a swim:
- Banana protein porridge.
- Peanut butter and honey on wholegrain toast (perfect for before and after a swim).
- Healthy smoothie (think frozen berries, nut butter – you can have as much fun with ingredients, and you know it’s going to be tasty and made in seconds).
Complex carbs are your best friend right before a swim, providing slow energy release that helps you throughout your session.
The right diet keeps you in the zone both mentally and physically. Compared to simple carbs, complex carbs are more nutrient-dense and give you additional fibre while releasing energy more slowly. So, you’re raring to go.
Complex Carb examples:
- Oats
- Veggies
- Rice
- Fruits
- Beans
- Lentils
The macronutrients, serving size, and overall meal plan may differ depending on your training intensity, physique, and weight goals. However, eating a varied, colourful diet is a simple way to feel good in the pool and get enough nutrients throughout the day.
Should You Wait an Hour to Swim After Eating?
Dreading cramps? Worried about a stitch or feeling sluggish after a protein-packed snack or hearty brekkie?
There’s no concrete evidence to suggest that eating before a swim has any impact. Sounds like it’s just a myth! Plus, fuelling right beforehand might even enhance your session – but you’ll know your body better than anyone else.
However, taking precautions is natural if it makes you feel more comfortable. So, there’s no harm in eating a larger meal a couple of hours before or a snack 30 minutes to an hour before jumping in the pool.
That said, a snack 30 minutes to an hour before a swim could be the fuel you need to speed up your lane time.
Do what’s right for you and makes you feel most comfortable. This may differ depending on your swimming goals, techniques, and abilities.
If you’re using the pool to cool down after a sweaty gym session, you don’t need to scrutinise over every bite!
The Night Before a Training Session
Once you’ve found a meal plan that works for you, sticking to a routine, maintaining consistency and building a plateful of all the nutritional goodness you need will become second nature.
Not only are additional carbohydrates key to performance and recovery – Build in additional fibre, proteins, healthy fats, veggies, and grains for a diverse meal that gives you everything you need.
Don’t get too bogged down in the “exact” dinners to eat after a long day of training or enjoying a leisurely pool day. You can get creative with the standard foods in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.
How about a piping hot plate of pasta with beef, oily fish and lentils – obviously saving room for dessert? If Katie Ledecky can enjoy apple pie and banana bread, who are you to scrimp on satisfying your sweet tooth?
Staying Fuelled: What Foods Are Good for Swimmers?
Carbs are key before you dip in the pool:
As mentioned above, complex carbohydrates should be your go-to, no matter your swimming ability or commitment. Eating carbs helps you stay energised for longer, without lagging behind. So, you won’t tire quickly and can work towards building on your training routine. Perhaps a few more lengths this week?
Play around with the foods you enjoy, and try to maintain a balanced diet. Unless you’re trying to compete, don’t put too much pressure on the perfect meal plan. Eat consistently and make small, healthy tweaks to swap out simple carbs or high-sugar snacks for slow-release energy nibbles.
Swimming: Meal Plan Tips for Swimming Champions
You may have heard top sportsmen and women trawling through 6-7000 calories a day due to their intensive workout stints on the run-up to worldwide competitions. Just because you’re working hard in the pool doesn’t mean you shouldn’t track your calorific intake if your goal is to lose, gain, or maintain weight in the pool.
We’ve covered protein-packed breakfasts pre-swimming and hefty pasta and meat plates at dinner time to keep you full and at optimum performance. However, it’s handy to have some poolside snacks and/or electrolyte drinks to keep you on track mid-session. This all very much depends on your goal and performance status.
But, hydration is so important for focusing, feeling good, and getting you to the end of a workout. No matter if you have a jam-packed exercise routine or not, drinking enough water is always a benefit.
Get an insight into what a day in the life of eating as an Olympic champion looks like here.
If you’re swimming for leisure, why not bring a bottle of water with an electrolyte tablet in? Even though you’re submerged in water, that doesn’t stop you from becoming dehydrated. So, quench your thirst with 16 ounces of fluid before going for a swim and sip your drink regularly throughout.
Final thoughts
Simply put, staying fuelled before, during, and after a swim puts you at your peak. Focus on slow-release carbs before heading to the pool and eat enough veggies, fibre, protein, and carbs post-swim for recovery. Stay hydrated mid-training (it goes without saying to drink enough – always), and build a workout plan that fits your lifestyle, routine, and relationship to swimming.