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Swim Club Nutrition Resources |
Killarney Swim Club Presentation Summary (November 14, 2009) Athletes (swimmers) need more energy than people who do not exercise regularly It is important to follow Canada’s Food Guide and consume the maximum servings of each food group everyday. Most competitive swimmers need more than the maximum servings to get enough energy to train and compete at their best. Eating a variety of foods provides all the vitamin and minerals you need to keep your body healthy and help it recover from hard training. For more information review these resourses from the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC): Training Diet Action Plans and From Training Diet to Meal Plans. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for training and racing Carbohydrates are found in many different foods. Your best choices of high carbohydrate foods include whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables (e.g. potatoes), and milk products (or alternatives such as soy milk). Sugar, and sugary foods and drinks, are also high in carbohydrates but should be limited in your diet because they have very little vitamins, minerals or fibre. For more information review these resourses from the CAC: Training Diet Carbohydrate Go Food and Energize with Carbohydrate Planning ahead is an important part of an athlete’s healthy diet To keep your energy level up you need to eat every 2 to 4 hours while awake. All meals and snacks should include a healthy carbohydrate rich food. Carry healthy snacks with you to school, while traveling or when ever you are “on the go”. Fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, granola bars, dried cereal, pretzels and lower-fat crackers or biscuits are some ideas of snacks that you can carry with you. For more information review the CAC resource Tournament Tips - Fluids and foods for multi-event/multi-training days Keep hydrated...drink fluids throughout the day to keep well hydrated. Bring your own water bottle to swim practices and meets, and drink often. Water is your best choice for fluid, but milk and 100% fruit juice are also good options. To make your own sport drink dilute fruit juice with water and add a pinch of salt. For parents I recommend reviewing the CAC resource Sport Nutrition for Parents. Any questions or comments are welcome and can be forwarded to kimyoung.RD@gmail.com. |