What Should Athletes Eat At a Swim Meet?
A swim meet is an all-day sporting event that requires a lot out of every athlete. Whether at the high school or college level, it is imperative that athletes eat nutritious meals before, during and after the meet to perform at their best, and maintain their health. Understanding the relationships between portion control, macro-nutrients, and timing are all extremely important for athletes. Here at SportsGrub we provide meal catering for sporting events at the college and high school levels in Massachusetts. Our team makes individually packaged meals that are designed around sports nutrition to help students achieve their goals during events. Keep reading to learn more about timing and food types that can help with athletic performance, or contact us for mor information.
What Should Student Athletes Eat The Night Before A Swim Meet
Just like with track and field, sports nutritionists often recommend carbohydrates for preparation before an all-day sporting event. Carbohydrates, often shortened as carbs, are essential as they help provide stable energy for the upcoming day. Many top-performing athletes recommend having a meal that is high in carbs, low in fats, and moderate in terms of protein the day before a race. Additionally, it is important to avoid foods that can upset your stomach. Spicy foods or foods that have dairy that could lead to gas could cause issues for a swimmer during their race. Some great examples of foods that are high in carbs are whole wheat pasta, whole wheat pancakes, hummus, multi-grain bagels, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and sweet potatoes. These are great meals to consider either the morning of a race or the night before.
When Should I Eat Before My Race At A Swim Meet?
The goal of a pre-race meal is to make sure you have the energy to compete at your best performance. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose which is a sugar. It is a main source of energy for our bodies. During the night our glycogen levels drop. Glycogen needs to be replenished in the morning before a race. Ideally you want to eat 3-4 hours before the start of your race time. This gives your body enough time to digest the food you eat and convert glucose into glycogen. One strategy is to have a meal with high carbs the night before your swim meet like whole wheat pasta, and then have something small the morning of the swim meet like a fruit smoothie.
What Should I Eat After A Swim Meet?
Eating after athletic events is just as important as eating before them. While your race might be done, the best way to recover energy and convert physical activity into the healthy growth of muscles groups is to eat well before and after activity. While it is recommended to focus on carbs before a race, a recommendation for after a race is protein. Protein can help repair the muscles that were used during the swim meat. Chicken, turkey, fish, nuts, eggs, or hummus are all great ways to get protein into your body after a swimming event.
Choose SportsGrub For Away Game Meals
SportsGrub delivers meals to sporting events throughout Massachusetts to help high school students and college athletes get delicious meals built around healthy eating. If you are interested in working with SportsGrub click below for more information.