By Jason Tillotson, Swimming World College Intern.
Swimmers know all too well the feeling of depletion and exhaustion after two long practices, plus dry land training, weights, stretching and more each day. Without proper nutrition a swimmer’s body can actually become weaker, while under intense training and if not carefully looked after, swimmer’s can lose very unhealthy amounts of weight over short periods of time.
In order to ensure that swimmers stay healthy and fit, under extremely demanding training periods, it is imperative that one takes care of their body and closely monitors what they put in. The best way to think of a swimmer’s body is like a motor vehicle. The better the fuel grade, the better the car will run, and for longer. If you put unhealthy food in, you get undesirable results in both training and in racing. Now, of course, we all know the famous stories of world record holder Ryan Lochte eating McDonalds for many meals during the Beijing Olympic Games, but that is not the case for many.
Most athletic nutritionists agree that minutes after completely each workout, one should replenish the calories and energy burned during the workout. Within the next hour, one should eat again in preparation for the next workout. Swimmers are known for having tight and busy schedules as well, which calls for a lot of snacking, and, when done well,
Here are five great snacks to have after each practice that help ensure quick, long lasting recovery.
Greek Yogurt.
Photo Courtesy: Flickr
Greek yogurt typically doesn’t have too much sugar in it, which is always good. With an average of 17 grams of protein, Greek yogurt can help replenish muscle fibers quickly to aide in both recovery and muscle growth.
Fruit.
Photo Courtesy: Sandy Austin
Bananas are go-to anti-crap food for swimmers, and for good reasons. The potassium and proteins in bananas are key to helping muscle fibers fire quickly and without error. Some other fruits like kiwi and pineapple can help heal minor injuries in the short term, since they have natural sugars, loads of anti-oxidants and simple carbohydrates.
Eggs.
Photo Courtesy: James Bowe
Any style and type of eggs are good for quick muscle recovery. Adding veggies to an egg-white omelet is just one example of a tasty way to gain back some of the many calories lost while training. Vegetables add some balance to the eggs in terms of the carbohydrates to protein ratio.
Chocolate Milk.
Photo Courtesy: Flickr
Chocolate milk has been a staple recovery tool for swimmers for decades. Olympian Tyler Clary talks about how chocolate milk helps replenish glycogen in the muscles and creates for a perfect carb to protein ratio. Not only does chocolate milk help replenish the muscles but it also helps build stronger muscle fibers, after each workout.
Trying any combination of these quick and easy snacks will help guarantee a speedy recovery in between or after taxing training sessions.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
bees knees :p
Has anyone looked at the ingredient list for chocolate milk? The main difference between chocolate milk and milk are two ingredients – cocoa and sugar. The reason you might think it is a “better” glycogen replenisher is the sugar they add. SUGAR – not a complex carbohydrate.
Maybe people drink it because it tastes “better” – maybe the sugar and cocoa?
I wish someone would spend some time to demolish this myth about it being better.
Erik, & Viiking..