Sports Nutrition

Nutrition is the most important part of any fitness program.

When you combine good nutrition with your training, you will see better results compared with just an ordinary gym routine and dieting. Without proper nutrition you can workout until you're blue in the face and get only minimal results.

A healthy nutrition program is the best way to jump start your fitness in a healthy way. If you dedicate yourself to these programs your friends will want to know your secret when they see your results.

Calorie Calculator

Estimate the calories you burn when swimming. Values are rough guidelines and vary with your fitness level, metabolism, your size and weight.

Pace:
Backstroke Backstroke, fully clothed Breaststroke Breaststroke, fully clothed Butterfly Butterfly, fully clothed Sidestroke Sidestroke, fully clothed Swimming, treading water, moderate effort Swimming in lake, ocean, river Swimming leisurely, not lap swimming Swimming laps, freestyle, slow, moderate or light effort Swimming crawl, slow (50m/min), moderate or light effort Synchronized swimming Swimming, treading water, fast, vigorous effort Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort Swimming crawl, fast (75m/min), vigorous effort
Weight:
Kilograms Pounds
Time:
Minutes Hours    

Reach Your Goals!

Start strong. Eat a healthy breakfast. If you don’t, you will tend to overeat the rest of the day.

Curb your appetite. Drink a glass of water before every meal. It will help you fill up faster and help you eat less.

Slow down. Eat slower and taste your food. Give your mind time to send the message to you that you’re satisfied.

Stay active. Exercise. Move more and eat less. Eating and exercise go hand in hand, one of the quickest ways to get you to your goals.

Pick healthier foods at least 70% of the time. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and good protein sources are all essential to a healthy body’s diet. It can be a shock to the system for people who don’t typically eat well. Combine it with a high quality nutrition program.

Water over alcohol.  Drinking water in place of alcohol will keep you hydrated and keep your energy level high. It will also help to avoid taking on unnecessary calories.

Hydration and Fuelling during Exercise

Start drinking lots and lots of water to get properly hydrated. Drink water before, during and after your workout to regulate body temperature.

Water is so important for good health. Consuming ample amounts is absolutely essential for fuelling health and energy. It makes up over 70% of your body. It helps produce energy, detoxifies, regulates body temperature, builds new cells and lubricates joints.

As a general guideline, try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, about 2 litres. If you exercise you'll probably need to drink more. Soft drinks are not good for replacing lost fluids because of their high calorie content.

Drink During Training

Nutrition is vital to power your performance. Drink a good blend of carbohydrates to help with caloric utilisation for sustained performance. Protein acts as a protective measure, reducing muscle breakdown during prolonged exercise.

Together, these effects are likely to have a positive impact on day-to-day practices, and ultimately competition performance.

Encourage your team to consume 6-8% carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages frequently (about half a cup every 10-15 minutes) during workouts lasting longer than an hour to maintain fluid balance (prevent dehydration) and spare glycogen.

Failure to maintain a hydrated state can lead to detrimental changes in the cardiovascular response to exercise, over-heating of the body and decreases in both maximal power and work capacity.

Water losses of 1% of your total body weight can impair functioning both mentally and physically. Losses of 4% can cause headaches, loss of energy, muscle weakness and irritability. Losses of 7% can be fatal. In addition to staying hydrated, athletes are faced with the task of fuelling their bodies for performance.

Eat Before Training

3 to 4 hours before training

• fresh fruit
• whole wheat bread, bagels
• whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• yogurt
• toast/bread with a bit of peanut butter, or cheese
• water

2 to 3 hours before training

• fresh fruits
• whole wheat bread, bagels, pasta
• yogurt
• water

1 hour or less before training

• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• energy bars
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

Eat After Training

• Fruit, Veggies, Yogurt
• High quality protein shake to rebuild muscles

If you do not want to eat a full meal late in the evening, drink a health shake with protein.

Try blending yogurt, fruit and whey protein powder with ice for a tasty light meal. Pair the shake with whole grain crackers or a piece of fruit.

Junk Foods You Better Avoid

It is important to cut out all processed foods too. This will ensure a recruit is ready for the nutritional changes at basic training. In addition, this is a great way to get a body fit and ready for the demanding physical stress to come. Avoid anything that is processed, refined, or enriched. All of that means it is unhealthy. Fast food means FAT FOOD. Junk food is not food, it's just junk.

Stop eating fast food, junk food, candy, and all that other fatty food. No soda, no cookies, no sweets. No bread unless it is whole grain.

Only eat fruit after a workout because most of it has naturally occurring sugars in them so you will burn it up quicker if you eat it afterwards.

Only drink water and fresh squeezed juice. Nothing else. Most other drinks contain a lot of unwanted sugar.

If you smoke, stop right away! Cigarettes stink and are tactically unsound for resuscitation training.

Don’t wait until the last minute to quit smoking and drinking. Smokers have the hardest time with powerful swim training. You need to remember how difficult boot camp will be without adding nicotine withdrawals to the mix. In addition, it will be so much easier to run and swim with clean lungs!

Lifeguards should also give up alcohol. It makes getting into shape so much more difficult. Quit your vices gradually over 30 days.