To Eat Or Not To Eat Before Swimming
Swimming is nothing but an intense form of physical exercise which makes it quite similar to any other form of cardio workout. The rules of eating before and after a workout session directly apply to swim sessions as well.
Eating before or after swimming: Fact or Fiction?
It is important to not fill your kid’s tummy to the brim right before you send them for swimming. Having said that, it is equally unacceptable to send them off on a totally empty stomach. The wiser option is to give them a light snack that will curb their hunger pangs along with proving them just the right amount of energy they need.
This will ensure that their body focuses on the training and the physical activity while swimming rather than spending its energy on the digestion and metabolism of the food.
Not only that, it even prevents your kid from becoming fatigued and lethargic due to a heavy meal. A light snack rich in protein and low in carbs will only increase your child’s physical performance while swimming.
Post swimming, your kid will most likely be hungry since all their energy reserves would have been used up. This is the time you need to feed them plenty of protein and little carbs which will aid in building lean muscle mass.
How does eating before or after swimming influence your kids’ performance?
- Swallowing water:
If you feed your kid something heavy right before their swimming lessons, there is a fat chance that they may not perform well during their practice. The heavily chlorinated water is bound to get into your kid’s mouth making them sick and most likely to throw up.
The chances of it only increase if your kid has a sensitive stomach or has had a heavy meal just prior to the swimming session.
There have been multiple cases of kids vomiting due to becoming sick which not only affects their health but also has a negative effect on other kids as well.
- Intense physical activity:
A heavy meal may cause your kid to become drowsy and inactive. Swimming needs intense physical activity all over your body making use of the arms, legs, neck, and abdomen. Having a full tummy can get in the way of intense training which will hinder your kid’s progress in the long run.
- Fatigue and lethargy:
In case you don’t feed your kid anything at all right before their swimming sessions, it may take a toll on their lessons thereby causing their performance levels to drop in the long run. Therefore, sending your kid to their swimming classes on an empty stomach is also not quite appropriate or healthy.
How can you monitor your kid’s diet as per their swimming sessions?
Before you understand what to feed your kid and what not, it is important to feed your child all through the day instead of waiting for the last moment.
This way your kid’s mind and body will be active enough to take on the swimming sessions without having to fill up on food right before the training begins.
Before swimming:
The only feasible solution here is to feed your kid a light snack before sending them off to their swimming sessions. Being totally hungry or completely on an empty stomach are both equally bad options.
The trick is to consume complex carbs along with easy-to-digest light proteins as well just before your training. Some light snack options to consider are as follows:
- A multigrain snack or protein bar
- Protein milkshake with any fruit flavor
- Banana with yogurt
- Chopped mixed fruit salad
- Sandwiches like peanut butter toast
- Nuts and dry fruits like cashews and dates
Having said that, ensure that your kid doesn’t consume too much protein before swimming since that will take a while to digest. Your child’s body will be working towards digesting proteins instead of aiding in the training sessions.
During swimming:
Some kids even feel hungry while undergoing training for their swimming lessons. When that happens, it is best to let your child have an apple or a banana.
These are not only easy to digest but also supply instant energy. Ready to eat snack bars or protein bars also work just fine in this regard.
After swimming:
Post swimming, your kid will feel a little muscle tear and soreness which is quite common even for regular swimmers. His calls for protein consumption to deal with muscle fatigue which aids in building lean muscle mass in the long run.
In addition to that, supplement your child’s diet with healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acid, vitamins, minerals, and complex carbs. Some foods options to consider are as follows:
- Boiled eggs
- Roasted or grilled white meat
- Meatballs with salad
- Green leafy veggies
- Nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, legumes, and pulses
- Citrus fruits and vegetables
- Yoghurt and milk
What nutrients must your kid consume largely?
Healthy fats: Omega 3 fatty acids from salmon, tuna, sardines, soy
Complex carbs: Whole wheat bread, whole grains, pasta, potatoes, legumes, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, brown rice, corn
Proteins: White meat, seeds, nuts, poultry, milk and milk products, cottage cheese, yoghurt, oats, broccoli, almonds, eggs
Simple carbs: Fruits sugars like apple, banana, and mango
Vitamins and minerals: Green leafy veggies like broccoli, spinach, kale. Citrus fruits like pomegranate, oranges, sweet lime, grapefruit
Keep your kid well hydrated:
Our bodies lose a lot of water while exercising. Hence it is important that your kid keeps consuming a few sips of water at regular intervals to keep topping amount of water in their bodies. Dehydration can result in overexertion since the body than uses energy to make up for the lack of water instead of using it for the intense swimming training.
Summing it up:
Having said that, it is nothing but a method of trial and error before you find out what works the best for your kids in this regard. Therefore, make it a point to consider all these factors before you lay out a meal plan for your kids in line with their swimming sessions.
References:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-eat-during-swimhttps://www.livestrong.com/article/19413-diet-swimmer/
