What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat can all change your racing performance. You should start thinking even more critically about what you eat at least the day before your race.
The Day Before
The day before a meet you shouldn't train too much. Maybe a session on stroke count and distance per stroke, but nothing too exhausting. You also need to eat well, foods and snacks that have high levels of complex carbohydrates are perfect. Some tips:
- Drink as much as you can, you need to be hydrated really well.
- Eat little but often, about every 2 to 4 hours to keep your blood sugar steady and your muscles properly fuelled.
- No big meals, over-eating will make you feel uncomfortable and sick the next day.
- Don't try any new foods that you're not familiar with. Spicy foods, baked beans, or pulses (unless you're used to them) can cause gasses and bloating, which will give you a hard time falling asleep and make you feel sick the next day.
The Morning of the Meet
- Eat! I know it's hard to eat on the morning of a meet, but you can't swim on an empty stomach. Stick to easily digested foods; like cereal, yoghurt, porridge, or some toast with jam.
- If you really can't bring yourself to eat something, at least drink. You can mix yourself a smoothie with fresh fruits, fruit juices, and some muesli mixed into it.
- You can try what suits you best as a Meet Breakfast on a normal training day, just to see what agrees with you.
Snacks Between Events
- Try to snack something as soon as possible after every event, to give yourself as much time as possible before the next event.
- Fatty foods won't do you any good on a swim meet. They'll make you feel heavy and sick, try the complex carbohydrates instead.
- Again, if you can't eat anything, drink. In this case sport drinks would be best, or flavoured milk and diluted juice. These will at least help replenish your energy supplies and assist your recovery.
What do you eat?
The link below will lead you to a blog, where you can discuss your favourite meet foods, and give each other ideas on how to make it more enjoyable.