Nutrition and Hydration

Hertfordshire ASA

21 February 2016

Karen Howells

Dr KAREN HOWELLS

Swimmer, Coach, Sport

Psychologist, Sport and Fitness

Lecturer, Mother

What factors contribute to

superior performance?

Training, Skills, Recovery, Psychology, Nutrition &

Hydration

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Training, Skills, Recovery, Psychology, Nutrition &

Hydration

Nutrition – what, how much, and when

Hydration – what, how much, and when

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What do you expect the swimmers to eat

as a training day/competition?

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Focus on the functionality of the body rather than the

aesthetics

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Nutrition is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the consumption of food relative to the body’s needs.

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Nutrition is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the consumption of food relative to the body’s needs.

What do swimmers need?

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• Males – 2500 Kcal

• Females – 2000 Kcal

How much?

Not just restricted to exercise

Consider this . . .

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An Olympic Swimmer can burn between 3000-10000 calories per day (based on 2-4 hours

training per day)

A Recreational Swimmer can burn between 400-600 calories per hour (depending on

intensity)

An Age-Group/Youth

Swimmer?

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Nutrition is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the consumption of food relative to the body’s needs.

Macronutrients - those needed in large amounts by the body consisting of carbohydrate, fat and protein.

Micronutrients - those needed in smaller amounts consisting of vitamins and minerals.

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Carbohydrates

Fast Release

Slow Release

• Table sugar• Dried fruit• Fizzy drinks• Sweets

Digested quickly • Grains e.g.

porridge• Brown pasta• Potatoes

Digested slowly

Protein

• Build and repair muscle tissue

• Become hormones or promote hormone function

• Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance

• Promote the immune system

• Be an energy source (both at rest and exercise)

• Meat

• Fish

• Dairy

• Soy

• Legumes

• Nuts

• Grains

• Vegetables

Healthy Fats

• Fats which are naturally occurring and your body can use for:

– Immunity

– Vitamin Storage

– Hormone production

– Blood clotting

Fats which as usually man made and your body has no way of using them

Unhealthy or Trans fats

2. Baked potatoes – fill them with beans, sweet corn or chilli, not too much cheese, and remember to eat the skin, it’s the healthiest bit!.

1. Beans on wholemeal toast –And if beans aren’t your thing, eggs will do a similar job

Pre-Training Snacks Recovery

Include both fast absorbed carbohydrate & high quality protein.

Recommended servings:Approx. 50-70g of carbohydrates. Approx. 20-30g of protein.Avoid high fat foodsAvoid carbonated drinks

1 x 250 ml strawberry alpro soya milk = 19.25g carbs, 8.25g proteinFree Range Egg mayo sandwich = 37.6g carbs, 16.8g protein

100g banana = 23g carbs, 1.1g protein,100g of pumpkin seeds = 54g carbs, 19g protein

150g of trail mix = 67.3g carbs, 20.7g protein

Competition Recovery

• After each warm up and race

• Try to have balance e.g. carbs and protein

• If protein isn't as easy to transport or keep fresh etc have carbs and add protein to meals when possible.

• Good options for protein sources:

– Ambrosia rice pudding

– UHT or soya milk

– Nuts and seeds

Do your homework . . . Where can you eat away from home. Relying on Pizza Hut is not a great idea!

Hydration

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Hydration

• The need for hydration

• Sports drinks versus water

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What is hydration

• The act of replenishing the fluid stored in your body

• Humans are 50 - 60% water

• Humans can survive 4-6 weeks without food but only a few days without water

• Simple acts of breathing, temperature regulation and going to the toilet causes ½ - 1 litre fluid loss per day

• Average intake of water:

– Men: 3.7 litres per day

– Women: 2.7 litres per day

Hydration• Dehydration, can have serious effects, including:

– impaired cardiac function

– reduced blood flow to the muscles and kidneys

– increased risk of heat illnesses

– decreased ability to sweat and thus regulate body temperature

– loss of muscle glycogen stores

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Dehydration is bad for you – sweating when swimming – lead to

dehydration

Impact Dehydration Status

Impaired performance 2%

Capacity of muscle work declines 4%

Heat Exhaustion 6%

Hallucination 8%

Heat stroke and circulatory collapse 10%

Performance impact

• 2% dehydration = 10% drop in performance

• Training target = 60.0 seconds

• Dehydrated = 66.0 seconds

• How disappointed would you be with this session?

• If in a race it can be the difference between winning and losing

Hydration strategies

• Drink little and often.

• Always have a water bottle with you

• Drink water / cordial to hydrate

• Drinks which include caffeine cause greater urine loss. Bare this in mind when calculating your daily fluid intake.

• Drink 750ml per hour when training

Sports Drinks or Water?

• Sports Drinks – The downside

• High in carbohydrates (sugars)

• Additives such as colourings and stabilisers

• Ingredients that produce a stimulant effect.

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Training fluids

• Water based drinks.

• If training <1 hour no need for sports drinks.

• If training >1 hour at 80% or harder possible need for a sports drink.

• Ensure you start the session at optimum hydration.

• Rehydrate after training.

A word on caffeine

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• Endurance

– 3-9 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight one hour prior to exercise increased endurance running and cycling (3 mg per kg body weight = 2 regular size cups of drip-percolated coffee)

• Research suggests that caffeine ingestion improves performance during short-term exercise lasting approximately 5 minutes at maximum intensity

– No help to sprinting

A word on caffeine

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• Caffeine was removed from the list of banned substances in 2004

• But . . .

– Leads to dehydration

– Can increase the effects of somatic (physical) anxiety

Dr. Karen Howells

karenlhowells@btinternet.com

Mobile: 07526486466

Twitter: @mind4sportpsych

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