NUTRITION
FAT BUILDING
Carbohydrate, if not used to fuel exercise, will be stored as fat, but there are two other good reasons for maintaining a carb-rich diet: it will fuel eff ective training – key to any successful Channel crossing at empt – and it is necessary to have lots of carbohydrate in order to utilise fat as fuel during training and the crossing. The fat percentage of the diet should be derived from good
fats, not saturated fats found in junk food, baked goods and dairy. Look for foods that are particularly high in mono-unsaturated, but also poly-unsaturated fats. Mono-unsaturated fats are good as they clear away artery-clogging residue leſt behind by saturated fats, known as cholesterol, and are also much more useful to body function and health – primarily cell structure. Plant-based fats, including olive oil, peanut oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado are generally those high in mono-unsaturated fats.
ENERGY DENSITY In general, to gain weight eff ectively a swimmer should look to the energy density of foods, in other words, the amount of energy (or calories) for a certain weight of that food. Basing a diet on more energy-dense food means that more calories will be consumed per meal and so weight gain will be faster. Calorie-dense foods, like nuts, avocado, potatoes, pasta, bagels, rice, beans, bananas and dried fruit are also great as they contain vitamins and minerals that are vital to bodily processes. Low-fi bre carbs, like chocolate milk and puff ed rice, are also a great option as fi bre slows the digestion process and also leaves you feeling fuller for longer (such foods are also great for carb loading in the days before the swim). Lastly, timing may also be important. In the hour or so aſt er
training, the body uses nutrients more eff ectively than normal to increase recovery. In the case of the swimmer looking to bulk up, I would suggest that he or she could increase recovery with a liquid- based sports supplement, but then wait for over an hour to actually eat a meal. In this way, recovery will be maintained, but food will be stored as fat rather than being used up in recovery.
FEEDING DURING A SWIM Many swimmers choose to use Maxim nutritional products for channel crossings. However, if we were to use research to design a nutrition/hydration plan, what would it look like? Traditional recommendations for endurance exercise have been that athletes should consume around 60g of carbohydrate per hour during exercise. However, recent research suggests that this is only true if you’re just consuming one type of carbohydrate and you can actually take on board far more. Carbohydrates vary because of their molecular structure: more complex structures are known as starches and take longer for the body to break down, while simple carbohydrates are used more easily for energy. Of these simple carbs, you can have sucrose (table sugar), glucose (used in many sport supplements) or fructose (found in fruit), and mixing these means you can take on more energy. Sports supplements have recently been doing just this, making it possible to consume over 100g of carbohydrate per hour.
34
LAY OFF THE CHAMPAGNE! Aſt er an epic challenge like the Channel, food-and-drink- based celebrations should be postponed for a few days, to allow for eff ective recovery. This can be achieved – as aſt er any exercise – by consuming 15-20g of protein as soon as possible aſt er exercise, along with about 1-2g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight. Research has shown that there is a window of opportunity, up to about 30 minutes aſt er training, when the body uses nutrients much more eff ectively than at rest, using them to refuel the muscles and stop muscle breakdown (for energy), so it is key to maximise this opportunity. The protein is best derived from recovery products like whey protein, as these absorb faster than meat proteins. Ensure that you drink lit le and oſt en, preferably from a drink containing electrolytes. No bubbly – sorry!
TO GAIN WEIGHT YOU NEED TO CONSUME MORE ENERGY THAN YOU BURN BUT WHERE THE ENERGY COMES FROM IS KEY
As a basic recommendation, I would suggest that a minimum of 60g of carbohydrate should be taken on board every hour, through gels, isotonic energy drinks, sweets, or savoury options like pretzels or crisps. The cold seawater will mean that sweat losses will not be as high as they might be while exercising on land, however you should try to drink around 500ml of fl uid (ideally with electrolytes) per hour. These recommendations are a starting point only – it’s important to listen to your body in training to see if you need to adjust these fi gures to suit you.
LOSING WEIGHT AFTER A LONG SWIM Energy density is again the key here: look to eat foods that are low in energy density, like salads, green leafy vegetables, red pepper, whole grains and citrus fruits, as well as vegetable or non-cream- based soups.
This need not result in more hunger pangs, as many of these foods contain a high quantity of water. Water bulks out the food to make it more satiating, but also contains no calories, so will help to shiſt the pre-swim weight.
In the opposite idea to the pre-swim eating, at this time food should be eaten much closer to the end of training. Cross-training, i.e. adding cycling and other sports to your routine, is another excellent way to shed unwanted pounds. Whatever the mechanism, increasing body fat seems to aid endurance swims, and to achieve a successful weight gain it should be undertaken over a long period of time by gradually increasing the amount of calories consumed through energy-dense foods rather than fat y ones. Good luck! ○
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76