The Sport of Swimming
Swimming is a sport requiring commitment and dedication as an athlete typically trains 6-12 sessions a week and is often in the pool twice daily. Because of the high energy demands of training and competing there's a great deal of importance placed on eating for energy, recovery and health maintenance (AIS Sports Nutrition, 2009).
It is important that swimmers get a proper balance of foods and they must also know what, how much and when to eat (Cara Zolinsky, 2012). Proper hydration is also vital to performance as water is essential for keeping the body functioning (Sharon Rochester, 2002). All elite swimmers must know their specific nutritional requirements as well as the difference between eating for training and for competition. Proper nutrition can greatly improve performance and be a worthy asset to athletes.
It is important that swimmers get a proper balance of foods and they must also know what, how much and when to eat (Cara Zolinsky, 2012). Proper hydration is also vital to performance as water is essential for keeping the body functioning (Sharon Rochester, 2002). All elite swimmers must know their specific nutritional requirements as well as the difference between eating for training and for competition. Proper nutrition can greatly improve performance and be a worthy asset to athletes.
About the Website
Nutrition is an important aspect of any elite sport and consumption of the right foods and amounts can make a difference in an athlete's success (Paul Hata, 2008). As a swimmer myself, I know the advantages of eating correctly as I find that I perform better at training and competitions when I have been practicing good nutrition. I also lack in confidence and can’t swim well when I have poorer eating habits so find nutrition valuable. I have found that not enough information is supplied to young swimmers to help develop their eating habits and believe that guiding swimmers on nutrition is a crucial part of training and their development as athletes. Swimmers must be aware of how their body works and how the foods they consume affect their performance in competition and training. Nutrition is especially important to swimming because it allows you to replace fuel stores, repair and strengthen damaged muscle tissue and replace fluid losses that occur after exercise (Bolton Metro Swimming Squad, 2012). Because of the intense amounts of training, the right nutritional preparation and recovery is important to aid in ensuring peak performance at each training session. Nutrition is also of importance to experienced swimmers as “Rapid weight loss is swimmer Emily Seebohm's greatest fear” (Todd Balym, 2012). A recent Herald Sun article on the London bound Emily Seebohm discusses her experience in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where as a young swimmer her nerves combined with her not knowing what to do got the better of her. Had Seebohm been calmer and had a nutritional plan to follow, her loss of 7kg before her event would not have occurred. In creating this website I aim to educate young swimmers on their nutritional requirements which will hopefully encourage them to adapt good eating habits and become healthier individuals. Good nutrition will aid in good performance and essentially create better swimmers.