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by Kristin McCowan, MS

You know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that pays to begin fueling up before exercise. But what about before swimming? Didn’t Mom say to wait 45 minutes after eating before going in the water?

Don’t wait until race morning to train your body for the nutrition you need on race day.  Early morning swim practice is a great place to begin training your stomach and GI track to accept nutrition and absorb the needed fuel and electrolytes, particularly if you swim an hour or more at a moderate to high intensity. Intelligent pre-workout eating may also help you to avoid the post-swim hungry horrors, which can lead to poor food choices post-swim.

Studies show the recommended amount of carbohydrate pre-exercise is 1.0-4.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight 1-4 hours prior to the workout (training or racing). If you only have one hour before the swim, try 1 gram per kilogram of body weight, that’s 60 grams for a 130 pound athlete and nearly 80 grams for a 170 pound athlete.  But if you are like me you sometimes have only 30 minutes (or less!) between waking and hitting the water, so then what? 

There is no magic formula—you will have to experiment with different foods to find out what works for you, both in terms of energy and digestibility.  Stick to foods that are primarily carbohydrates, as foods containing protein and fats take longer to clear the stomach and leave you feeling full longer (that may be why Mom had the 45-minute rule).  Check the food label (or the chart below) to determine the grams of total carbohydrate of your snack. Sports drinks like Gatorade with a carbohydrate content of 4-8% are easily digestible as well and easier to ingest between sets.

Carbohydrate content of foods (Per one serving size)

Kristin has a Masters in Nutrition and Health Promotion and a Certificate in Sport Nutrition from Simmons College. She has been a triathlete since 1999. For more information on her nutrition services call (508)494-7488 or email: Kristin.mccowan@simmons.edu.

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