Nutrition Upper Canada Swim Club

Meet Eats

Denis Collier RD, MS,CSEP,CEP

Although science is by far makinds greatest tool for determining facts, sometimes conflicting studies lead to confusion. Such is the case when it comes to the best refuleing practices for athletes competing multiple times in one day. In situations like this it becomes the job of professionals like myself to suggest"promising" practices when the "best" practices are unknown. Instead of focusing on the confusion, let's examine what we know:

In athletic events that require the body to tap into its carbohydrate reserves for fuel (i.e. swimming), an athlete should replace these losses by consuming carbohydrates as soon as possible after completion of an event, to ensure carbohydrate levels are optimised before the next event.
Although somewhat controversial, the glycemic index is a tool that can be used to tell us which foods contain carbohydrates that are absorbed the fastest. I often recommend water melon and/or non-fructose based sport drinks to swimmers at a competition.

The jury is still oiut on the role of protein in rapid glycogen replacement. Some evidence suggests it is beneficial, other evidence suggest it has no effect. I would personnaly be more comfortable with a swimmer including protein in a post-race snack when the next race is 3-4 hours away. As the time between races gets smaller than this, I would suggest sticking to the carbohydrates that we know get absorbed quickly.

High Glycemic Index samples:

GRAINS: Instant rice, french baguette, Corn Flakes, Rice Cakes, Corn Bran, Bran Flakes, Crackers (soda, graham), Kaiser Roll, White bread, Bagel
FRUITS/VEGETABLE: Potatoes, Dried Dates, Water Melon
OTHER: Glucose, Gatorade, Pretzels, Jelly Beans, Corn Chips, Popcorn, Pop Tarts, Skittles

Most fruits are very low in glycemic index, and though healthy, take far too long to process for immediate needs.