Lesson 7 - Drink Early and Often.
From USA Swimming’s Nutrition Pages
There are 2 reasons to drink fluids: (1) to stay hydrated,
and (2) to provide the body with fuel.
During Workout - Regardless of age or length of
workout, all swimmers need fluids during practice to stay hydrated. Easily
accomplished with a couple of sips from the water bottle every 15-20 minutes. As
swimmers progress, workouts get longer and tougher. It’s well established that
exercise beyond 90 minutes benefits from a supplemental fuel source. The sports
drink can provide it. But we still have hydration to think about. Drinks that
are too strong, or “concentrated,” can provide the fuel but also inhibit fluid
absorption and often lead to cramping.
Years of research tells us that drinks that are 6-8%
carbohydrate by weight provide the perfect balance. Enough carbohydrate to
provide a fuel source during long exercise, but not so much that will inhibit
fluid absorption. More than 8% tends to restrict both hydration and
absorption. A couple of sips every 15-20 minutes keeps the body fueled, helps
prevent unnecessary tissue breakdown, and maintains hydration. Today, only
Gatorade and Powerade meet the 6-8% criteria. Most other drinks are too strong
to be effective during workout.
After Workout – Water is an excellent choice to
replenish fluids after practice. It’s always wise to drink at least one cup. But
after a tough workout, replenishing fuel stores is equally important.
Competitive swimmers need a little over 1 gram of carbohydrate for every
kilogram they weigh (lbs/2.2) each hour after workout. And they need it
within the first hour.
Oftentimes, a sports drink that is easily digested and
quickly absorbed, such as Gatorade or Powerade can provide a convenient way to
get some of this fuel within the first 20 minutes. Accelerade, a newer drink on
the market may also do the trick. Endurox, perhaps, but beware of the high
protein drinks, as they often forgo the carbohydrate, and carbohydrate is what
you are trying to replenish within that first hour after workout. A little
protein won’t hurt, in fact a little bit of protein may actually help by
supporting tissue repair and re-building processes. But too much protein,
especially when it comes in place of carbohydrate, may actually be
detrimental to the post-workout recovery process.
**Remember…
1. Carbohydrate is the primary fuel source during tough
workouts. Protein is used as a fuel source during exercise only when
carbohydrate and fat are not present is sufficient quantities. This can happen
during long/tough workouts when the body uses much of its stored carbohydrate,
and it must find an additional source. If an additional carbohydrate source (ex.
Gatorade, Powerade) is not supplied, the body taps into stored protein,
aka your muscles. This is why we drink carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions during
workout…to spare muscle protein. And this is also why it is important to
replace carbohydrate stores lost during a workout…so you start the next workout
with a full tank of gas!
2. Following exercise, the body is very sensitive to the
hormone insulin. Insulin is that hormone that rises every time blood
sugar rises. In other words, every time a swimmer eats carbohydrate, which
causes blood sugar to rise, insulin goes up. Well, it’s insulin’s job to remove
sugar from the bloodstream, and it does so by facilitating its storage as
glycogen. Glycogen, the storage form for carbohydrate, is what the body taps
into for fuel when exercise is very intense. This can happen quite a bit during
a tough workout, which is why it’s important to see that glycogen is replenished
before the next practice.
During the Day – Staying hydrated during the day is
just as critical as hydrating during and after workouts. Most swimmers can do
this by incorporating a variety of fluids into their daily diet. Water, fruit
juice, milk, soups, etc, etc. Water is always an excellent choice, but other
drinks, including sports drinks (defined as 6-8% carbohydrate by weight) are
okay too. Just remember that variety is the key to a healthy diet. If you use a
sports drink during and after practice, it may be better to drink water and
juice during the day to stay hydrated. Juices are often healthier than sports
drinks in that their sugars are natural. Always keep in mind that juices and
sports drinks contribute to total caloric intake.
For the purpose of this article, a sports drink is defined as a 6-8%
carbohydrate-electrolyte solution. Do NOT include “energy drinks,” such as Red
Bull, 180o, Sobe, etc. These dietary supplements fall into the Yellow Light
category of the
Dietary Supplements
Theoretical Safety Ratings Scale.
(pdf file…requires AdobeAcrobat)