A comprehensive guide to nutrition for young swimmers

Balancing the nutritional requirements of a physically demanding sport for people with a developing body is a problem for teenage swimmers. In this article, Swim Time Log will be share the fundamentals of nutrition for young swimmers, providing information on what supports healthy growth and optimal performance for both parents and athletes.

Understanding nutrition for young swimmers

A person’s growth stages occur throughout their life. Young swimmers have special nutritional needs due to the physical demands of swimming and the continuous growth process. Having in-depth knowledge of the following areas is crucial for improving their training and overall health:

Developing bodies’ specific requirements

Knowing Your Body’s Requirement is the First Step

• Increased calorie needs: Teens need more calories than adults do since their bodies are continually changing and growing.
• Enhanced protein requirements: Protein is critical for developing and repairing muscles, which is necessary for both growth and post-workout recovery.
• Focus on important nutrients: Young swimmers need enough calcium for strong bones, iron to carry oxygen around the body, and vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and grow.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients play an important in the young swimmer’s diet, below are some common nutrients to include:

• Carbohydrates: Swimming’s primary energy source. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (brown rice, oats) are good choices for complex carbs since they deliver energy slowly but steadily.
• Protein: An essential nutrient for developing and maintaining strong muscles, fostering growth, and strengthening the immune system. You can help them get enough protein by including foods like eggs, beans, lentils, chicken, and fish in their diet.
• Healthy fats: Essential for making hormones, building cells, and feeling full. Skip the bad fats and go for the good ones, like olive oil, avocado, almonds, and seeds.

Meal for young swimmers with complete macronutrients

Micronutrients

Essential micronutrients like vitamins and minerals help the body with a lot of things, like metabolism, making energy, and keeping the immune system strong. For these nutrients to be in nutrition for teenage swimmers, make sure it’s varied and full of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Micronutrients in diets for young swimmer

Some bad habits affect the nutrition of young swimmers

• Picky eating habits: Teenagers are known for being picky eaters. Make sure they are part of the meal planning process, provide them with a range of nutritious options, and establish clear limits.
• Not enough time to cook: It might be challenging to prepare nutritious meals when one has a busy schedule. Strategies that have been shown to be useful include using products that are easy to prepare, getting teenagers involved in meal planning, or exploring choices for healthy meal delivery.
• False claims and trendy eating plans: Misleading claims regarding the nutritional value of various foods may reach young swimmers. They must be informed about the need for a balanced diet and encouraged to seek more information about nutrition for young swimmers, advice from trained experts, such as sports nutritionists or registered dietitians.

Mastering meal plans for teenage swimmers

Pre-workout meals (2-3 hours before)

For long-lasting energy, prioritise whole grains and complex carbs like oatmeal and brown rice toast. Pair these with lean proteins like eggs, yoghurt, or chicken breast.

For extra vitamin and mineral content, eat some fruits and veggies.

An Example for Pre-workout Meal

Some examples of such foods include granola, banana slices, scrambled eggs on whole-grain bread, and fruit and nut toppings for oatmeal.

Post-workout meals (within 30-60 minutes after)

Consume carbs to fill up glycogen stores and protein to rebuild muscular tissue. Additionally, consume healthy fats to promote fullness and general well-being.You can try the following dishes for your post-workout meals: a grilled salmon sandwich with avocado and whole-wheat bread, lentil soup served with whole-wheat bread, and roasted veggies and brown rice.

Fish will Provide You Enough Energy and Nutrition for Young Swimmers

Read more: Best food to eat after swimming workout

Guidelines for hydration

Make sure to drink water regularly throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. The recommended fluid intake when exercising is 236 ml every 15 minutes. And remember to drink electrolyte-rich liquids  before, during, and after long or intense workouts.

Remember to Stay Hydrated Young Swimmers!

Healthy snacking

If you want to keep your energy up and not overeat at meals, choose snacks that are rich in nutrients. Trail mix, hard-boiled eggs, hummus on veggie sticks, fruit and nut butter, yogurt and granola, and so on are some of the options.

Sample meal plan according to nutrition for young swimmers

Individualised meal plans should be developed for swimmers according to their unique requirements, training intensity, and objectives. An individualised strategy to maximise development and performance needs to be created with the assistance of a certified dietitian or sports nutritionist.

However, Swim Time Log can recommend this meal plan base on nutrition for young swimmers as an example for you:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries and nuts, scrambled eggs with whole-wheat toast and avocado, Greek yogurt with granola and fruit.
• Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich on whole-wheat bread with carrots and cucumbers, lentil soup with whole-wheat crackers, tuna salad wrap with lettuce and tomato.
• Dinner: Salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli, turkey chili with brown rice and whole-wheat bread, vegetarian stir-fry with tofu and brown rice.

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Read more: Learn about reasonable and effective swimming nutrition for swimmers