Garrett Weber-Gale, part of the "greatest" swim relay in Olympic history is on a mission to educate swimmers on better nutrition. For more nutritional tips, visit AthleticFoodie.
Hydrating for Success
Protein Power!
Staying Energized
Sugar Cravings
The Grocery Store
Fueling After Practice
Spaghetti Fest Myths
Bedtime Eating 411
Have anymore additional tips? Share your comments below!
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Patty
2 years ago.
Garrett
My daughter is a 12 yr old swimmer and desires to do well this season. She seems to be attracted to sugar and particularly fruit snacks. How much sugar to you recommend and what advice can you give to cut down on the artificial sugar?
Thank you so much for telling me about foods I should eat before I swim. I am six years old, and I love swimming. Iam on a team, and I am getting better and better everyday. I work hard.
My son 12 years old , he is weight around 48 KG. , so i think it's little bit more than the regulaer weight (please advice) , We look very much to his food before and after his trainings , he is got 4 times a week swimming training , always ate after the training corn flakes (Chocolate with fiber & milk) , he is drinking around one litter skimmed milk daily , alwasy i keep him dirnk sport water throuhg his tranings , (more 5 times oxoygen) , one time bar of sweet daily after his lounch , is it good and enough for him ? please advice me
Energy drinks are fine. I generally like to have something with electrolytes and carbs before I workout and race. You could talk to a nutritionist and/or your coach to find a drink that might be specifically good for you.
Energy drinks sound kind of gross. Think about how syrupy and sugary a lot of them can be.
I'm not a professional so don't necessarily go off my advice without researching it yourself. But I'd sooner stick with a sports drink, a water, or at the very most a black coffee.
Look into a drink called "Smart Water". It's literally nothing but regular water, but they added electrolytes to it. Brew a coffee with that, and zing!
Do you have any suggestions for getting my swimmers to eat something before those early morning swim practices? At 5:00 AM they are just not interested in eating anything, but I want to have them put something in their stomaches. I usually make them eat a banana at least, but that gets old fast!!
If they don't want to wake up earlier to eat something try and have them eat on their way to the pool. Oatmeal bars with flaxseeds and banana mixed in are great morning snack for this sort of thing. Maybe even do something drastic like move practice to 6:00 one morning but still have them come in at 5:00 to eat with you. Once they see the dramatic difference of eating before workout they'll be more inclined to eat before practice on their own.
Great Videos!!! I have a Vitamix that makes great smoothies too... Also I have a quick Question... Is chocolate milk the BEST recovery drink for after swim? Is so... what chocolate syrup should I get?
I don't know if chocolate milk is the best drink for after practice but it is a good one. Vitamix is a great product...I use mine all the time. Consult a nutritionist for more specifics...
There are many ways get Kale in your diet...try different recipes to find some that you like. An easy way I get Kale into my diet is to finely chop it up and put it in salads. Also I will put it in my Vitamix or blender and add it to my smoothies or shakes.
A good series of video shorts. Thank you for taking the time to produce these videos.I have stated to incorporate these tips into my training workouts. And I look forward to viewing ,more future videos??
These are great Videos. Thank you for taking the time to do this videos. My daughter is nine . We go to a meet and you have 3 event what do you eat in between ? I give her water and fruits and some time penutbutter and jelly sandwich is that ok?
It is very important to keep eating between events, especially on long days at the pool. I like rice cakes, whole grain crackers, a piece of string cheese, whole wheat bagel, fruit is good too. Snack along the way so she doesn't get hungry...but you don't want to feel full either.
Thank you once again ..Some of the kids in our team eat plain spagetti..My daughter is not crazy about plain pasta next meet I'll try the rice cake .some parent told me that cheese is not good on meet days..she did good on her meet thanks..
Hi garret your videos have inspired me to eat even healthier. i just hate candy as a fast 10 year old swimmer these were really intresting. Do you think a whole weat rasin bagle with peanut butter and choco milk is good after a hard work out ?
Thanks Garret....i also eat almond butter......Do you think pineapple is good before a race ? oh and the only candy i'll eat when someone gives it to me is chocolate and peanut butter. Your recipes are tasty. Do you recemond anything else because we are now in long course and practicing 4000 yards a day. And that is big for a 10 year old. Thanks Garret good luck on swimming 1
Thanks to you and to Swim Outlet for providing this great information. It has been a help - I am 82 and swim three times a week. I also do stretching three times a week and it has helped my workout. My congratulations to you for your discipline in stretching before bed.
Garrett, Your videos are great!! Its a great inspiration to get in the right mindset of which foods to eat. A lot of people are telling me that before a workout, I should eat a lot of food because we will need the extra energy. Is this correct? and should we still carbo load before big meets? or just eat until we feel satisfied?
You do need to eat something before working out. Have something small that gives you nourishment but does not make you feel full. Eat something with lasting energy filled with complex carbs. Before a big meet eat a well-balanced meal. You don't need to stuff yourself...remember you can always go back and eat more later. Good Luck!
Hey Garret! Thanks for all the wonderful videos you have Posted! Just one question, how do you feel about Energy drinks the morning of the meet and before races? will it help or will it cause more harm than good? -Amir
I generally only drink energy drinks for recovery after racing and working out. Eating proper food before racing and working out I think is a better choice than a supplement. However, I don't know if there is harm caused by having one at least 30 minutes prior to a workout or race...
I am unable to drink most energy drinks because of allergies. And the ones I do drink (some of the gatorades), give me that burst of energy and a quick crash. I find that water with slices of fruit (oranges, lemons, limes mostly) help keep me going much better. Its also better because of the low sugar content.
my swimmer son is 16. all he wants to eat is junk. somewhere he got the idea that chocolate shakes are great after swimming. Im a big man struggling with my weight and diabetes--so im really trying to cut sugars and carbs. I was the same size as my son at his age and i worry about him and what he puts in his body. Of course he swims so he burns a lot of calories. I was told not to worry so much, hes just a kid --what do you think? love the videos
I think it's a mistake for swimmers and parents to have the mentality that because their kid swims a lot and burns a lot of calories they can eat whatever they want. My guess is that your son thinks a chocolate shake is good because he's relating it to chocolate milk, which is actually good for recovery. You are right to worry about what your son puts in his body. At 16 he is starting to become a young adult, and he is forming the habits and body now, that will carry on into adulthood. If you or your son would like to email me about diet and living healthier y'all can email me from my website at http://gwgswims.com/contact/index.php
Thanks for the cereal idea before bed. I had always grown up with the rule "no eating after 8". Only when really really hungry the only thing allowed was a banana or whole wheat toast (or pregnant anything is allowed). You have reminded me that I have to pay more attention when my child indicates hunger near bed time, and that the right calories close to bed time is OK for him. He will now get more attention when he is hungry at night.
Thanks so much for doing this. Not only making the videos, but personally taking your time to answer the large variety of questions. You have provided answers for much of the athlete food mystery. Your name is now common in our house and the go-to guy for nutrition. You are one quality dude! Kudos!
I'm glad I could clear bedtime eating up for you. It's really important for young kids and adolescents to get nourishment at night so they can optimize growth while they sleep. I'm glad you liked the videos. Please share them with others so they too can benefit. I'm hoping to do more videos too:)
The nutritionist that works with my kids' swim club has warned the swimmers away from whole wheat / whole grain stuff, or anything higher in fibre right after practice because the fibre slows down the replenishment of glycogen stores in that critical post-training half hour. She recommends that they consume fibre-rich foods away from the time immediately after training. Does that sound right?
She does sound right. I am not a nutritionist but what I eat after practice is high in simple sugars. I always have some sort of recovery drink too with protein and carbs.
Actually, chocolate milk is the best recovery snack a swimmer can consume right after practice. It helps to replenish the glycogen (muscle fuel) within 12-16 hrs verses the 36-48 hrs normally. Simple sugars are good to consume, because it's easier for the body to break down, but Complex carbohydrates are not. Complex are harder for the body to break down. Another side note, if the protein intake exceeds your carbohydrates, the excess protein stores as fat. Example: 18 grams of carbs, 30 grams of protein, if this is consumed, this is not good, it will store as fat. Right before competition & after practice fresh fruits & veggies are the best to consume, they have simple sugars, carbs, & protein, but the right amounts. Throw in the chocolate milk after practice & your golden!
Thanks for the videos...very informative! I am a vegetarian, so everything looks good, except for the meat or fish. As an alternative for protein, would you recommend something with beans? Thanks!
What are some good foods, drinks, or shakes to help build muscle after a long and hard workout? I swim two times a day six days a week, but i dont have much muscle. Any ideas?
Part of this may be how old you are and where you are in your development. I didn't have much muscle for a long time either. After a hard workout you want simple sugars initially to replenish your glycogen stores. Protein and carbohydrates are essential so that your body can rebuild. Talk to a coach or nutritionist to see what shakes might be best for you after practice...
This is a great series - thank you so much. This type of really practical nutrition information seems hard to get so you are really filling a void.
Could you talk about any nutrition you do before workouts? I typically eat a piece of fruit in the hour before a workout so my body has some ready source of glycogen to consume. I understand this keeps the body from breaking down muscle for energy.
Philip I'm really happy you think the videos are helpful. What to eat before workout would be a great video for the future. I love to have some sort of high carb snack before workout that also has some protein...one of my favorites is a whole wheat bagel with hummus and tomatoes. You want to eat something that has more complex carbs before working out so the energy will last longer.
great info. i swim for Hawaii Swim Club in Maui,Hawaii and i have been trying to eat better for awhile. This is just what i needed to really get started. thank you for doing these videos they really help!!!
There are a lot of good options out there for protein and recovery shakes. I'd recommend speaking with a nutritionist or a coach to find out what might be the best for you.
As a swim mom an a registered dietitian I agree with you Garret that talking with a nutritionist is a good idea. While athletes do need more protein than non athletes, too much protein leads to your kidneys having to get rid of it, taking water and calcium with it. Too much protein is especially not a good thing for female swimmers who have amnorea, which is common, since it also effects calcium. Here is a good site to learn more about protein for atheletes http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm
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