Taylor Village Tigerfish

Hello Taylor Village Tigerfish swimmers and families!

Keeping young swimmers fueled during the summer season is key to their performance and recovery. Parents can support their athletes by focusing on balanced meals, proper hydration, and smart snacks before and after meets and practices. See below for some specific pointers from current/former athletes and coaches.

The Night Before: Have a Good Dinner!

We recommend having something like whole grain pasta (high in carbohydrates) with sauce and some chicken (high in protein) and vegetables. The important idea to keep in mind during this meal is to eat protein and carbohydrates. Pasta and chicken is only one of the many ways to do this. Another way is some variation of rice and beans. Even pancakes and eggs will work! Keep in mind that while any kind of pasta or flour will do, the whole grain variety offers more lasting energy for athletes. However, regular pasta will certainly suffice for even the pickiest of eaters.

The Morning Of:

Eat breakfast! This is probably the most important thing that will help an athlete before a competition. Swimming (or just exercising in general) is no fun on an empty stomach! Not only that, but your body cannot perform very well if it does not have enough fuel. For this meal, we recommend things like oatmeal, a whole-wheat bagel or whole grain toast, and a side of your favorite fruit. The point of this meal is to provide your body with a lot of carbohydrates before you exercise, so that your muscles can work to the best of their ability. Additionally, the point of this meal should not be to stuff yourself, but just to provide you with enough fuel to last the morning.

During the Meet:

Stay hydrated! Don’t go hungry! Water is the best way to stay hydrated. On a particularly hot and humid day, some watered-down Gatorade can be useful to replenish all the electrolytes you lose due to sweat. One option is to make a mixture of half-Gatorade, half-water. That way, swimmers can stay hydrated while still replacing the electrolytes they need. Bring some light, healthy snacks such as nuts, trail mix, bananas, orange slices, dried fruit, granola bars, or a small sandwich. These snacks are meant to provide your body with quick, fast energy that will help you swim fast during the meet. Finally, as summertime in Maryland is quite hot, it is very important that you try to save energy during the meet itself by staying out of direct sunlight as much as possible. The sun will sap almost as much energy out of you as a hard swim will, so it is important to stay in the shade when you are not cheering on your teammates!

Summary

Night before

• Eat Dinner
• Carbohydrates and protein
• Vegetables never hurt anybody

Morning of

• Eat breakfast
• Carbohydrates (whole grain is great)
• Fruit

During the meet

• Stay hydrated
• Snack occasionally
• Stay cool!

If you have any questions about any part of the above, any coach or board member would be more than happy to answer them. See you all poolside.

Go Tigerfish!