Race Day Nutrition

It's race day.  Let's see ... a 7:00 AM warm up time means a 6:40 show up time, which means a 6:20 departure time, so the alarm gets set for 5:OMG AM.  Squeezing breakfast into that busy race day schedule can be a challenge.  Things don't get much easier at the pool.  Often what you bring to the meet will be all your swimmer eats for the next 5-6 hours.   So, how do you fuel your athlete before they go to give their all between the lane lines?

Nutrition expert and registered dietitian, Jill Castle, has you covered in an article she wrote for USA Swimming.  Jill discusses breakfast and what to pack in your race day cooler.  Here are a few quotes from her article and a link to the web page where you can read the whole thing:

Save “meals” or large quantities of food for big breaks between events.

It’s better to have more food options than a large quantity of only two or three foods.

If you are competing in the morning, be sure to keep it [breakfast] light. 

 Plain and flavored milk are great recovery drink choices after the meet.

Don’t experiment with high fiber foods on race day; sort this out during training season and avoid tummy trouble when it matters most. 

SMART EATING FOR SWIMMERS ON RACE DAY