BY CHRIS ROSENBLOOM//PHD, RDN, CSSD
I have been a nutrition consultant to hundreds of athletes over the past many years. From high school to professional athletes, I see the same mistakes time and time again. This year, let’s learn from these mistakes and correct them to help make you the best swimmer you can be.
Mistake No. 1: Thinking you can eat whatever you want because you are very active.
It is true that active young swimmers burn a lot of calories in training and have a higher need for calories because they are growing. However, that doesn’t mean you can thrive by eating double quarter pounders with cheese, fries and large soft drinks. That meal contains 1250 calories, easily a third to half of an active swimmer’s calorie needs for the entire day. Every fast food restaurant offers healthier choices these days, even on the value menu, so when faced with choices, make good ones. A better choice would be a regular cheeseburger, small fries and a fruit ‘n yogurt parfait for about half the calories with the added benefit more healthful nutrients and less fat and sodium. And, it still tastes pretty good if you like fast foods.
Mistake No. 2: Thinking more is better when it comes to protein.
Protein is very important for athletes, but more isn’t better. Research shows that you need 0.55-0.90 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Most swimmers should aim for somewhere in the middle of the range. The higher end of the range is needed when you are cutting calories to reduce body fat. For recovery, you need about 20 grams of high quality protein within the first hour after exercise. The double quarter pounder meal has almost 50 grams of protein, way more than needed for recovery. The single cheeseburger meals has about 20 grams of protein…just right. Extra protein isn’t stored in the muscles. It is broken down for energy which can be stored as fat. The excess nitrogen (the part that makes protein unique from carbohydrate or fat) gets eliminated in the urine.
Mistake No. 3: Overemphasizing the value of supplements and undervaluing the power of healthy foods.
I must admit that the marketing for healthy foods is not nearly as exciting as for supplements. Supplement ads promise quick weight loss, bigger muscles, and increased energy; one study of about 600 supplements identified over 800 performance enhancing claims, most of which were bogus without scientific backing. Supplements are no short-cut to improving body composition, building muscle or increasing performance. Supplements have the added risk of containing banned or illegal substances that could harm your health and your sports career. That is why USA Swimming takes a food-first approach when advising athletes.
(Editor’s Note: Along with the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), USA Swimming considers dietary supplements, such as some protein shakes and powders, as “take at your own risk,” placing full responsibility for any effects and repercussions on the athlete. For more information, see our Dietary Supplements page).
A wise researcher I know tells athletes that good nutrition won’t make an average athlete a great athlete, but poor nutrition can make a great athlete an average one. So, if you are a great athlete or aspire to be one, fine tune an eating plan that works for you, not against you.
Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN, CSSD, is a nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University and provides nutrition counseling to athletes of all ages. She welcomes questions from athletes at chrisrosenbloom@gmail.com.
