NUTRITION CENTER - NUTRITIONAL CHEAT SHEET PART II

BY MIKE MEJIA, M.S., C.S.C.S//SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Provided that you've adhered to the guidelines we published in last week's article, there are a couple of steps you can take the day of the meet to help make sure that you perform at your best.

Eat Breakfast

Start out with a proper breakfast. This does not entail grabbing a bagel with cream cheese and eating it in the car with a large orange juice on the way there. The bagel, especially if it's made with white flour can really jack up your blood sugar levels. Granted, the fat in the cream cheese will blunt this affect somewhat, but add in the OJ and you'll be all fired up for warm-ups and likely crash shortly thereafter.

The best-case scenario is to sit down and eat some slow cooked oatmeal (prepared the night before) with fruit, or some eggs and whole grain toast, or whole grain cereal with skim, or low fat milk. If it's an early meet and you must eat on the run, at least make it a whole grain bagel with peanut butter, as the these two foods together make up what is known as a complete protein by providing your body with all the essential amino acids it needs. Trade in the OJ for a lower sugar sports drink and you're good to go. Some more foods to stay away from include bacon, sausage, croissants, doughnuts and sugary breakfast cereals.

As far as what you should have in your bag for snacking, I think the best way to address this is with a list of what you should bring, vs. what you should not bring.

What to Bring:

1. At least 32 oz. of water to drink during and after the meet.

2. No more than 16-20 oz. of sports drinks that meet the above criteria.

3. Energy bars: Try to stick with bars that have less than 10 grams of fat, and less than 35% of their calories from sugar (the lower the better). To calculate this: multiply the number of grams of sugar by 4 and then divide that number into the total calories.  Some recommended brands include: Kashi TLC Bars, and Odwalla Bars.

4. Whole grain pretzels, crackers and cereals.

5. Nuts, seeds and dried fruit (in limited quantity due to the relatively high sugar content).

6. Lower Sugar Fruits: Strawberries, Apples, Cantaloupe, Blueberries, Raspberries and peaches.

What not to bring, or bring less of:

1. Chips of any type. Most are loaded with fat and calories.

2. Goldfish, Cheese Nips, or any other types of crackers made with white, enriched flower.

3. White Bagels and Breads.

4. High Sugar Fruits: Banans, Raisins, Pineapple and Grapes.

5. High Sugar Energy Bars: Many types of Power Bars fall into this category.

6. Fruit Juices of any type: Too high in sugar and don't clear the gut as rapidly as sports drinks, possibly leading to stomach cramping.

7. Soda. This one's an absolute no-no!

8. Cookies, candy, gummy bears, or anything else along those lines.

USA Swimming - Nutrition Articles