Suffering from cramps or fatigue? You may be dehydrated. Learn how to hydrate for success.
Series 2
Calories provide the energy your young swimmer needs for everyday activity, swim performance and growth.
With hints of calorie intakes in excess of 10,000 calories per day, Michael Phelps blew the competition away in 2008 and blew our minds with his over-the-top calorie consumption. And it produced the nagging question in parents’ minds, “How much does my young swimmer need to eat?”
Children aged 9–13 years need about 1,500-2,400 calories each day, depending on age and gender, to support the demands of normal growth and development. Add the energy burn of a regular two-hour swim practice, and the energy needs can skyrocket to the tune of 2,700 – 3,600 calories or more per day.
Impressive.
Martinez and colleagues (Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 2011) recently found that young, amateur swimmers on semiprofessional teams (year-round club teams) had low energy consumption compared to what they needed. They also found these young swimmers were overdoing protein and missing the mark on other important vitamins and minerals.
What happens if kids don’t get the calories they need? Fatigue, impaired focus and concentration, low physical performance and perhaps a delay in physical development (lag in muscle building, slowed height growth and/or delay in adult development) may occur when calorie intake is less than needed over time.
As parents, it‘s our job to make sure that kids get the energy they need, and from the proper food sources. Avoid the mistake of delivering high calorie, nutrient-poor foods from the fast food drive-through. Not only are they excessive in fat, salt and sugar and under-deliver important nutrients like iron, calcium and B vitamins, they set the tone for future food cravings and selections that won’t support good health when swimming is over.
Sound complicated? It’s not.
Here are some ways to assure your growing child gets the right amount and type of calories he needs as an active swimmer:
With a little bit of planning, it’s easy to assure your young swimmer gets enough nutrition to cover all his needs. The benefits of that are worth it, keeping your swimmer healthy, growing and energized for performing in the pool.
Y JILL CASTLE, REGISTERED DIETITIAN AND CHILD NUTRITION EXPERT Do you ever wonder how much fluid is needed to prevent dehydration? If you’ve experienced dehydration, you know it derails swim performance and causes other effects such as tiredness, headaches and confusion or poor judgment.
Fluid is the overlooked “magic bullet” for swimmers and one of the best ways to optimize swim performance.
Not only is it important to drink, it’s important to drink enough. Experts suggest that 2% dehydration (2 pounds weight loss in a 100-pound child) negatively impacts athletic performance.
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), young athlete’s thirst should be the gauge or indicator for how much fluid to drink. Research also suggests, that if youth athletes are given the opportunity to drink during exercise, the thirst mechanism will allow for adequate fluid intake so they meet their hydration needs.
But if you want numbers, here are the latest recommendations for child athletes:
Water and other beverages can help satisfy the hydration needs of the swimmer. Many parents already know that it isn’t wise to offer up sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and sugar-added fruit juices routinely throughout the day. These drinks may help keep swimmers hydrated, but they can have a negative impact on overall diet quality.
Most importantly, the choice of fluid should be something the swimmer likes to drink, as drinking adequate amounts is critical.
Sports drinks are perfect for the long workout (greater than 1 hour in duration), and provide sugar, fluid and electrolytes to help beat dehydration. And they are effective! Because they are flavored, they encourage drinking. It’s best to keep their role limited to the pool, though.
Here are a few other beverage guidelines that will help prioritize the young swimmer’s health and swim performance:
GOOD: 100% real fruit juice (maximum of 1 to 1 ½ cups per day). Infrequent use of sugar-sweetened beverages.
BETTER: Milk, or calcium/ Vitamin D- fortified milk substitutes (aim for 3 cups per day).
BEST: Drink water, more than you think! The bulk of beverages should be from water. Use Sports drinks wisely and target their usage around workouts and race day.
It’s a mistake to think that just because swimmers are in the water, they get enough fluid. Coaches and parents have an opportunity to train young swimmers to drink regularly and make good choices. Good hydration habits are learned in and around the pool—maximize this asset for great performance!
Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and child nutrition expert. She is the owner of Pediatric Nutrition of Green Hills and creator of Just The Right Byte, a child and family nutrition blog. She lives with her husband and four children (one swimmer!) in Nashville, TN.
