TOP TIPS FOR CHOOSING QUALITY CARBOHYDRATES

BY CHRIS ROSENBLOOM, PHD, RDN, CSSD

There are some crazy ideas out there about carbohydrate intake and swimming. I’ve heard everything from “carbohydrate is not needed to fuel swimming” and “carbs only make you fat” to “carbohydrate-rich foods should never be eaten after lunch, or dinner, or after 8 p.m.” For the record, all of those statements are false. 

Carbohydrate is the primary fuel for active muscles. Without adequate carbohydrate in your daily diet, you will find it hard to sustain hard training, and the outcome can be poor performance during a meet. To be sure, there are some carbohydrate-rich foods that are healthier than others and some foods we classify as carbohydrates are higher in fat than carbs (pastries, doughnuts, and biscuits to name a few). 

Sports nutritionists try to educate swimmers to have enough carbohydrate availability to support daily training. The amount of carbohydrate you need changes as your training and competition schedule changes. During moderate- to high-intensity training for 1 to 3 hours/day, aim for 2.7-4.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight. On low volume training days or rest days, decrease carb intake to 2.3-3.1 grams per pound. Spread your carbohydrate intake over the entire day to make sure carbohydrate is available for training sessions. 

http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=5833&mid=8712