5 Foods To Eat Before or After Swimming

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Swimming is the perfect form of exercise as it gives every muscle in your body a workout while having the choice to make it an endurance or sprint training. If you are new to swimming, eating properly and at the right times can help develop your strength and cardio fitness. It is important to fuel your body the correct way for optimal performance.

Now, nobody is the same, everyone will have a different level of comfort regarding eating around swimming, so it is important to trial what works for you. In general, a good rule to follow is allowing 2-4 hours before your swim, after eating a larger meal but 30 minutes – two hours for a smaller snack.

BEFORE

1) Whole grain pasta contains a great substance of carbohydrates and should be enough to give you the boost of energy you need before swimming. Mix some of your favourite vegetables or meat with your pasta to get those extra vitamins and proteins!

2) Bananas are an awesome source of potassium! Plus, they taste so good as well as giving you the boost of energy you need before swimming. Grab a banana on the way to the pool and see the benefits during your swim session.

AFTER

3) Lean chicken is a good way to get protein without eating all of the saturated fats that are usually in meats. A good idea is to make a salad topped with lean chicken or simply eat the chicken with some brown rice to add whole grains to your meal! Yum!

4) Everybody loves some nice, creamy yoghurt with fruit and nuts. Yoghurt provides a lot of protein, but be sure to look out for those added sugars that make them so sweet. Try opting for some Greek yoghurt or other low-fat, unsweetened products that will give you that essential protein.

5) If you only have time for a simple snack after swimming, you might like the idea of grabbing some protein bars that you can eat on the go. You can grab some of our nutritious and delicious protein balls at our Red Poppy Cafe, ask our friendly staff which flavour they recommend!

We hope you enjoyed some of our tips! See you in the pool!

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