As posted on the USA Swimming Website!

Stay-in-the-Bag Snacks for Swimmers

By Jill Castle MS, RDN

Even the most organized, well-planned swimmer can put nutrition on the backburner, jeopardizing access to essential fuel sources when he needs it most. Thankfully, some food items can stay in the swim bag, providing relief in situations where optimal food sources may be scant or not ideal.

The following snacks require no refrigeration, are temperature tolerant and provide a great fuel source. Remember to clean out snacks in the swim bag periodically and when the swim bag sits out in extremely hot temperatures. Always do a visual check and review the package label for expiration information and storage considerations before consuming.

Nuts and Nut Butters: Nuts provide a calorie kick and a boost of healthy fat and fiber in just a small handful, or about 1 ounce (150-200 calories, depending on the type of nut). Store individual packets of nuts or a small canister in the swim bag.

 

Prepackaged squeeze packets or small cups of nut butters also offer a quick source of energy and pair nicely with crackers or pretzels. They can be squeezed directly into the mouth too! Flavors include peanut, almond, chocolate hazelnut, honey peanut, and more.

 

*Be conscious of potential swimmers with nut allergies.

Dried Fruit and Fruit Puree: Better than a “fruit snack,” dried fruit is a concentrated source of carbohydrate usually without added sugar. Try sealed bags or individual boxes of raisins, dried cherries, apricot, or mango. Squeezable fruit puree packs are another option, and offer interesting combinations of fruit such as strawberry and banana, or kiwi, strawberry and beet.

Dry Cereal: Go for small boxes or make your own baggie of dry cereal. If you’re interested in low sugar types, opt for original Cheerios, Kix, Post Spoon-Size Shredded Wheat, or Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs. Better yet, mix and package dry cereal with dried fruit and nuts for a homemade trail mix.

Beef Jerky: Low fat, lean meat cured into a chewy, salty, protein pick-me-up—stow a re-sealable package in the swim bag. Looking for a jerky with no additives or preservatives? Try Trader Joe’s, Costco or Whole Foods brands.

Pretzels: Variety and portability are the appeal here—you can find all shapes and sizes, with salt or without, and even whole grain, flavored or not. Choose small packages so they stay fresh, or bag your own.

Fig Newtons: These cookies have been around forever (more than 100 years!) and are loaded with carbohydrate and the natural fiber from figs, providing the athlete with a sweet boost to the taste buds. Fig Newtons come in small packages of two or four cookies, and also come in strawberry and raspberry flavors if fig isn’t your thing.

Sandwich Crackers: Go for the whole grain types with peanut butter or cheese. Individual packages of six sandwiches starring the whole grain cracker are the healthiest bet.

Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, chia and sesame are just a handful of seed types that offer vitamin E, fiber, protein and zinc. They are nutritious and delicious on their own or mixed into trail mix, homemade granola bars or atop cereal and salad. Opt for seeds that are already hulled and come in a re-sealable bag.

Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and childhood nutrition expert. She is the co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School and creator of Just The Right Byte, a childhood nutrition blog. She lives with her husband and four children in New Canaan, CT. Questions? Contact Jill at Jill@JillCastle.com.

10 Commandments for Swim Parents

I. Thou shall not impose thy ambitions on thy child.

II. Thou shall be supportive no matter what.

III. Thou shall not coach thy child.

IV. Thou shall only have positive things to say at a competition.

V. Thou shall acknowledge thy child's fears.

VI. Thou shall not criticize the officials.

VII. Thou shall honor thy child's coach.

VIII. Thou shall be loyal and supportive of thy team.

IX. Thy child shall have goals besides winning.

X. Thou shall not expect thy child to become an Olympian.

Nutrition: Protein Post-Training

By Dan McCarthy//National Team High Performance Consultant

Ongoing research has led to more concrete information regarding the timing of protein intake, the quantity of protein ingested and the best source of protein for hard-working athletes. The existing research is very sound; however, modern tools and methods have made evaluating the ability of skeletal muscle to synthesize protein possible.

 

When
Post-exercise the muscle’s ability to synthesize protein is increased. Recent research suggests that four equally spaced meals throughout the course of the day and one larger pre-sleep meal may be ideal for maximizing protein synthesis and negating protein breakdown. Hard-working athletes should time one of their meals to occur after each workout to benefit the most from the enhanced muscle protein synthesis. The larger pre-sleep meal helps lessen the impact of protein breakdown that occurs during slumber, when no eating is going to occur.

 

How Much
Each meal should contain .25-.30 grams of protein/kg of body weight/meal. The larger pre-sleep meal should contain .60 grams of protein/kg of body weight. For a 150 pound athlete:

• 150 pounds/2.2 kg/pound = 68 kg
• .25 grams of protein/kg x 68 kg = 17 grams of protein per meal
• .30 grams of protein/kg x 68 kg = 20.4 grams of protein per meal
• .60 grams of protein/kg x 68 kg = 40.8 grams of protein pre-sleep

A 150-pound hard-training athlete should have a meal four times per day with 17-20 grams of protein per meal and a larger meal containing 40 grams of protein before bedtime. Breaking the protein intake up throughout the day is a key strategy for maximizing protein synthesis.

 

Ingesting large quantities of protein at one meal and very little at other meals does not appear to be effective, nor does eating mini-portions (2.5 grams of protein) frequently (10+ times) appear to be an effective strategy for maximizing muscle protein synthesis either.

 

Best Source
Research has also shown that milk proteins are slightly better than soy proteins following exercise. The combination of whey and casein proteins in milk seem to be slightly more effective at promoting protein synthesis and suppressing muscle degradation following intense exercise than soy protein. After intense exercise, whey protein, found naturally in milk, cheese and yogurt, is critical in promoting muscle protein synthesis because of the amino acid, Leucine.
It is important to note that the recommended protein intake is for athletes engaging in a hard or intense training cycle. During training that does not result in the breakdown of skeletal muscle it is generally recommended that athletes eat .8 grams of protein/kg of body weight per day.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR YOUNGSTER WANTS TO QUIT

What are the causes of dropping out of youth sports? In general, the reasons fall into two categories. The first category involves a shift in interests, especially in adolescents. Other involvements, such as a job, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or recreational pursuits, may leave little time for sport involvement. In such cases, a youngster may simply choose to set other priorities.

The second general set of reasons why youngsters drop out re¬late to negative sports experiences. Research conducted in the United States and Canada has shown that the following reasons often underlie a decision to drop out:

• Not getting to play
• Undesirable, abusive coaching practices
• An overemphasis on winning that creates stress and reduces fun
• Over-organization, excessive repetition, and regimentation leading to boredom
• Excessive fear of failure, including frustration or failure to achieve personal or team goals
• Mismatching relative to physical size and maturation

If the youngster has decided that other activities are more important, his or her priorities should be respected. However, it is wise to provide a reminder that a commitment has been made to the program and to teammates and that athletes owe it to them¬selves and to others to honor commitments and to finish out the season. This gives the youngster an opportunity to feel good about himself or herself by fulfilling the obligation through the rest of the season-even if the activity itself is no longer pleasurable.

If the decision to quit is based on one or more of the negative factors listed above, there is a legitimate problem. Again, it is very important that you listen to your child and offer understanding and support. Beyond that, you may discuss some ways to resolve the problems that are affecting the desire to participate. As a last resort you may wish to take some active steps to correct the difficulties. This way involves speaking to the coach or league administrators. In talking with your youngster, you should evaluate how intolerable the situation is to him or her and whether the problems can be worked out. In all but the most severe cases, you can point out that a commitment has been made, and you can encourage your youngster to finish out the season.

If the problems are sufficiently severe, the decision to drop out may be in the best interests of the child. In this case, you would want to communicate to your child that although it is important to live up to commitments, you understand that the principle is outweighed by the nature of the problems. If the child does drop out, there may be other opportunities to play in a sport program that doesn't have the negative factors that prompted the decision to quit.

10/1/2012

By Chuck Warner//Special Contributor

This is the first in a series of themes that author Chuck Warner discovered in the research and writing of the book, …And Then They Won Gold: Stepping Stones To Swimming Excellence. Highly acclaimed by swimming leaders around the world, the book is written for swimmers, coaches and parents to learn the steps to swimming excellence.

 

The book chronicles the development of eight great swimmers who collectively won 28 Olympic gold medals in all four of the swimming strokes and in most distances. Their careers are chronicled from their start in swimming in summer leagues, to working their way to the top of the Olympic podium.

 

The swimmers are: Matt Biondi, Dave Berkoff, Mike Barrowman, Josh Davis, Lenny Krayzelburg, Ian Crocker, Grant Hackett and Aaron Peirsol.

 

…And Then They Won Gold, Theme I: Successful Parenting Of An Olympic Champion.

• Each of these champions had parents that were very interested and supportive of their child’s sporting experience.
• For seven of the eight champions their parents coached life, not swimming.
• Their parents had high standards for the character displayed and developed by their chid.
• The mothers of each of these male champions were emphasized as very important to their success.

This is a short excerpt from the chapter on eight-time Olympic gold medalist Matt Biondi with a subtitle, “A Process for Excellence.” Matt was twelve years old during this scene:

 

In the sport of tennis it was a common sight during televised professional matches to see the players display temper tantrums and slam their rackets. Matt gave tennis a try, and during a match he became frustrated and slammed his racket on the court. His mother didn’t say a word to him, but his match was over. Lucille [Biondi] walked out onto the court, grabbed Matt by the ear, pulled him to the car and drove him home. Matt’s exploration into choosing a sport might be his own, but the way he conducted himself as a sportsman was fully under the guidance of his parents.

 

For more information or to order …And Then They Won Gold, go to www.areteswim.com (access Books * Media), Swimming World Magazine or the American Swimming Coaches Association. The author is Chuck Warner, who has also written the highly regarded book Four Champions, One Gold Medal, the story of the preparation and race for the gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.