INDIAN YOUTH SWIMMERS DIET: AN INSIGHT
Fitcart Informed Fitness Newsletter
The nutrition plans for Swimmers vary from other sports. Lean proteins are frequently the foundation of nutrition plans for rebuilding and recovering muscles, and timing of carbohydrate intake for energy. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are additional sources of essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
In addition to this, it becomes key to consume and use the right supplements is key to enhancing and optimising performance.
In an article published by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, it was observed that most elite swimmers most likely consume Sports nutrition supplements during training and competition season to optimise not only their performance but recovery too. However, with the variety of supplements available in the market, choosing the right one becomes tricky and tough.
The most popular Sports supplements, as per articles from the Sports Dietitians of Australia (SDA) are Creatine, Whey protein and hydrating supplements. Depending on the characteristics of each particular event, owing to the different energy systems that come into play, the supplement is chosen.
Here are the best supplements for swimmers-
- Whey protein supplements.
- Sports drink supplements.
- Electrolyte supplements.
- Energy gels or drink supplements.
- Energy bars.
- Recovery drink supplements.
- Multivitamin supplements.
- Creatine supplements.
While the protein based supplements help in the recovery of muscles and tissues that experience wear and tear during training and competitions, Some sports drinks contain a carbohydrate and protein combination, these are best for after a workout as it will improve post-workout performance and recovery. The electrolyte powders make up for the loss of micronutrients thus maintaining the electrolyte and fluid equilibrium in the body.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has established rules regarding which substances and supplements athletes may and may not use. In this regard, Fitcart remains a sports nutrition and supplement company that pioneers the use of only those supplements that are tried, tested, trusted and safe to use by the WADA, HASTA and other global regulatory bodies. Visit the website www.fitcart.com to browse through the various brands that are associated with Fitcart.
Fitcart exclusive research on India’s youth swimmers diet- Key findings:
With the intention to educate and understand the nutrition of young Swimmers from the state of Haryana, an online educational session was hosted by Fitcart.com and Haryana Swimming association and their youth swimmers, with participation from experts panel Chef Akshay Malhotra, Chef Prakarshi Pulkit, Sports Nutritionist Geetha Ghaliyavar, team Smart Nutrition and Tagtaste team. Youth swimmers between the ages of 9 – 15 yrs and their families were educated on Nutrition, Health and Fitness, the importance of tested sports nutrition for sports performance and recovery.
The data gathered from the interaction gave insights into what a young swimmer eats and provided a look into the areas for scope of improvement with regards to awareness and education that must be imparted in order for the swimmers to optimise their performance.
Here are the key food findings:
- Breakfasts consumed are balanced and this wholesome meal ranged from typical Indian dishes like aloo paratha (a potato stuffed wheat flatbread) to eggs and even oatmeal with hemp seeds. The most common fruit and beverage duo was a banana and glass of milk.
- Lunch was dominated by the Indian spiced lentil dish called Dal, with the regular side of a grain preparation like rice/ wheat flour rotis/ millet with a few individuals consuming meat. Yogurt was consumed by all participants and so was a salad of some type. Due to the occurrence of lunch during school hours , a few swimmers consumed the meals provided by the educational institutes.
- Dinner followed similar trends like lunch, but the only significant differences were the consumption of meat by a larger number of individuals and the consumption of a few different cuisines- primarily Italian, Chinese and Indian street food.
- Snacking options were predominantly peanut butter sandwiches and bananas.
- Pre-training was water or lemon water (nimbu paani) while post training was peanut butter sandwiches.
- Multivitamins were the most popular nutritional supplements
- This was particularly insightful as it shows that the lack of guidance, awareness and knowledge is making the upcoming athletes hesitant to use sports supplements for their betterment.
With the hopes and aim of further educating young swimmers and athletes in the country, Fitcart would like to thank the Haryana Swimming Association, Youth Swimmers and their parents ,Chef Akshay Malhotra, Chef Prakarshi Pulkit, the team at Smart Nutrition, Tagtaste team and Sports Nutritionist Geetha Ghaliyavar for the association and cooperation.
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