Are you unsure about how much you should eat before swim practice or a swim meet? Are you ready to stop feeling sluggish in practice and start swimming-fueled?
Then you are in the right place!
Check out our pre-swim carbohydrate calculator for a personalized estimate of how much carbohydrates you need to fuel to win your swims.
This calculator is one tool you can use to test what works best for you.
We are glad you are here! Try out the pre-swim calculator below to boost your swimming performance.
Table of Contents
Why do swimmers need carbs?
Carbohydrates are critical for revving up a swimmer’s engine. Carbs are the body’s preferred fuel source!
Swimmers rely heavily on their energy stores because of their intense training sessions and long-lasting competitions! The best way to ensure your energy stores are prepared for a practice or a swim meet is by fueling with carbs.
What happens when swimmers eat carbs
When a swimmer consumes carbohydrates, the carbs get broken down into glucose. The glucose is then stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen.
While swimming, our bodies tap into these glycogen stores, converting them back into glucose to fuel our muscles and boost our performance.
Eating enough carbs before diving into the pool can improve mental focus, maximize energy levels, and allow swimmers to perform at a higher intensity and maintain a faster pace throughout their practice sessions.
How to use the pre-swim carbohydrate calculator
This pre-workout carbohydrate calculator is based on the most current evidence-based sports nutrition research (1).
To use our pre-swim carb calculator interactive tool you need the following:
- Current weight in pounds
- Time until your swim practice
We do not recommend trialing this for the first time before a competition. Practice with how much pre-practice carbs you need before race day!
Pre-swim carb calculator: boost your performance!
Try our interactive carbohydrate calculator!
Pre-Swim Carbohydrate Calculator
Other tips
As it gets closer to your workout, limit the amount of fat and protein to help prevent digestive issues! Aim for more easily digestible carbohydrates and avoid these six foods before swimming.
For more tips and pre-swim snack ideas check out What to Eat Before Swim Practice!
Or grab our 20 pre-practice carbohydrate snack printout here!
Takeaway
We hope this pre-swim carbohydrate calculator was helpful!
Many swimmers we work with and talk to are afraid to add more carbohydrates due to messages in the media and fear of weight gain.
We are here to debunk the media and provide evidence-based nutrition tips.
Increasing your carbohydrate intake pre-workout and nailing your carbohydrate timing will help you to swim your best!
If you’re struggling to improve your swimming nutrition plan, we recommend working with a sports dietitian.
Katie Schimmelpfenning RD, LD is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, USA Swim Coach, and former Division 1 swimmer. She helps competitive swimmers fuel and train to optimize performance, recover faster, and prevent injury! She is passionate about spreading evidence-based nutrtion tips to help swimmers across the globe.