FOOD - QUICK ENERGY?
There are many nutritional myths, fallacies, and bad traditions within competitive swimming, such as: eating Jello out of the box before each race; drinking flat Coca-cola in between events; or even relying on Snickers for a boost of energy. FYI, these are all examples of bad choices and bad nutritional science, so every swimmer and parent should be aware that:
* Food does NOT make a swimmer fast - rather, QUALITY training makes him/her fast. And one of the most vital parts of quality training is good nutrition!
Thus, the two basic areas for parents to focus when preparing their athlete for a practice or competition are nutrition and hydration.
Nutrition
It takes a lot of energy to swim successfully. This energy comes from the food and nutrients your child is putting in their bodies. Although it is hard to know exactly what your child is eating at all times, you can set your child up to succeed by having them practice healthy eating habits, and going to meets with quality snacks. Listed below are examples of healthy snacks that can be brought on deck to help fuel your swimmer:
* Bagels - multigrain, and whole wheat are best
* Cereal - staying away from cereals high in fat and sugar
* Pretzels or Rice cakes
* Crackers - again, staying away from crackers high in fat
* Granola Bars
* Yogurt
* Nuts or Almonds
* Raisins, and all fruits and vegetables!

HYDRATION
Hydrating the body is so important for everyone but especially for athletes during competition. A lot of the time swimmers don't realize they are sweating because they are in the water. The truth is, they are losing water at a rapid rate. It is very important to replenish these fluids so the muscles in the body are hydrated and continue to work properly for competition. Of course the number one choice for hydrating the body is water but other choices could include:
* Propel Fitness water
* Gatorade
* Powerade
* Natural fruit juices low in sugar

BE AWARE! . . . Soda/Pop and high-sugar juices will actually increase the rate of dehydration, so they should be avoided before and during practices and meets.

So remember, food is the fuel our bodies run on, so be sure to choose the highest quality food items when preparing your swimmer. If you would like further information, the USA Swimming website (click here) is a great source for additional tips. And as always, don't hesitate to talk to the Team Millennium coaches - ALL of whom were competitive swimmers themselves!