Nutritional Principles of Adolescent Swimmers

Abstract

Adolescence is a period between age 10 and 19. Intensive changes associated with the development of the organism influence the nutritional needs during this period. Young swimmers’ training is characterized by large volume, so their diet can play an important role in their results and future career. The energy intake of a developing athlete should be determined individually based on gender, anthropometric measurement, character, and number of workouts per day. The frequent presence of drowsiness and fatigue during training may indicate insufficient dietary energy supply. Dehydration exceeding 2% of body weight should be prevented. Isotonic drinks should only be consumed during training longer than 75 minutes. Young swimmers should consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates to restore glycogen reserves before another training unit. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index of 1-1.2 g/kg b.w./h should be delivered during the post-training period. Immediately following training, a meal containing a complete protein should be consumed to accelerate post-exercise recovery. The total protein supply should be at least 1.2 g/kg b.w./h. The minimum intake of fat in the diet of a young swimmer should be 2 g/kg lean b.w. It is recommended to limit products containing large amounts of saturated fatty acids.

Keywords

• adolescent
• swimming
• nutrition
• exercise
• sports