Nutrition help for elite athletes needed

Sam_I_Am77

How frequent is that training regimen you listed above? I can figure it out if I know the frequency.

It would also help to understand what type of swimming they're doing. Are they training for shorter events or longer events?

Good point, it would be advantageous to build muscle and subsequently strength if they're sprinters, whereas if they're distance swimmers endurance is more important than strength.

I would be cautious about building muscle in-terms of hypertrophy because adding weight will slow them down if their strength to weight ratio is not maintained or improved. But yes, it would be good to understand which energy system is tapped into more.

minizebu

If there is a university near you, then you might also try contacting their sports physiology / kinesiology department to see if they can offer assistance regarding nutrition for optimal sports performance. They may also offer metabolic testing.

blankiefinder

Thanks so much to everyone who has weighed in! I've started to work my way through the links Lex posted.

My son has just started with the university team, so I am hoping he will have access to a better support team through them as the season gets going.

My son is a breaststroker, best to worst: 200 breast, 100 breast, 200 IM, 50 Breast, 200 fly, then 400 IM (so more of a mid-distance)

My daughter is a distance to mid, best to worst: 1500 free, 200 free, 800 free, 400 free

Both are late maturing, my son may or may not be still growing, who knows, but based on shoe size I suspect he is done. My daughter is short compared to myself, definitely still growing, but I think she is probably close to done as well.

It's definitely an advantage to be lean, 200 fly is much easier if you're not hauling an extra 20 pounds on your hips!

Sam_I_Am77

Okay, this would be my suggestion. These would be my starting points. They'll have to observe how they feel and then make adjustments.

- Monitor their weight gain / loss
- How is their energy level?

If they start gaining weight and their energy is good, perhaps cut 5% to 10% from the calories from the carbs. If weight is consistent and energy is poor, increase calories by 5% to 10% in the form of carbs. There can always be variation by individual this is a starting point.

Son
approximately 2,510, calories
- fat: 78 grams (important for maintaining hormone function)
- carbs: 326 grams (energy, key for ATP production especially with what they're doing)
- protein @ 2 grams per kilogram of body-weight: 126 grams

Daughter
approximately 2,023 calories
- fat: 63 grams
- carbs: 256 grams
- protein @ 2grams / kg of BW: 108 grams

Supplements to consider
- a good multi-vitamin
- fish oil 3 to 6 grams per day (unless they eat a lot of fish, may not be necessary)
- ZMA is a good supplement to assist with sleep (recovery)

Just so this doesn't sound complete random or bro-sciency... I'm about 3/4th's of the way done with my MS in Health & Exercise Science and actually just finished a course on performance nutrition. I'm also working on my NASM PES certification as well and will be done with that in December. All that aside, since your son is at a university he may have access to a strength & conditioning coach and it would be a good idea to consult with him/her as well. Also, a dietician that has a background in performance nutrition or an actual Performance Nutritionist would be a good to consult with this as well.

MicheleJM3

What is a "tdee"?

Sam_I_Am77

What is a "tdee"?

Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It's a way of calculating your calorie requirements based on height, weight, and activity level without having to mess with something like an HRM which can be off by 20% or more anyways.