Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

Swimming Nutrition

29 Nov 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:02

In this instructional monologue, the speaker outlines a detailed nutrition strategy for swimmers who have morning prelims and evening finals. The plan follows a "2-1-0" timing framework for the prelims: a higher‑carbohydrate breakfast at 6 am (e.g., oatmeal with berries or a bagel with honey), electrolytes and 16 oz of fluid containing about 500 mg of sodium taken one hour before the race, and the race start at zero. For swimmers with multiple prelim events, the speaker emphasizes repeated carbohydrate intake between races. For the evening finals, the protocol shifts to a "performance plate" four hours before the race—approximately 50 % carbs, 25 % protein, 20 % fats, with the remainder filled by fruits and vegetables—followed by a high‑carb snack two hours prior (e.g., granola bar and apple) and the same electrolyte‑fluid routine one hour before. The same fueling steps are repeated for multiple final events. The overall guidance stresses light, digestible meals, strategic timing, and consistent carbohydrate and electrolyte replenishment to sustain performance throughout the day.

Chapters

If you are a swimmer and you have prelims in the morning and finals at night, here's what your nutrition should look like throughout your day. Starting in the morning, if you have to be in the pool by 8 AM, you want to do the 2-1-0. At 6 AM, you're going to have a higher carb breakfast, so like an oatmeal with berries on it, a bagel with honey on it, something small to keep it light and digestible, but something big enough so that it can actually carry you through the morning. 1 hour before, you're going to have electrolytes and fluids, so about 500 milligrams of sodium, about 16-ounce fluids. Be sipping on that throughout the hour. Zero means start of the meet or start of the race. If you have multiple events to swim at prelims in the morning. You need to compete, you need to eat, and then you need to repeat. The best thing to be eating in between your races is carbohydrates. Now, to prepare for finals, 4 hours before, I need you to have a performance plate. Half of your plate needs to be carbs, a fourth of your plate will be protein, a fifth of your plate will be fats, and then the rest of the plate will be full of fruits and veggies. 2 hours before, you're going to have a high carbohydrate snack, so like a granola bar and an apple. 1 hour before, you're gonna do the same thing you did up here and do an electrolyte with fluids. And then if you're swimming multiple events in the finals, you'll do the same exact thing that I told you to do up here.