Swimming is an extremely important sport for both body health and a fit appearance. While we exercise our muscles, being in the water also relaxes us spiritually. In addition, it improves body posture and increases lung capacity, which indicates that it is a very useful exercise, especially for children with asthma problems. It is a type of sport that is very nice and applicable in terms of body development for children in the growth and development period. It strengthens all muscles and increases muscle coordination. Long-distance swimming is a type of sport that enters the aerobic energy system. The first goal in exercises involving the aerobic energy system is to provide sufficient nutrients and oxygen to the cells. For this reason, individuals who swim regularly should be supported with sports nutrition.
DOES SWIMMING HELP LOSS WEIGHT?
The benefits of swimming and its effect on weight loss is a subject that many people wonder about. Exercises performed in water enable the body to expend more strength thanks to the resistance of the water. This also contributes to calorie and fat burning. Since swimming is an enjoyable type of sport, it can be practiced for a longer period of time compared to other types of sports, and this can contribute to the individual consuming more calories.
Can EVERY PERSON WHO SWIMS LOSE WEIGHT?
Since swimming is a type of sport that is among the endurance sports, there are points to be considered if you want to lose weight. Swimming time must be at least 30 minutes. Because it is during this process that the body establishes its temperature balance and the muscles work. In order to make swimming more efficient, it is recommended to do some warm-up exercises before starting swimming. Since swimming is an aerobic sport, if you want to burn fat while swimming, your heart rate should be between 60-80%. Otherwise, you will not be able to burn enough calories. If you exceed this range, the exercise will become anaerobic, you will get tired early and you will not be able to continue swimming. Although it varies depending on the individual's body weight, on average, 400-700 kcal of energy is consumed as a result of a 1-hour swimming training. In a study, swimming training for 8 weeks affected body composition in sedentary adult young men. Its effects on the ions were examined. At the end of the 8th week, it was shown that the body fat percentages of these young adults decreased and their performance in exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups increased compared to before. If a correct nutrition program and a correct swimming program are made, the individual can lose weight in a quality way. If one of them is missing, the individual may not lose weight or even gain weight. It would be much healthier to get support from an expert for this.
SWIMMING AND NUTRITION
Nutritional requirements in swimming are specific to the macro, micro cycle and individual session. Nutrition in professional swimmers should support muscle adaptation and increase performance. For this, the amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats taken must be balanced and sufficient. It should be ensured that sufficient glycogen storage is provided before long-term training. Carbohydrate intake of 5-7 g/kg is generally considered sufficient. After exercise, carbohydrate support should continue every 2 hours. We can say that protein intake should be 1.2-2.0 g/kg/day, depending on the individual.
For people who do swimming as an activity, that is, 3-4 days a week, a healthy and balanced nutrition program will be sufficient. It is possible to lose weight with an appropriate calorie deficit in individuals who follow a healthy diet, that is, pay attention to their daily consumption of meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits and bread. In this regard, I would like to underline that diet types with low carbohydrate and high protein intake may reduce the individual's energy and performance. In this type of nutrition program, it should not be forgotten that excessive protein intake can be stored as fat in the body.
NUTRITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER SWIMMING
As a snack alternative, approximately 2 hours before swimming training; You can choose a cheese sandwich, banana and peanut butter duo, or sugar-free sports bars. You can consume black filter coffee 30 minutes before your workout. Due to the caffeine in coffee, it will help increase your energy and accelerate fat burning during training. In swimming training, you are in the water. Even though you are not careful, fluid loss occurs through sweat. It is very important to replace this fluid lost after training. If not fulfilled, weakness and fatigue may occur. For this reason, consuming plain mineral water or mineral water with lemon squeezed into it after training will help replace the lost mineral density. Water loss may be high after training. To measure this, you should weigh yourself before and after training and consume water equal to the difference in weight loss. It would be beneficial to include a protein source on your plate during your post-workout meal. Apart from all these, care should be taken to ensure adequate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vegetables and fruits during the day.
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