NUTRITION: HOW MANY

HOW MANY CALORIES SHOULD I EAT?

As long course, Olympics and endurance events get underway, a common question is: “How much do I need to eat?” This is a loaded question—one in which the author will try to simplify.

BY DAWN WEATHERWAX, RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS

CALORIES = ENERGY! Athletes need optimal energy to train, recharge, recover and perform. It is also essential for growth, immunity, avoiding injury and every aspect of bodily functions. It affects both males and females of all ages—however, 75% of athletes undereat!

Signs of Undereating

• Weight loss • Fatigued all the time • Chronic soreness or prolonged recovery • Not finishing strong • Hard to stay with pace, timed trainings or not progressing as expected • Irritable • Lack of growth (weight/height) • Not happy, low self-esteem, sadness and difficult to stay motivated • For women, inconsistent or lack of menstrual cycle • Increased rate of sickness or injuries, especially stress fractures • Dry skin • Consistently cold • Digestive health changed • Change in sleep quality and quantity

MISTAKEN CUES: HUNGER AND FULLNESS Hunger and fullness are not always good indicators of optimal fueling—especially for people on the leaner side or on the lower end of the growth and weight chart. Many times, the brain is not matching the signals of what the body needs, and the stomach gets full before properly nourished. The best way to see if the caloric needs are being met for all situations is logging on an app. (Cronometer is my favorite one so far.) A common error is when training intensifies, most athletes don’t increase their caloric intake to match. This can only lead to substandard outcomes.

HOW TO CALCULATE ENERGY NEEDS

Quick Method for Collegiate or Younger Swimmers

The average female mid/high school/collegiate swimmer needs about 2,200 to 3,500 calories a day...and males can range from around 2,200 to 5,000 calories a day!

Quick Method for All

Cronometer: Open free app and input information to calculate energy needs. Make sure you say very active for activity! Please note that the calculations on these sites are not always optimal for athletes, but they are still a good place to start.

Advanced Method for All

Indirect Calorimetry or Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) testing: This is what I do at my business. We do an actual measurement of how many calories you burn (RMR). Then we do an extensive food and activity recall to see if this matches the recommended measurement/calculations, and individualize from there. Some places that have these devices can travel. This measurement is highly recommended for the serious or elite athlete, and should be measured at least once a year. The change in daily caloric needs vary greatly pending on training. Working with a sports dietitian is highly recommended to make sure caloric needs match the training throughout the year.

WHAT YOU EAT DOES MATTER Please understand it does make a difference where these calories come from, in what amounts and at what times. Fueling properly and varying caloric needs with training fosters an optimum foundation for peak health and performance! To learn more, please refer to past and future Swimming World nutrition articles.

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SWIMMING

On The Wall

* * * To get a sense on how to accurately eat enough with ideal food options, here is a 3,000 to 3,500-calories sample menu with a Japanese phrase to honor the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics. Meshiagare! (bon appétit!)

3,000 to 3,500-CALORIE TRAINING MENU

Pre-Swim/Workout (4:30-5:15 a.m.)

1 Garden of Life® high-performance bar 1 large Banana 16 oz Water

Training (5:30-6:45 a.m.)

4-16 oz Water an hour (amount needed depends on sweat rate) (Might add electrolyte tablet)

Breakfast (6-7:30 a.m.)

Yogurt Parfait: 8-10 oz Greek Yogurt 2% 1.5 cups Frozen cherries (thawed) 1 T Tart cherry juice concentrate 1/3 cup Salted cashews 16 oz Water

Lunch (11-12:45 p.m.)

Quinoa Kale Chicken Salad: 3 oz Organic chicken breast grilled 3 cups Baby kale chopped 1 cup Quinoa cooked 1/2 cup Dried cranberries 1/3 cup Salted sunflower seeds 2 T Olive oil with 1 T red wine vinegar and 2 T balsamic vinegar 16 oz Water

Afternoon Snack (2-3:30 p.m.)

Strawberry Cucumber Chia Protein Cooler: 20 g Klean Athlete® no flavor protein powder 1-1/2 cups Frozen organic strawberries 1-1/2 cups Cucumbers 1-1/2-2 cups Coconut water or Greater

Than Drink (has more sodium) 4 T Chia seeds 1/4-1/3 cup Salted seeds or nuts (separately)

Training (3:30-5:30 p.m.)

10-20 oz Water an hour with one Nuun tablet (optional tablet) per 20 oz Post recovery within 30-45 min: 1 Evolve shake and large banana (If you can have dinner within that time, then no need for this snack)

Evening Meal (6-7p.m.)

3-6 oz Grilled chicken 1-2 cups Roasted veggies 1-2 T Olive oil 1 cup Couscous 16 oz Water

Evening Snack (8-10 p.m.)

2 cups Chex or puffed rice cereal 2 cups Berries 8-16 oz Almond milk unsweetened 1-2 scoops Klean Athlete® aminos (separately) v

Dawn Weatherwax (RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS) is a registered/licensed dietitian with a specialty in sports nutrition and founder of Sports Nutrition 2Go. She is also a boardcertified specialist in sports dietetics, which is the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. In addition, she is an athletic trainer with a certification in strength and conditioning from The National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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