Nutrition: Don't Swallow the Seawater
by Mike Read ( Mike swam the channel 33 times..!!)
One of the major contributory factors of Channel swim failures is due to
feeding programmes and schedules. In a brief article it is not possible to
emphasise the importance of nutrition in swimming. In an article on
Bryan Finlay’s SSO web site, Mike Read, King of the Channel 19792000,
discusses a wide range of nutrition topics.
In this extensive article Mike gives some unbiased thoughts on the complex
subject of nutrition and discusses the lessons he has learned. He discusses
many of the questions you are likely to ask, subjects covered include
Ergogenic Aids, Electrolytes, Carbohydrate needs, Glycogen reserves,
Vitamins, Antioxidants, Free Radicals and many others.
Some unbiased nutritional comments: I was going to say, read on for some
unbiased nutritional advice, but detailed below is not advice, simply my thoughts and
comments on the substances and some of the products available and on offer in this very,
very complex field.
Did my knowledge help me with my swimming? Yes and No. There is so much
written on human nutrition and so little understood about sports nutrition relating to long
distance swimming, that this is truly an area where a little knowledge is a dangerous
thing.
Ergogenic Aids. There is an everincreasing array of sports supplements from which
we can choose, all claiming to help the body improve upon what it does naturally, like
running or swimming and there is no shortage of positive reports from consumers
(testimonials). The products claim whatever you want, to add endurance, build strength,
increase metabolism and deliver assorted other benefits, such as reducing fat. This is the
first problem, knowing what we really need to support our normal life functions plus our
training requirements and X for the big day. Secondly we can't even be sure when we are
going to need X, it is a bit like keeping a car full of petrol, so that we are ready when we
have to go!! Unfortunately, we are not inanimate objects and stress and strain affects the
way our body functions.A 1996 paper "Ergogenic Aids: Evaluating Sport Nutrition Products", published in the
International Journal of Sports Nutrition, by Gall Butterfield, Ph.D., classified the
benefits of these products as coming under the following four headings which should help
you to appreciate the complexity of sports nutrition.
* Metabolic fuels (carbohydrate, lactate, fat);
* Cellular components that improve metabolism (creatine, carnitine, vitamins);
* Anabolic substances that enhance performance (protein, amino acids, chromium, plant
sterols, herbals)
* Substances that enhance recovery (fluids, electrolytes, herbals).
This is just the tip of the iceberg . . . there are numerous strategies: carbohydrate build
up, the 40:30:30 programme, high protein diets, HMB, ATP, omega fatty acids, creatine,
electrolytes, hydration, rehydration, dehydration, isotonic fluids, coenzymes,
antioxidants, complex carbohydrates (known more simply as starch), B vitamin complex,
vitamin C and so on. You only have to spend 10 minutes on the Internet to realise that
there are wide differences in the advice given by the leading experts and to become
completely confused. In fact the more you try to understand it, the more likely you are to
wonder how we ever stay alive at all.
What lessons have I learned? Common sense has been my best friend. I subscribe to
the balanced diet theory with a variety of foods as the best sports nutrition. No
supplement in the world can make up for poor eating. If you are really concerned about
your nutrition your best strategy is to analyse what you're eating and then try to fill in the
gaps according to your specific fitness goals and the target you seek to achieve. But it
takes time to fill the gaps and to establish the limiting ingredients, possibly a vitamin or a
mineral. Also it takes time before it starts to function to maximum effect. We also have to
distinguish whether we are talking about normal, everyday nutrition, which is part of the
training process, or whether we are talking about feeding and nutrition for the big day. It
is really quite complicated and eating sensibly and well should be all you really need to
do.
How does it apply to you? If you are determined to try and understand a little simple
nutrition, here goes . . . You have to decide whether you are feeding for sprinting, long
distance (23 hours) or very long distance (1020 hours). Sprinters will burn 100%
carbohydrate, instant sugar will be helpful. Longer events will benefit from carbohydrate
and fat, carbohydrate/glycogen loading will be helpful, the body can be trained to hold a
store of about 1,8002,000 Calories. But the really long distances need a supply of fat.
Every gram of fat converts to 9 calories when utilised for energy, every gram of glycogen
to 4 Calories. The accepted figures to achieve adequate carbohydrate loading are for
intakes of 500550 grams of carbohydrate for three days before the big event. It is not
essential or necessarily beneficial to splurge on spaghetti alone for a week.
I recently came across some very simple and clear advice from Rob Bagchi. He was
writing in the Guardian Newspaper on 15
th
December 2007, comparing the advantages of
swimming versus cycling to help you lose weight and get fit. He wrote as follows:
SwimmingQuick results: Engages all major muscle groups, and is a strenuous workout for heart
and lungs. Water supports body weight, so there's no stress on joints, and being about 14
times thicker than air, it offers ideal muscletoning resistance.
Bulking up: Only by sprinting laps in the swimming pool will muscle be built to any
significant degree. Swimming lengths flat out will give great upper body definition after a
while, but it can be pretty exhausting.
Fighting flab: Prolonged exercise at lower intensity is better for fatburning, which is
why swimming is so effective a man weighing around 7080kg will burn about 750
calories an hour while swimming breaststroke at moderate intensity. This confirms that
swimming the Channel can easily take 4Kg off your weight.
Beating boredom: You use both upper and lower body to propel yourself through the
water, so it's a perfect total body workout. With the choice of strokes, it offers variety,
too, and, if you relax and focus on the rhythm of the stroke, it can have a calming and
almost meditative effect.
Cycling
Quick results: A great aerobic workout that improves stamina. Low weightbearing, so
can be as jointfriendly as swimming. To get the most out of swimming you need the skill
to develop an efficient stroke, but with cycling you just get on and pedal.
Bulking up: Cycling in higher gears will build muscle strength in the calves, gluteus,
quadriceps and, by standing up out of the saddle, upper and lower back, too. However, it's
not so great for building up the upper arms.
Fighting flab: The higher the cadence (80100 revolutions a minute should be
achievable) in low gears, the more fat is burned. But it's still not as effective as swimming
an hour's cycling by a 7080kg man averaging 1015mph would use 600 calories an
hour.
Beating boredom: It's multifunctional, getting you from A to B while getting you fit, it's
social and the scenery changes. It can also get you to work, so you can avoid the gym a
halfhour daily commute burns about eight calories a minute, equivalent to 11kg of fat
over a year.
It is my personal belief that the single main cause of Channel failures is in fact feeding
and nutrition. The body works differently when it is under stress than at times when it is
not.
For a channel swim, you need energy and you need fresh water, you do not need
electrolytes, you are already up to your neck in them at a high concentration, not only are
sodium and potassium in ample supply so is almost every other soluble mineral, even
gold !
In my experience you can expect to lose about 34 kg in weight on a swim, mainly
glycogen reserves, fat, water and a little protein. The body utilises its energy sources best
when there is adequate oxygen available and very inefficiently when the muscles are full
of lactate, so try and remember, it is not a race, just a personal challenge. Using proteinfor energy is also inefficient and possibly damaging. Therefore, you want to feel as if you
are swimming downhill, rather than swimming uphill !
What works for you? I learned many years ago, that you need to discover what you
like and even more important, what likes you, when selecting your choice of food for a
swim and be prepared for the worst possible scenario, no food at all. Seawater and the
motion of the waves can have a very unsettling effect on the digestive system, such that
you may not want to eat at all, in some cases sufficient to make you want to "die".
Some modern day swimmers stop to refuel every 2030 minutes. I used to stop once an
hour for about 3045 seconds. I tried every combination of feeds from chicken and ham,
to soups and nutrient feeds. I finally decided that the only thing I could keep down was
fruit sugar dissolved in lemon and lime juice. Even then the lemon and lime gets sickly
after a few hours and I then just ask for fructose and water. Whilst there is no harm in
talking generalities, it is terribly important to understand that we are all different and that
we all utilise our food differently. We all know people who can eat forever and never put
on a gram and others who only have to look at a chocolate advert to put on a kilo.
Electrolytes. Those of us who are older and wiser also know that our metabolism
changes with age. The kidneys or the liver may fail to work with 100% efficiency where
type 2 diabetes is steadily progressing. These problems are not the end of the world, but
they do have to be taken into consideration before starting a major endeavour such as a
channel swim. Then, there are factors such as renal tolerance and renal threshold to
consider. The body reacts to excess of some seemingly similar products in a completely
different way. You take a really sweet drink with lots of sugar in it and within minutes
you want to urinate. The sugar is absorbed into the blood stream, there is too much for the
blood to absorb and the kidneys come to the rescue and chuck it out. Now, in excess this
can cause problems, because you are losing valuable water if you are in the middle of
the channel, the chances are that you are also consuming excessive quantities of
electrolytes (sodium in the salt water), albeit involuntarily and the body wants to get rid
of them. But urine is much more dilute in electrolytes than seawater and so there is a
build up of electrolytes in the body and that spells new problems. It is for this reason that
I can see no justification for compounding the problem by using products supplemented
with electrolytes on a channel swim. But there is an alternative to sugar, for some reason,
the kidneys are much more tolerant of fruit sugars, the blood will hold much higher levels
of these, you can even taste the sugar being recycled in the saliva.
Carbohydrate needs. The energy expenditure on a channel swim is likely to run at
between 600900 Calories/hour, possibly higher if the water is much below 60ºF. There
are complicated formulae available that take into account speed of swimming, swimmers
body weight and temperature of the water, which you can use to establish your own
requirement. With 1g of pure carbohydrate capable of being metabolised to give 4
calories of energy, you can soon work out that you will require at least 150225 g of
carbohydrate/hour to maintain your glycogen level, equal to 58 ounces/hour, every hour.
Put another way, it is equal to the bulk of 3 Mars bars. Mars bars are a good example to
use, as they are 68% carbohydrate and 17% fat. The fat boosts their energy content to
290kcalories/65g bar, 435 Calories/100 g.
So, let us say that you need 750 Calories/hour for 12 hours, total requirement is 9000
Calories. This can be met by eating 1 kg of pure fat, (1000 grams x 9 Calories), or 2.25kg of sugar/complex carbohydrate, (2250 grams x 4 Calories) or if you are consuming a
feed with 70% carbohydrate content, then 3.2 kg. I read somewhere that a slice of bread
was the equivalent of 15 grams of carbohydrate, it did not say if it was thick sliced or thin
sliced! It is a comforting thought that you only need 150 slices of bread, that is 12
slices/hour and you have got a maximum of 45 seconds, preferably 30, in which to
swallow them!
You need glycogen reserves. I suspect that it is probably almost impossible to
consume enough food to meet the energy demands of an average channel swim. You will
need to use up all your glycogen reserves and also some of your fat. You need fat and you
will burn fat on a swim. I am not suggesting that too much fat is a good thing but you can
still be in good shape with 1418% body fat and it does help to isolate you from the cold
as well as supplying you with valuable energy.
Remember also that it is essential that you produce enough energy to keep warm, if
hypothermia sets in, you are on the slippery slope to failure. As your stroke rate slows
down energy production falls and core body temperature falls with it. Extraneous muscle
contractions such as shivering require more energy expenditure but do not contribute to
effective power output. Performance is determined by how effectively you can sustain
sufficient power output to overcome the resistance of the water and move forward.
Sustainable power output depends on the rate of energy expenditure that you can sustain
throughout the swim and the efficiency with which that energy can be converted into
mechanical power and propulsion.
Promoted But are they Essential? So let's take a look at some of the nutrients on offer
and at some of the substances frequently referred to in the press.
* Water: Don't forget water, our body is made up mostly of water, 75%, and whilst tea,
cocoa and coffee contain a lot of water, they are diuretic. That means that for every cup
of coffee you drink you will probably excrete a greater quantity of water. The
recommended intake of water is 12 litres/day. Water helps to ensure that the major
organs function efficiently. The muscles store about 15% of the body water so it is not
very difficult to understand that if you are dehydrated your muscles will have difficulty in
performing effectively. The experts recommend that you always drink water between
meals; our meals already contain substantial amounts of hidden water. The question is,
what water to drink, tap, bottled, fizzy, flavoured, distilled, purified, mountain, the
options are almost endless. Apparently, as many as 800 different compounds/bacteria
have been identified in British water ranging from aluminium to arsenic, from fluorides
to nitrates and even perchloroethylene to ecoli. So there you have it, cut out the coffee
and tea, throw away the fizzy drinks loaded with carbon dioxide and sweeteners, give up
the alcohol and drink buckets of water. You may be miserable and worried but those
who know about these things claim that you will feel a lot better for it! (Anna Selby
H20: Healing water for mind and body).
* Amino acids: Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and proteins are the
building blocks of the muscles. Amino acids are either essential or nonessential.
Essential amino acids are the building blocks which cannot be synthesised by the body
and have to be ingested. NonEssential amino acids are the building blocks, which can be
synthesised by the body from other amino acids and do not have to be ingested.* Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the major source of energy. Carbohydrates are
simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are the sugars, glucose, fructose, ribose, usually
6C but sometimes 5C, easily digested and an immediate source of energy. Complex
carbohydrates are the starches and celluloses, which during digestion can be broken down
into the more manageable sugars. They therefore act as a more long lasting source of
energy. But not all complex carbohydrates (the celluloses in particular) are a source of
energy except if you are a cow.
* Fats/Fatty acids: Fats can be short chain triglyceride fatty acids (from 324C) usually
liquid, or long chain (above 24C) usually solid, saturated or unsaturated. One gram of fat
will give you more energy than 2 grams of carbohydrate.
* ATP, Adenosine Triphosphate: This is the chemical in the muscle cell that is broken
down and in conjunction with sugars, actually produces energy. I note that vegetarians
suggest that a carbohydrate intake of 6570% ensures maximum glycogen storage and
that this will give you enough fuel to last you through long hard swims and workouts. It
may well help you through the workouts but it will not see you through the long hard
swims. The body needs a balanced diet and the chemical interactions are many and often
interdependent. Proteins and fats are equally important, they provide a source of some of
the vitamins and trace elements that vegetables cannot supply. The production of energy
is one of the many miracles that the body performs every second of the day. It is an
extremely complex process that involves glycogen as a possible source of one of the
major ingredients and a huge range of other chemicals which include ATP, calcium,
magnesium, potassium, creatine, phosphates, oxygen and many enzymes. If the body is
working at maximum efficiency, i.e. with adequate oxygen available, glucose is
converted to pyruvic acid, but in the absence of enough oxygen, glucose is converted at
greater cost to lactic acid. Whilst reaching maximum lactic acid levels may be ideal for
sprinters, long distance swimmers would be well advised to breathe more often.
* Glucosamine Sulphate: 1000 mg/day Glucosamine is found naturally in the
connective tissues of the joints, cartilage, tendons and ligaments where it plays an
important role in maintaining mobility.
* Creatine Monohydrate: Instantly absorbed, 5 mL is claimed to delay fatigue and
combat lactic acid build up, specifically formulated for endurance athletes such as
swimmers. Claimed to build muscle, without adding bulk to your body and to increase
long distance endurance.
* Creatine Powder: Creatine, "the safe steroid" and a legal food supplement in the UK, a
naturally occurring amino acid that is normally produced by the body, so it is a non
essential amino acid. Claimed to help muscles work harder and for longer, but
specifically recommended for sprinters who require short sharp bursts of energy. It is
claimed to speed up the recovery of muscles and to permit more intensive training
schedules. Also claimed to cause water retention, resulting in dehydration, bloating,
kidney problems and muscle cramping. A British Olympic nutritionist is reported as
suggesting that if you are using creatine, you should drink a lot more water, before,
during and after training and competition!!! Weight gain appears to be one inevitable side
effect. Muscles are 80% water and more muscles must mean more water and more weight
to pull around. Does it cause kidney problems? Only in people with an underlying kidney
disorder, says a University expert. How many of us are aware, whether or not, we have anunderlying kidney disorder? Takes an hour or more to digest and 80% is destroyed during
the digestion process. Rapidly degrades into the waste product creatinine.
* Gatorade Energy bar: Claimed to have 47 g of carbohydrate, 250260 kcals.
* EnduroxR4 performance drink: 12 scoops per 12 oz of water. 12 oz serving size
supplies 53 g of carbohydrate, 1.7 g fat, 14 g of protein, and 280 kcals. 4:1
carbohydrate/protein ratio to accelerate glycogen replenishment and rebuild muscle
protein. Antioxidants such as vitamins C (470 mg) and E (400 i.u.) to reduce post
exercise muscle damage and decrease free radical formation, plus glutamine and
electrolytes to restore muscle levels. Not sure whether a 12 oz serving is 12 oz of water or
12 oz of EnduroxR4.
* HMB (betahydroxybetamethylbutyrate): Apparently studies have shown that
HMB helps to decrease stressinduced muscle breakdown, or put more simply the normal
wear and tear from training. Think of the body as a car, you drive 500 miles and without
realising it you have worn away some of the tyre tread. Additionally HMB is claimed to
increase muscle size and strength. Damage to muscle tissue can be measured by
analysing the blood for the level of creatine phosphokinase, (CPK, an enzyme) which
increases with muscle damage. Furthermore it is claimed to increase to VO2, (the rate at
which the body can consume oxygen) thereby reducing blood lactate levels, thoroughly
incredible stuff!! Again, the body apparently produces 0.31.0 gram/day but it is claimed
endurance athletes would benefit from a supplement of 3 grams/day.
* Ribose: This is where nutrition starts to get a little technical. Ribose is a simple sugar
with 5 carbon atoms (pentose sugars) and pentose sugars play an important role as
constituents of nucleic acids and many of the coenzymes essential in the production of
energy and the part played by oxygen transported in the red blood cells. They are formed
naturally by the breakdown of glucose. Ribose is a constituent of ATP, the energy source
that makes the muscles work. Those who recommend ribose suggest that supplemental
ribose may dramatically improve recovery time after exercise, arguing probably rightly
that although ribose is formed naturally in the body from one method of the breakdown of
glucose, the amount produced (possibly from 10% of the glucose) is insufficient to
replace the ATP pool reduced during extensive muscle exercise. The recommended
intake is 35 grams/day during hard training. Ribose has the advantage over nucleotides
in that when taken by mouth they survive the process of digestion.
* Vitamins: The requirements for vitamins have been determined on many occasions, but
most frequently under conditions of deficiency, rather than concentrating on the optimal
level for a particular individual, training at a particular intensity at a specific location and
generally consuming a fairly precise range of foods. To say that deciding on the correct
nutrient level for each vitamin is complex is being simplistic in the extreme, as a non
physicist I am sure nuclear physics is a simpler subject.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate the importance of vitamins in the diet is to think about
rickets (a deficiency of Vitamin D) and scurvy (a deficiency of Vitamin C). Vitamins are
complex organic substances which cannot normally be produced by the body but which
in minute quantities are essential for our healthy functioning. They play an essential role
in aiding digestion, absorption, the utilisation of food for energy, in the development of
tissues needed for growth and replacement, repair and reproduction. Some also perform
an antioxidant function. But if you eat a good wholesome, balanced diet, the averageperson is unlikely to suffer from vitamin deficiency. They are present in most natural
foods along with the many other substances essential for our health and well being. But
the advent of convenience foods, processed foods, canteen foods, and frozen foods, have
all added to the loss of vitamin activity in our food and for the need for adequate
supplementation. Again, illness, age, some genetic conditions, an unbalanced diet, a
stressful life style, dieting without taking professional advice or excessive activity may
mean that a person has a higher requirement than another. Also each type of food has its
own level of bioavailability, it may be rich in a vitamin source, but the body may not be
able either to get at it or, if it can, utilise it. For instance, leather shoes are a good source
of protein, but first they are not very appetising and secondly the level of tannin also
present, binds the protein to make it unavailable to the body for use. Consequently people
buy beef to eat although on a cost/kilo of protein basis shoes are probably a good buy!
Again, the body is unable to store some of the vitamins, the water soluble ones are lost
daily and require regular replacement. And so endurance athletes are encouraged to take
sufficient levels of essential vitamins and trace elements to ensure optimal race
performance and speedy recovery after training.
Many stateoftheart dietary supplements claim to be designed to take your body beyond
"normal" biochemical functioning to optimum functioning.
It is difficult if not impossible to eat consistently "three square meals a day." In addition,
the quality of food in most people's diets, as already mentioned above, is declining due to
modern agricultural practices and increased consumption of highly processed and refined
foods.
Numerous research reports show that many supplements improve health and performance
by supplying certain nutrients in amounts that are not obtainable from your diet alone.
But in vitamin research, it really is easy to prove a negative and where a vitamin is in
short supply the effect of its absence or shortage can be clearly demonstrated. On the
other hand, once the body has an adequate supply the benefits of taking excess are less
well documented.
Intense exercise creates a need for increased levels of nutrients, particularly antioxidants.
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of vitamins which you may be acquiring
through your diet makes no allowances for the nutrient demands imposed by strenuous
exercise. Furthermore, many RDA levels are based on outdated science. Some
researchers believe that even sedentary individuals may be nutritionally deficient if
ingesting only the RDA. But this is not surprising when you consider the methods used
and needed to establish an RDA. There are so many factors that affect the result that it is
a miracle that we have any figures at all. Just a few of the factors to consider include, the
methods used to determine need, the bioavailability of the vitamin, the method used to
evaluate the level of vitamin in the feed, interfering substances, the effect of the presence
of other vitamins, sex, age, race, growing phase, pregnancy, post natal phase, bodies
hormonal balance and the environment.
Multivitamin and mineral formulas offered by most companies provide a broad range of
nutrients in sufficient dosages to meet the needs of athletes in training. In addition to a
broad based multivitamin, they also suggest that it is also advisable to take extra doses of
antioxidants to combat free radicals.* Free radicals: The subject of "free radicals" is an area of its own, with extensive
literature in the complimentary medicine and homeopathic field.
It must constantly be kept in mind that the body is the most perfect, delicately balanced
piece of engineering, where everything has a part to play and everything works in
association with everything else. Problems only arise when there is an imbalance.
There is apparently an excellent book by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, who directs the Cooper
Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas and is already the author of two best sellers,
Aerobics (1968) and Controlling Cholesterol (1988). Many people credit his work,
particularly Aerobics, with saving millions of lives. This book is claimed to have almost
singlehandedly established the importance of endurance exercise in the fight against
heart disease and stroke. In the Antioxidant Revolution, Dr. Cooper recommends that we
take megadoses of antioxidants (vitamins E, C and Beta carotene) to fight free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules produced in our bodies. Antioxidants do
good by fighting inflammation, killing bacteria, and controlling certain muscles. If,
however, free radicals are overproduced and not eventually inactivated, their volatile
movements start doing harm by damaging cells including degradation of our DNA, fats,
and proteins. They become what Dr. Cooper calls "molecular outlaws" that can cause 50
or more conditions including heart and blood vessel disease, certain cancers, cataracts,
and aging.
Free radicals are toxic to your body and abundant in our environment air pollution,
processed foods, pesticides, cigarette smoke, etc. there's no escaping them! Millions of
free radicals are also created when you exercise. Superoxide free radicals, hydroperoxides
and hydroxyl free radicals produced during cellular energy processes are described in the
literature as acting like shrapnel, damaging every muscle cell they contact. This is one of
the sources of the muscle soreness and weakness that accompany heavy training sessions.
It should be remembered that overactivity might contribute to the inflammatory process.
Free radicals have multiple damaging effects. Free Radicals are molecules that are highly
reactive and unstable because they contain an unpaired electron in their molecular
structure. Electrons are most stable in pairs, and the free radical tries to stabilize itself by
attaching to the cell membranes of the body, robbing their molecules of electrons. This
attack spontaneously generates another free radical molecule, starting a chain reaction,
which leads to the cell's death.
However, the damaging effects of environmental and exerciseinduced free radicals may
be blunted by taking a comprehensive vitamin/ antioxidant formula. The most effective
vitamins with antioxidant activity are Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin
E, and one of the most effective trace elements, working in conjunction with the above, is
selenium.
* Antioxidants: Antioxidants are one of the body's major defences against free radicals.
Antioxidants are the good guys to the rescue. They make up the posse assigned to round
up and neutralize the molecular outlaws, the "free radicals". Unfortunately, the posse can
be overwhelmed when the body, reacting to physical or psychological stress, really
begins to overproduce free radicals. And getting reinforcements from our diets may not
be sufficient to bolster an outgunned posse.Antioxidants such as vitamin C and E are electronrich substances that donate electrons to
the free radical molecules, stabilizing them before they can damage body cells and
tissues.
Selenium with vitamins A, C, & E, as well as a diet that has ample fresh fruits and
vegetables, provides ample antioxidant protection. There is an easy way to fuel the body
with antioxidants to combat the free radicals. At lunch, have a salad containing chopped
fresh vegetables like broccoli, carrots, purple/red onions, and green peppers, served over
lettuce. By having fresh fruit for the morning and salad in the afternoon and sautéed
vegetables at dinner this can be easily accomplished. Unfortunately, on a salad and fruit
diet, endurance athletes will find themselves desperately short of energy.
Some experts contend, however, that Dr. Cooper is extending the facts beyond the data
and possibly overmedicating. His critics admit that consuming substantial amounts of
Vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene may help beatoff the molecular outlaws and that
antioxidant supplements, in reasonable amounts, should do no harm. But they rightly
point out that very careful planning is required to get enough antioxidants for this purpose
from our diets. Vitamin A is definitely toxic in large doses but if you are still looking
for the richest source, you will be hard pressed to beat polar bear liver!
The practice of using excessive quantities of these substances may be dangerous. Side
effects and longterm effects are not known. Always remember that it is the dose that is
the poison, not the product. Salt is excellent for us in small doses but in large doses, it is
not.
A dietary balance needs to be struck. Fresh fruit and vegetables are high in vitality and
processed, preprepared and fast foods are low in vitality. There is a place for both
vegetables and chocolate cake in the diet, but excess of either can be harmful.
Conclusions. So, can we draw any conclusions from the above and my own
experiences? Don't eat too much within 6 hours of the start of the swim. Ignore all the
hype, just pretend to yourself that you are about to embark on a long, hard 12hourplus
working day. Don't swallow the seawater if you can possibly avoid it and try to enjoy the
swim. I am always ravenous after a swim and yet when food is put in front of me, I never
feel like eating it.
