Here are some tips for a great meet day menu:
Nutrition for Peak Performance

The pre-event meal serves two main purposes: first, to prevent you from feeling hungry before or during the event, and second, to help supply fuel to the muscles during competition. Still most of the energy needed for any sports event is provided by whatever you have eaten during the week prior. The best plan is to eat foods that contain lots of carbohydrates, low to moderate amounts of protein, and even less fat. Keep in mind the following guidelines:

• High-fat and high protein foods take longer to digest than carbohydrate foods and if eaten a few hours before exercising, can contribute to indigestion, nausea and vomiting.
  
  
• To have a relatively empty stomach while exercising or competing, you should eat no sooner than 1 to four hours before practice or competition.
  
  
• Eating sugary foods such as candy and honey before you swim does not provide quick energy.
  
  

Eating Before Competition
All Day Sucker
What About Fluids?
Post-Event Meals



Eating Before Competition

1-2 Hours Before
  Fruit or Vegetable Juice
  Fresh Fruit (low fiber eg. Plums, Melons, Peaches)

2-3 Hours Before
  Fruit or Vegetable Juice
  Fresh Fruit
  Breads, Bagels, English Muffins. No Margarine or Cream Cheese.

3-4 Hours Before
  Fruit or Vegetable Juice
  Fresh Fruit
  Breads, Bagels, English Muffins
  Peanut Butter, Lean Meat, Low Fat Cheese
  Low Fat Yogurt
  Baked Potato
  Cereal with Low-Fat Milk
  Pasta with Tomato Sauce

All Day Sucker

What about meets that last all day (or for four hours for those that follow the rule)? Swimming meets can last for several hours and continue for 2 to 3 days. Here are a few tips to prepare for all-day events:

• With less than one hour between events, swimmers should consume easy to digest, high carbohydrate foods like fruit juices, bananas, crackers, plain toast or Gatorade, and limit the amount of food.

What About Fluids?

Even though you may be surrounded by water, you can still become dehydrated, especially during hot weather or stuffy indoor pools. Dehydration of as little as two percent of body weight can hurt your performance. Unfortunately, thirst is not a good indicator of how much fluid a swimmer needs. To prevent dehydration, you must drink plenty of fluids before, during and after a workout or competition. Research has shown that consuming carbohydrates along with fluid can help maintain performance during training sessions. A properly formulated sports drink provides fluid and will be a more convenient way of getting carbohydrates without eating solid foods. Here are some hydration tips:

• Weigh in before and after training and drink at least two cups of fluid for every pound of weight lost.
  
  
• Keep a fluid bottle by the side of the pool when working out and drink between repeats and sets.
  
  
• Choose sport drinks like Gatorade that taste good, stimulate fluid absorption in the body, maintain proper fluid balance in the body, and provide energy to working muscles.
  
  
• Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause stomach bloating and may reduce fluid intake.
  
  
• Avoid caffeinated beverages. It actually causes fluid loss.
  
  
• It may sound kind of gross, but finally, check the color of your urine. Dark colored urine may indicate your are dehydrated and need to drink fluids.
  
  

Post-Event Meals

Studies show that swimmers who consume 70 grams of carbohydrate (which could be a large bagel or a banana and some fruit juice) within 30 minutes after exercise and another 75-100 grams every 2-4 hours thereafter will restore their muscle energy levels before the next practice or day of the meet. Swimmers who don't do this will be pretty depleted or tired by the end of a long meet or a week of practices. You should think of your body as a car and the food as fuel. If you put the wrong fuel in the engine of the car, you won't swim as fast as you would if you followed these basic steps for good nutrition.

Meals That Provide 100 Grams of Carbohydrates

• 1 bagel with peanut butter and 2/3 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of low-fat yogurt, 1 banana and 1 cup of orange juice
• 1 turkey sandwich and 1 cup of applesauce
• 2 cups of spaghetti with meat sauce and 1 piece of garlic bread
• 8 oz. of skim milk, 1 apple, 1 orange, 2 slices of bread and 3 pancakes
• 1 serving of Gatorade and 1 bagel