Swimmer Nutrition
August 9, 2024

Nutrition for Swimmers, from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Nutrition Basics

  • No one food can supply all the nutrients your body needs so it's important to eat a variety of foods.
  • Everything you eat during each week counts-a single good food or meal cannot make up for poor nutrition during the rest of the day or week.
  • There's no quick fix for healthy nutrition.
  • Try things out and practice high energy eating often so you can find out what you need to fuel you throughout race day/weekends. Everyone is different so what works for someone else may not work for you.
  • It's ideal to fuel many times during meet day so you may need to break large meals into smaller meals.
  • Remember there's no magic pill to help you race faster, but being dehydrated or not eating well can negatively impact your performance.

The week before a swim meet

We no longer promote carbohydrate-loading the night before as this can be upsetting to the digestive system. 


Instead, eat quality carbohydrates at each meal throughout the week to create glycogen storage for use when needed on race day.


A day or two before race day, pay close attention to your meals. Focus on meals that:

  • Have lean protein
  • Are low in fat
  • Are moderate in carbohydrates
  • Examples:  
  • Chicken breast with a baked potato or rice pilaf with a side of veggies (and you probably still have a ittle room left for a small dessert)
  • Pasta with tomato-based lean meat sauce (avoid heavy creams or oils) with a side salad and non-buttered bread
  • Salmon with couscous and grilled vegetables

The morning of the meet

Morning of the Meet

Don't rely on this meal to provide all the energy you need for the day.


Glycogen storage in muscles from the week prior is what you will use today.


The first meal of the day is needed to get your metabolism going for the entire day-don't skip it.


Ideally, you should eat your first meal two to four hours before your first race (not warm-up time).


If too much food is in your stomach during the race, your body is still focusing on digestion, causing an upset stomach.


Your first meal should be between 500 and 1,000 calories.


Examples: 

  • Yogurt with granola, fresh fruit and two pieces of toast with peanut butter
  • Waffle or pancake topped with peanut butter with small cup of fresh fruit and egg whites

During the meet

The primary importance during the meet is hydration but you don't just have to drink water. Try four to six ounces of a sports drink or decaffeinated unsweet tea with fruit juice in it.


Don't rely on concession stands or vending machines for food. You shouldn't try new things on race day.


Prepare and pack your bag the night before.

Examples of snacks for short time between races:

  • Couple bites of a carbohydrate energy bar at a time (not protein bar)
  • Handful of dried fruit
  • Couple of crackers

Examples of snacks for longer time between heats-try something more substantial:

  • Small bagel
  • Dry cereal
  • Granola or granola bar
  • Protein in small quantities
  • Avoid high fiber and high-fat foods

Other snack food ideas:

  • Graham crackers (not sugar-coated)
  • Pita (fresh or dry)
  • Dry fruit
  • 100% fruit juice
  • Hummus with veggie sticks
  • Turkey roll
  • Edamame or roasted soy nuts
  • Trail mix
  • Pretzels
  • Low-fat muffins
  • Energy bars
  • Low-fat mozzarella sticks

Recovery nutrition

What you eat after a race is also important and requires planning. The better your recovery nutrition, the better your overall training will be, which is wnat makes you a stronger, fitter and faster swimmer.


A snack should be consumed within 30 minutes of completing competition followed by a good meal within two hours.


The snack should contain 15 to 20 grams of protein with 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates


Examples for post-competition snack:

  • Chocolate milk
  • PB&J sandwich
  • Half of a sports bar and 16 ounces of a sports drink
  • 12 to 16 ounces of a smoothie with one scoop of whey protein

After you have your post-recovery snack, you will want to refuel with a hearty meal.


Make sure you're continuing to hydrate between sessions with both water and sports drinks. Avoid heavy creams and unnatural fats.


Examples for post-competition meal:


  • Chicken breast, roasted vegetables and brown rice
  • Baked potato with toppings and grilled vegetables or a nutrient-dense salad

By Swim FST April 1, 2026
APRIL calendar Pre-Season Break: March 27th - April 5th* Warner Robins & Macon. No practices for any groups. Enjoy your break - we will see you back at practice the week of April 6th! New Parent Meeting (New Parent Orientation and Q&A): April 7th Via Zoom, at 8:00pm. A Zoom link will be emailed directly to all parents the day of the meeting, but this meeting is geared primarily toward new parents. If you have not already, please review the Team FAQs in advance, and come to the meeting with any additional questions. We are going to start hosting regular new parent orientation meetings, so if you can't make it to this meeting, we will have more through the summer! Parent Meeting (New Volunteer Policy review and Q&A): April 9th Via Zoom, at 8:00pm. Please review the new Volunteer Policy in advance, and bring questions to the meeting. A Zoom link will be emailed directly to all parents the day of the meeting. Award Ceremony: April 17th (Registration deadline: April 9th) Perry, GA. No practice. See full details and purchase tickets HERE . FST IMX/Sprint Series: April 24th-26th (Registration deadline: April 16th) Warner Robins, GA. Long-course. Open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black athletes, as well as Intermediate and Advanced Homeschool. 12&U Bronze and Beginner Homeschool can participate with coach's approval (please ask your coach in advance). This is not an appropriate meet for Aquanauts or 13&O Bronze/Beginner Homeschool. Summer Kickoff Block Party: May 1st (Registration deadline: April 26th) Macon, GA. Short-course. Ideal for all Aquanauts, Bronze, and Homeschool Beginner athletes, but all FST swimmers are invited to participate. summer swim lessons Please share with your friends and family: Our summer swim lessons are now open for registration! Fusion Swim Team is proud to be a SwimAmerica swim school, offering the nation's leading learn-to-swim curriculum. Our certified instructors guide new swimmers through a structured, safety-focused curriculum designed by top coaches at ASCA (America's Swim Coaches Association). Lessons are held exclusively at our Macon location. Swim lesson registration Swim lesson FAQs A Note from the Coach: About the new volunteer policy: Over the past two years, our families have done an outstanding job of stepping up to support our home meets, often filling in wherever help was needed. We are very grateful for that effort. As our team has grown, it has become harder to manage volunteer needs in real time while also handling entries, timelines, and meet setup. We are introducing a more structured system so that volunteer roles are filled ahead of the meet and responsibilities are shared more evenly across all families. Hosting local meets is what allows our swimmers to compete more often, stay close to home, and build a strong team environment, and it takes the efforts of all involved. This change is about protecting those local meet opportunities by making sure meets run smoothly from the start and that coaches can stay focused on the swimmers instead of finding last-minute timers. Read full policy details HERE . The long course season is a shorter season than the short course season, so during this month we will be quickly moving through Cycle 1 to Cycle 2. This month, we are focusing on: First weeks will emphasize technique Latter weeks the focus will shift to building aerobic endurance Practice attendance is crucial Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for the long-course season schedule. HURR Long Course Kickoff Columbus May 2-3 Jr Jag IMX/Sprint Series Augusta May 15-17 A full short-course summer schedule is coming soon! ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
By Swim FST April 1, 2026
Award Ceremony - April 17th
By Swim FST March 31, 2026
New: Meet volunteer policy
By Swim FST February 28, 2026
March calendar Southeastern Meet of Champions: March 5th-8th (Registration closed) August, GA. Sectional-level competition with qualifying standards . Shamrock Showdown (Block Party): March 13th (Registration deadline: March 8th) Warner Robins, GA. All FST swimmers are invited to participate. Southern Divisional Championships: March 20th-22nd (Registration deadline: March 8th) Savannah, GA. Our biggest meet of the year - we can't wait to see you all there! Click HERE to book nearby hotels through our team's EventPipe site. Spirit Week (March 16-19) details are below: Monday: Teal & Black Day - Wear your team colors! Tuesday: Bandana Swap - Bring a pirate bandana and swap with a teammate. And wear your St. Patrick's Day green! Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday - Mismatched, loud and wild - wear your craziest combo! Thursday: Pirate Day - Arrr ya ready to win? Come show off your pirate costume (and then pack it for the meet)! Spirit Days at the meet: Friday: Teal & Black Day - Wear your team colors! Saturday: Pirate Day - Bring your pirate gear and go get all the Gold! Sunday: T-Shirt Day - Wear your Divisionals shirt* AND bring back your bandanas from the bandana swap! ** *Divisionals shirts will be given to all participants and can be worn throughout the weekend. ** Bandanas are a fun choice all weekend!! FST Lifeguard Certification & Recertification: March 13th-15th and March 27th-29th* Macon, GA. Red Cross lifeguard certification & recertification course. Participants must be 15 or older. See details and register here . FST is hiring Lifeguards and Swim Lesson instructors for our summer lessons in Macon, and Red Cross certification is required. Don't miss out on this fun summer work opportunity! *Additional certification courses are also tentatively scheduled for April 24-26 and May 26-28. Post-Season Break: March 27th-April 3rd* Warner Robins & Macon. No practices for any groups. Enjoy your break - we will see you back at practice the week of April 6th! summer swim lessons Please share with your friends and family: Our summer swim lessons are now open for registration! Fusion Swim Team is proud to be a SwimAmerica swim school, offering the nation's leading learn-to-swim curriculum. Our certified instructors guide new swimmers through a structured, safety-focused curriculum designed by top coaches at ASCA (America's Swim Coaches Association). Lessons are held exclusively at our Macon location. Swim lesson registration Swim lesson FAQs A Note from the Coach: This subject is very important with our upcoming Divisional Meet. Your food is your fuel and proper hydration is vital during meet weekends. Equally as important is the food you consume, and when you consume it. Don't let a season's worth of hard training be negated by what you do or don't eat at a meet. There is a wealth of great information available on the Nutrition & Wellness section of the the SwimStrong dryland site. When preparing for Divisionals, pay attention to the "Swim Meets" category. This is also a fantastic resource to use throughout the season. Take a look around and find tips for achieving peak performance through proper nutrition! At this point in the season, we are continuing to focus on: Being consistent in practice attendance Improving technique and building endurance through the effort put forth in practice Gaining race experience and developing racing strategies through meet participation Having a positive attitude at all times and learning to overcome adversity Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a tentative long-course season schedule. IMX/Sprint Series Warner Robins April 24-26 HURR Long Course Kickoff Columbus May 2-3 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
By Swim FST February 1, 2026
February Calendar Warner Robins ONLY: February 5th No Bronze or Aquanauts practice. Shout-out to our Bronze & Aquanaut Coaches, who all earned GHSA State cuts and will be representing their high schools at the GHSA State meet on Thursday. T/Th Bronze and Aquanauts can swim a make up practice either Monday or Wednesday this week. All other groups will practice as usual. FST Scrimmage Meet: February 8th (Registration deadline: February 2nd) Macon, GA. Open to all FST swimmers. This is a Block Party meet and requires USA Swimming registration . Peach State South: February 14-15 (Registration deadline: February 8th for new qualifiers) Augusta, GA. This meet has qualifying standards . Age Group State: February 20-22 (Registration deadline: February 8th) Columbus, GA. This meet has qualifying standards . SMOC-4: March 5th-8th (Registration deadline: February 22nd) Augusta, GA. Team travel. This meet has qualifying standards . save the date: southern divisionals March 20-22 Savannah, GA Mark your calendars - it's the most important meet of the year! This is a fun, team meet, and is all about bringing your team spirit! This meet will be the culmination of our Short Course season: There will be relays, finals, and awards. We will offer fun incentives for various participation levels, and are currently planning activities for Spirit Week the week before the meet. Keep an eye out for Divisionals emails to be sure you don't miss any important information. We can't wait to see everyone in Savannah! save another date: annual award ceremony We are so thrilled to announce the 2025-2026 FST Awards Ceremony, on April 17th at 6:00 p.m.! As in previous years, the event will be held at The Muse Theatr e in downtown Perry. This will be a night all about celebrating our athletes for their hard work and accomplishments throughout the 2025 Long Course and 2025-2026 Short Course seasons. Additional details and a ticket link will be published in March. A Note from the Coach: We have not yet finished this Short Course season, so there is still time to achieve goals. At this point in the season, we are shifting our focus to: Speed training (from endurance training) Reemphasizing proper technique Continuing to develop pacing and race strategies Achieving goal times Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a full-season tentative schedule. Shamrock Showdown Block Party Warner Robins March 13 Southern Divisionals Savannah March 20-22 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
By Swim FST January 2, 2026
JANUARY Calendar New Year's Splash Bash Block Party Meet: January 4th (Registration deadline: December 28th) Macon, GA. Open to all FST swimmers. Requires USA Swimming registration . ABSC New Year's Kickoff: January 9-11 (Registration deadline: December 30th) Athens, GA. Open to all USA-S registered Bronze, Silver, Intermediate & Advanced Homeschool, Varsity, Gold, Teal and Black swimmers who have previously attended a meet. Warner Robins ONLY: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19th The Aquatic Center will be closed and there will be no practices in Warner Robins on Monday. M/W Bronze and Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on either Tuesday (Jan 20th) or Thursday (Jan 22nd). Silver, JV, Gold, Varsity, Teal and Black can attend practice in Macon, at the usual practice time. The January Meet: January 25th (Registration deadline: January 15th) Warner Robins, GA. Open to all FST members who are registered with USA Swimming. Warner Robins ONLY: High school meet January 26th Due to the high school meet being held at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center, there will be no Aquanaut practices in Warner Robins on Monday, January 26th. M/W Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on either Tuesday (Jan 27th) or Thursday (Jan 29th). Groundhog Invite: January 30th-February 1st (Registration deadline: January 20th) Columbus, GA. Details TBA. This meet requires USA Swimming registration USA Swimming Registration All meets, both away and at our home pools require USA registration. Prior to attending your first meet, you must register online with USA Swimming. There are 3 athlete registration options: Premium: This is the recommended membership for all Gold, Teal, and Black swimmers, as well as all other swimmers who plan to attend Divisionals in March. This will cover your swimmer for all of 2026. There are no limits on the number of meets. This is the most expensive option, but also the easiest. Just register once each year and you're all set. Individual Season: Our recommendation for NEW 13&O athletes who aren't yet sure if they'll be attending Divisionals. This will cover exactly 150 days of swimming. If you upgrade to premium BEFORE the 150 days expires, USA-Swimming will just charge you the difference, but you have to make sure you upgrade within 150 days. Once an individual season membership has expired, the swimmer will be required to re-register (vs upgrade) and the only option will be a full-price, Premium membership. Set a reminder or two. Flex: This will cover 12&Under athletes for up to a year, but the athlete cannot compete in more than 2 USA-Swimming sanctioned meets, and it will not cover participation in championship meets like Peachstate Champs, State or Divisionals. Mentor and "Block-Party" meets do not count against the 2 meet limit. Once you have exceeded the two-meet limit, or prior to attending a championship meet like Divisionals or State, you must upgrade to Premium. Register at the link below: https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/177C04ABF24341 If this is your first-time registering an athlete, please create a parent account before registering your swimmer. Various help guides, including setting up your account, registering athletes, and more, can be found at the following link: https://www.usaswimming.org/utility/landing-pages/help-documentation/member A Note from the Coach: We have not yet finished this Short Course season, so there is still time to achieve goals. The New Year is also a great time to reflect on the previous year, and refine or set new goals. At this point in the season, we are continuing to focus on: Being consistent in practice attendance Improving technique and building endurance through the effort put forth in practice Gaining race experience and developing racing strategies through meet participation Having a positive attitude at all times and learning to overcome adversity Read more about the training cycles at this link . UPCOMING EVENTS Click here for a full-season tentative schedule. Block Party Meet Macon February 8 Peach State Champs (14&U) Augusta February 14-15 Age Group State Championship (11-14) Columbus February 20-22 ...see more Committee Corner: Officials Want to get more involved in the sport? Become a USA Swimming official. Our team needs as many officials as possible to run successful meets! Start the process at this link , or email Amanda for more details and help getting started. U.S. Masters Swimming Parents: Do you love swimming and wish you could train and compete with a team? Our Masters team in Warner Robins is growing, and looking to add new team members! Email masters@wraswim.com for more details.
By Swim FST December 1, 2025
December calendar GA Senior State: December 5th-7th (Registration closed) Athens, GA. This meet has qualifying standards . Warner Robins ONLY: High school meet, December 11th Due to the high school meet being held at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center, there will be no Aquanaut practices in Warner Robins on Thursday, December 11th. Tu/Th Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on Monday, December 8th, or Wednesday, December 10th. Bronze swimmers should BOLO for details about how this will affect your practice. The December Meet: December 12th-14th (Registration deadline: December 4th) Warner Robins, GA. This meet is open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal and Black swimmers, as well as 12&U Bronze and 8&U Aquanauts. This is our big mid-season meet, and every eligible swimmer should plan to attend, and should plan to return for finals. This is often the weekend before finals, so please encourage your swimmers to study ahead! Warner Robins ONLY: High school meet, December 18th Due to the high school meet being held at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center, there will be no Aquanaut practices in Warner Robins on Thursday, December 18th. Tu/Th Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on Monday, December 15th, or Wednesday, December 17th. Bronze swimmers should BOLO for details about how this will affect your practice. Christmas Week: December 22nd-26th All Bronze, Aquanaut, and Beginner Homeschool swimmers can attend both Monday and Tuesday of this week (December 22nd & 23rd) There will be NO afternoon practices Wednesday, December 24th-Friday December 26th. Black, Teal, Gold, Varsity, and Advanced Homeschool swimmers will have a combined-site practice in Macon from 8:00-10:00 on Wednesday, December 24th. New Year's Week: December 29th-January 1st All Bronze, Aquanaut, and Beginner Homeschool swimmers can attend both Monday and Tuesday of this week (December 29th & 30th) There will be NO afternoon practices Wednesday, December 31st-Thursday, January 1st. Black, Teal, Gold, Varsity, and Advanced Homeschool swimmers will have a combined-site practice in Macon from 8:00-10:00 on Wednesday, December 31st. New Year's Splash Bash Block Party Meet: January 4th (Registration deadline: December 28th) Macon, GA. Open to all FST swimmers. Requires USA Swimming registration .
By Swim FST November 2, 2025
November calendar Combined-Site practices: November 1st November 1st (Tent work day) Teal & Black: Coach Wes and Coach Ben will lead a combined Macon/Warner Robins practice in Macon, from 8:00-10:00. After practice, we will begin putting up some of the side walls on the pool structure. If any parents or athletes are available to stay after practice and help, we would greatly appreciate it! Turkey Classic Block Party Meet: November 2nd (Registration closed) Macon, GA. Open to all FST swimmers. Requires USA Swimming registration . ASL November Invite: November 7th-9th (Registration closed) Augusta, GA. Open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black, as well as Intermediate, and Advanced homeschool. Warner Robins ONLY: Veterans Day, November 11th The Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center is closed in observance of Veterans Day. There will be no practices in Warner Robins. T/Th Bronze and Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on either Monday, November 10th or Wednesday, November 12th. Intermediate & Advanced Homeschool, Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black who want to attend practice in Macon should email for practice details. Warner Robins ONLY: High school meet, November 20th Due to the high school meet being held at the Tommy Stalnaker Aquatic Center, there will be no Aquanaut practices in Warner Robins on Thursday, November 20th. Tu/Th Aquanauts can swim a make up practice on Monday November 17th, or Wednesday, November 19th. Bronze swimmers should BOLO for details about how this will affect your practice. Marlins Invite: November 21st-23rd (Registration deadline: November 12th) Marietta, GA. Open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black, as well as Intermediate, and Advanced homeschool. Thanksgiving Week: November 24th-28th All Bronze, Aquanaut, and Beginner Homeschool swimmers can attend both Monday and Tuesday of this week (November 24th & 25th) There will be NO afternoon practices Wednesday, November 26th-Friday November 28th. Black, Teal, Gold, Varsity, and Advanced Homeschool swimmers will have a combined-site practice in Macon from 8:00-10:00 on Wednesday, November 26th. GA Senior State: December 5th-7th (Registration deadline: November 24th) Athens, GA. This meet has qualifying standards . The December Meet: December 12th-14th (Registration deadline: December 4th) Warner Robins, GA. This meet is open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal and Black swimmers, as well as 12&U Bronze and 8&U Aquanauts. This is our big mid-season meet, and every eligible swimmer should plan to attend, and should plan to return for finals. This is often the weekend before finals, so please encourage your swimmers to study ahead!
By Swim FST October 1, 2025
October calendar The October Meet: October 11th-12th (Registration deadline: October 2nd) Warner Robins, GA. Open to all FST swimmers. Requires USA Swimming registration . Fall Break & Columbus Day We will be having regular practices during Fall Break and on Columbus Day. Fall Classic: October 24th-26th (Registration deadline: October 15th) Athens, GA. Open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black, as well as Intermediate, and Advanced homeschool. FST Turkey Classic - Block Party: November 2nd (Registration deadline: October 27th) Macon, GA. Open to ALL FST swimmers. This will be an intersquad meet with a twist - Athletes can qualify to be included on the Turkey Classic National Leaderboard by swimming all of the 50's (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly). Additional details TBA soon! ASL November Invite: November 7th-9th (Registration deadline October 26th) Augusta, GA. Open to all Silver, JV, Varsity, Gold, Teal & Black, as well as Intermediate, and Advanced homeschool. This meet will be published to your Captyn dashboard soon.
By Swim FST September 4, 2025
How to Register with USA Swimming for 2026 (and the remainder of 2025)