Poseidon Swimming - Why am I so tired?

Nutritional deficiencies are often overlooked as a cause of fatigue. Yes, adequate sleep is important yet more often than not insufficient diet plans is seen as the culprit.

While a well balanced diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals the average person needs, athletes should take a daily multi vitamin as their needs are greater due to the amount of endurance training that our sport demands. In general a 4-1 balance of carbohydrates and protein is the best formula to strive for.

The carbohydrate family includes both simple and complex carbohydrates. The simple ones are monosaccharide and disaccharides (single and double sugar molecules). Glucose, fructose and galactose are the simplest sugars, which are examples of monosaccharide. Disaccharides include table sugar (sucrose-combination of glucose and fructose) and milk sugar (lactose-combination of glucose and galactose) get converted into glucose molecules before entering into the bloodstream for fuel. A third type of sugar is the glucose polymer. Sports drinks sweetened with polymers can provide more energy value with less sweetness than sugar.

Your body digests any type of sugar or carbohydrates into glucose before using it for fuel. Your muscles and brain require blood glucose for energy. The muscles can store glucose and burn fat; the brain does neither. Hence, adequate sugar from the blood is essential for the brain to function optimally. Athletes with low blood sugar tend to perform poorly because the poorly fueled brain limits muscular function and mental drive.

Complex carbohydrates, such as starch in plant foods and glycogen in muscles, are formed when sugars link together. The potatoes, rice, bread, and other starches that you eat are digested into glucose, then either burned for energy or stored for future use. Humans all store extra dietary sugars in the form of muscle glycogen and liver glycogen. This glycogen is readily available for energy during exercise.

Sugars and starches have similar abilities to fuel muscles but different abilities to nourish them with vitamins and minerals. The carbohydrates in sugary soda pop provide energy but no vitamins and minerals. The carbohydrates in polymer drinks provide energy but no vitamins or minerals, unless the drink is fortified. The carbohydrates in wholesome fruits, vegetables, and grains provide energy, vitamins and minerals the fuel and spark plugs that your engine needs to function at its best.

Well trained muscles develop the ability to store about 20 to 50 percent more glycogen than untrained muscles. This enhances your endurance capacity.

Depleted muscle glycogen causes athletes to hit the wall; depleted liver glycogen causes them to "bonk" or "crash". Liver glycogen is fed into the bloodstream to maintain a normal blood sugar level essential for "brain" food. Despite adequate muscle glycogen, an athlete may feel uncoordinated, lightheaded or unable to concentrate. Cause, the liver is releasing inadequate sugar into the bloodstream due to a lack of fuel called calories.

Remember your post practice recovery beverages. If you have a tendency towards feeling poorly 45 minutes into practice you may wish to consume 6 oz of Gatorade / Acceleraide prior to entering the water.

DO NOT SKIP MEALS! You are in training. Research has shown that 5 small meals per day produce the best results. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. A well balanced diet will enhance your ability to train at a level that will produce great results. Athletic success depends on both well fueled muscles and a well fueled mind.

TED