This document provides tips for keeping young swimmers healthy, including emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy over excessive carbohydrates; ensuring adequate protein intake to aid in muscle recovery; getting 9 or more hours of sleep per night for proper rest and development; and practicing visualization techniques to help swimmers overcome fears and handle adversity during competitions in order to avoid stress-induced poor performance.

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Tips to Keep Your Swimmer Healthy

2. Don’t Be
Carb Obsessed
• Massive carbohydrate intake before a meet and during training
is smart-if you're an adult.
• Youth swimmers burn fat, more energy and, in fact, can’t store
vast amounts of carbs in their muscles. So parents should
make it a priority to feed their kids plenty of whole grains,
fruits, veggies, and low fat dairy products.

3. Protein Power
• Swimming is a strenuous, physically punishing sport that
exponentially raises the body’s demand on its muscles.
Parents can help their young swimmers recover by pushing
protein.
• A few examples: Baked beans Tuna, turkey, chicken sandwich
Grilled fish, lean steak Nuts, seeds, milk

4. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
• According to the Mayo Clinic, adolescents and teens need
about nine hours or more of sleep a night. Even if mom and
dad can get by on 6-7 or less, this isn’t the time to cite
genealogy.
• Teens’ bodies are going through massive change and radical
development. Lack of sleep leads to lack of concentration,
exhaustion, and last place at the meet.

5. Mind Over Mishap
• When you become fearful, your body releases stress
hormones. These hormones can bring on physical reactions
that wreck optimal performance, such as:
• Dizziness and fatigue
• Inability to concentrate
• Muscle aches and muscle tension
• Nausea Shortness of breath

6. Mind Over Mishap
• Overcome this by not just having your teens visualize success,
but how they will overcome falling behind, a muscle cramp in
their toe during the homestretch, slipping at the start, or a
leak in their goggles.
• Now if adversity rears its ugly head, your swimmer will feel
prepared to face it and not stress themselves out of a
respectable performance.

7. Keep Playing
• Tell your story and help your student athlete Keep Playing!
• Visit RecruitTalk and enter the code
"SWIMHEALTHY" and get our premium Legend
account for 90 days free of cost!

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For more information contact: brad@recruittalk.com