The body needs the correct nutrition and hydration for it to perform at its best and this is even more essential for children than adults when taking part in an activity such as swimming.
Nutrition
For your child to perform in the pool, their body needs energy and this energy comes from the food they eat. Their diet needs to be nutritious and balanced so that it can restore the energy used, delay fatigue and aid recovery.
Children should be eating foods which are closest to their naturally found state with minimal processing and avoid refined fatty foods. This means that the more colourful your child’s food the better!
Hydration
Making sure your child has taken in enough fluids is always a difficult task and very easy to forget. Dehydration can influence how they perform in the pool. We think that bringing a drink bottle to the pool is just as important as your swimsuit, cap or goggles. This is mainly because when you swim, you sweat, and the body loses water which must be replaced.
Dehydration also means that the heart must work harder to pump out the same amount of blood, it effects skill levels and concentration. All of which will affect your child’s swimming lesson, so we suggest that your child drinks up to 500ml within the hour before their swimming lesson to ensure they are fully hydrated.