No Eating before Training

[jome]

Originally Posted by KatFish

I think it can be dangerous to change your routine from training to competition. Why would you want to alter the factors you're used to when you're already in a more stressful situation?

I think what Eric is aiming at is that during training season your only "goal" is to develop.

In simplified terms developing = training stimulus + rebuild. Ie you try to unbalance your body with a training stimulus and then let it recover and rebuild it self, stronger and better prepared to meet the challenge again.

Therefore the diet in heavy training may vary greatly of what you would have before trying to achieve one singular max performance. Depending on your training program, targets and phase the aim might not be for example to try to swim a longer dynamic, but to build up the biggest muscle fatigue for example. Or highest co2 level imaginable...Or something like that - there are so many recepies...

For example if you train 6 times a week and do a heavy interval table or something like that, "not eating" is simply suicidal. What you need is enough "fuel" to carry out the training and especially enough and right nutrients to recover properly so you actually develop instead of for example damaging your self. You'll want to have for example enough proteins, which before a max performance I try to avoid like plague.

It is of course different in the phase of training where you aim for "competition like performances", but usually this is just the last 2-4 weeks before the competition (out of a 6 or even 12 month cycle). During these last weeks I'd do mostly max dives with competition like preparation - ie. simulate competitions. It is during this phase I hone the routines for preparing the competition and the it is important not to change them at the last minute, but go to competition with something tried and true.

Depends of course what kind of training you do and how you plan your training cycles.

My personal beliefs (for what it's worth) for max/competition perfs:
-In static a little fast (3-4 hours) is beneficial
-In dynamic you need to have energy, but empty stomach
-In CWT/CNF you REALLY need to have energy - going for max perf starved and on low blood sugar is dangerous

Needing to have energy does not mean you have to have eggs and bacon. I'd eat something easy to digest and rich in carbs (low in protein) up to 4 hours before the top (pasta is the popular choise). After that I'll have mostly gatorade and maybe a mysli bar or something every now and then. Keeps the energy (and hydration) up, but not the stomach full.

[bite ya]

God bless Dave King and God bless fry up's!!! (and red wine of course)

Well i'm off to the pool now with a light snack inside me, i tied the dried fruits, natrual yoghurt and nuts. It felt like eating soggy cardboard but i'll give it a go.

Let you know how i get on tonight!

Chris Holmes

[bite ya]

Jome, thanks that's helps a lot and i've certainly learnt a lot from starting this thread. I trained tonight and did a new PB in static 5min dead on!! So i'm a happy chappy and it all worked out well.

Thanks all for your advice but if anyone else what's to jump in with more feel free!

Chris Holmes

[azapa]

I think it's quite a personal Jigsaw puzzle. Fran recommended I use a daily training logbook in my buildup to doing a comp. How you slept, what you ate at what time etc etc. I would like to think that after 20 or so entries to that log book a personal "map" would start to come out.

I am lucky enough to pool train 10 times a month and do 5 or 6 open water sessions too. I have good and bad (apnea) days, really quite black and white, and would love to know why.

It isn't coffee (i do well or bad with/without
it IS how rested i am (how well I slept the night before)

All the rest is to be discovered. British breakfasts are great though...

[Narsil]

I used to effectively fast for about 5-6 hours before serious apnea (either competition or hard training).

I now make sure I eat something readily digestable, such as a banana, abount an hour - 90 minutes prior. I find there's little downside. It helps keep my bloodsugar in balence, which in turn reduces the risk of packing black outs.

When I'm out spearfishing I often eat quite a lot just prior to diving, and if in a boat, I'll eat say halfway through a 4-5 hour spearfishing session.

It's all personal though - some people don't have the type of constitution or metabolism for this to work at all.

Guy

[Mullins]

I've pretty much eliminated packing blackouts just by eating a bit closer to the time I'll be diving. The other night I fasted a bit for a static session and was feeling very wobbly whilst packing. Well, the hyperventilating might also have had something to do with it....

Jome, I think the kiwis in general seem to be more of the 'train as you intend to compete' school than other divers.

[jome]

Originally Posted by Mullins

I

Jome, I think the kiwis in general seem to be more of the 'train as you intend to compete' school than other divers.

Seems to be a good school When I wrote that I had in mind the sort of "traditional" school or old school what ever you want to call it. Stepanek, Guillaume etc. So far pretty good results in so many different training methods...Hard to say which is best, but for beginner to intermediate it doesn't make much difference, just pick one and stick with it as long as you develop and keep changing things around if you don't.

For me the big difference in packing bo's is simply hydration. That's why I keep drinking tons of gatorade (or similar "sports drink") before any performance (keeps the sugar up also). Never had a problem since discovering (or to be fair being told) this. I'd like to think it also makes a difference in the end of the performance in terms of being able to maintain a good blood pressure. At least the ATRC test done with good vs. bad hydration seems to indicate so Poorly hydrated I can almost pass out just standing up after sitting still for a long time.