No Eating before Training

[bite ya]

Hi all, i usually stop eating 7-8hrs before i train in static and dynamic. Some questions???

1. Does this help?
2. Should i stop eating more than 7-8hrs before?
3. Can i eat 2hrs before and still post in good times?

I do really enjoy my food as does everybody, but i do sometimes train with a slight headache as i'm usually starving by then!!!

Does anyone else starve themselfs before training?

I have been substituting one of my days training each week to research diet etc and blood Ph levels to get my maximum out of my performance when i do get in the pool (usually twice a week) is there any info anyone can give as what is the best to eat and what is good to stay away from before i train.

I am aware of the nutrition web site for freedivers recently spoken about but just wanted to know other more experienced freedivers do or those of you who compete.

Thanks all.
Chris Holmes

[salibandy]

Rule I was taught is not to eat 3 hrs before training. So that by the time you start training, your stomach won't be wasting energy digesting food instead of being relaxed. So yea, it helps.

[naiad]

It depends on what works for you, I don't eat for about 4 hours before training, but some people do more or less.

[bite ya]

I've heard that in extreme circumstances some people have farced for a week or more before a big performance hold?

I think this is a bit extreme but there must be something in it. Your body's metabalisum (sorry about the spelling) must slow right down the less you feed it and the more it slows the more the heart rate must decrease?

Would be good if someone could point me in the right direction to reaserch the subject further?

Thanks all.

[fcallagy]

For statics i,d say yes no doubt about it, if you are doing mainly dynamics or actual diving you need to have energy coming from somewhere. What you eat would also make a difference ie, easier to digest food etc.

[Crazys13]

I would say 3 hours is good, but it varies from person to person. I was trying for a while not to eat much before diving/spearing, but it ended up doing more bad than good. I would get very uncomfortable and develope a headache during/after the dive. What I would say is if your going to dive at noon, have a nice light breakfast that has lots of nutrients and isn't too filling, and have this at about 830-900. That way you aren't fasting, but you also aren't stuffed to the brim, and your stomach is about done by then. Good luck and let us know what works for you in the end!

-John

[KatFish]

Please don't stave yourselves!

I love food (I'm quite passionate about this subject!) and eat up to 1.5hr prior to diving. Admittedly I have found something that doesn't upset my stomach (muesli, tinned peaches and neutrally flavoured yoghurt) and I don't have a huge amount. Eating gives you the energy to be able to sucessfully complete that big dive. Before competing I'll often have two breakfasts - the second conveniently timed about an hour and 45 mins before my dive (yes I eat it on the side of the pool).

Not eating may make a dive more comfortable in your stomach but you're more likely to black out, or have more lactic and general fatigue. Statics even take a lot out of a diver physically and it's important to have the energy stores to get through.

[efattah]

You need to be careful what you say when you say 'train.'

Do you mean 'train' static as in training to get better? If so then the time you reach doesn't matter, only the stress on the body.

Maximum apnea performance usually does require not eating for at least a few hours. I have tried a 6 day fast on water as well. But that is not training, that is going for 'max.'

For daily training, you might go for 2 hours without eating, but for a max attempt during a competition, you would probably go for 4 hours or more.

Similarly, diet for 'training' is totally different compared to the diet for performance. So ask yourself, are you training or performing?

[bite ya]

Good points from both katfish and Eric, i do really miss my food before i "train" so i take your point eric and a good one at that.

The muesli, peaches and yoghurt sounds scrummy so i'll look forward to tucking into them on wednesday a couple of hours before i go in the pool.

Thanks all.....

[dotey]

i saw a thing about this on the news the other day and it said that it dont matter if you eat before swiming like they had a olympic swim team eat a meal from mc donalds a big mac and fries and a coke and then had the swim laps and they didnt seem to notice a difference i mean i still dont eat before doing any spearfishing or diving but just thought it was neat

[naiad]

For me it makes a massive difference to static and dynamic performance, but probably everyone is different.

[BennyB]

I feel sick if I do any swimming or freediving after a decent size meal.

That said, I would hurt people if I couldn't eat 7 hours before a dive. Just try and get in between me and food!

Protein takes a bit longer to digest than carbohydrate, and fat takes a lot longer to digest than both. So if you eat anything with fat in it, it'll take you a while longer to digest it. Non meat things like grains, museli etc are good for snacks before diving. Like Kathryn said, you need your energy for a dive. Not eating for a certain time is appropriate for max performances, but you shouldn't let your blood sugar dip too low.

Cheers,
Ben

[bite ya]

Thanks Ben, as your avatar shows "we love dougnuts". I think i'm just going to go down the sensible route and eat quickly digested foods 2-3hrs before i train in future which makes me a lot more happy than previous weeks of getting really hungry, really fed up, really weak, really argumentitive and really really unhappy.

Starbuck's biscuits are the future!

Thanks all!

[KatFish]

Originally Posted by efattah

For daily training, you might go for 2 hours without eating, but for a max attempt during a competition, you would probably go for 4 hours or more.

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've had issues with low blood sugar at the end of a few comp dives - not great results. Anything much over two hours and I get quite shakey. Last comp I took breakfast #2 with me and ate it on the pool side finishing about 1.5 hrs prior to my top time. It was brilliant. I also did this in the Bahamas with my deep diving. You do have to allow a bit of time for digestion before you start stretching, etc or do most of your stretching beforehand. But yes I know, what works for me won't work for everyone and you do have to find that special food that doesn't upset your stomach which can be a mission in itself...

If it is hot I can usually feel my blood sugars getting low and tend to snack on dried apricots up to about 30mins before a big dive. This is what I usually snack on before evening trainings and I have a pretty big healthy lunch to carry me through.

I also do great pbs if I have 1-2 glasses of red wine, a big steak and lots of veges the night before - it has been debated that it's not due to the wine but I'm adamant that without the wine it's not as good... That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I'm trying to spread the word on this - hoping it will really take off soon as standard freediving practise.

[BennyB]

The UK's Dave Morgan is the King of eating before dives. He's been known to do 50'something metre PB dives an hour after having a full english breakfast - 2 eggs, bacon, 2 sausages, beans, tomato, toast and 2 cups of black coffee