Protein plays a pivotal role in your training. It helps you feel full, satisfied and energetic. Combined with a carbohydrates and dairy, a protein-rich food plan, can help you perform better and recover more quickly.
Protein requirements for teens aged 13+ (our training group) are approximately 0.7 grams per pound of body weight. That’s not to say you should sit and analyze everything you eat, but you should think through your normal diet and make sure you are getting enough protein, dairy, and carbohydrates to help you swim well and recover from a hard workout.
The chart below is a guide for total grams of protein based on weight:
| Weight | Protein gram intake |
| 100 | 80 |
| 120 | 96 |
| 140 | 112 |
| 160 | 128 |
| 180 | 144 |
| 200 | 160 |
Here are some typical foods and the protein gram count for each. Gram count for meats is based on a 5-6 oz. serving. Typical US portions are 8 oz. (is it any wonder that US citizens are overweight?). Vegetable servings are based on 1/4-1/3 of a cup unless otherwise listed.
| Ground Beef (Hamburger) | 21 |
| Steak | 25 |
| Skinless Chicken Breast | 26 |
| Ground Turkey | 23 |
| Canned Tuna | 28 |
| Salmon | 20 |
| Turkey Breast | 25 |
| Eggs (2) | 12 |
| Egg Whites (4) | 14 |
| 1% Milk (8 oz) | 8 |
| Cheese (1 oz) | 7 |
| Cottage Cheese (1 cup) | 30 |
| Peanut Butter (2 Tbs) | 7 |
| Asparagus (5 spears) | 2 |
| Broccoli | 4 |
| Carrot (1) | 1 |
| Cauliflower | 2 |
| Celery | 0 |
| Cucumber | 1 |
| Green Beans | 1 |
| Cabbage | 1 |
| Lettuce | 1 |
| Mushrooms | 3 |
| Potato | 3 |
| Sweet Potato | 2 |
| Sweet Corn | 4 |
| Tomato (yes, it’s a fruit) | 1 |
Following a normal diet will give you all of the protein you need. Supplements are not necessary and could even be harmful to your liver, kidneys, and brain cells (that might explain a lot). Additional protein can come from vegetables (legumes / beans have the most protein). Fruits have minimal protein, but are rich in vitamins.
Swimmers in the Senior group should be eating (2500-3500 calories/day – female; 3500-5000 calories/day – male) assuming you are attending 5-6 days of practice per week in addition to normal activity.
It would be great if everyone could keep track of what they eat for two days this week and bring it in. I’ll calculate the totals for you and see where we are. Include snacks (candy, crackers, etc.). I’ll assume that you’re eating normal portions and go from there.
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