Race day carbohydrates: the timing rules that actually matter

Race nerves don't just affect your head - they affect your gut too, redirecting blood flow away from your digestive system and changing how you handle food. In this lesson you'll learn the one gram per minute rule, why simpler carbohydrates become more important on race day, and how to fuel when you have multiple events in a session. Practice this at prep meets, not on the day that counts.

Carb loading: what it actually means (and what it doesn't)

Carb loading is one of the least practiced and most misunderstood strategies in swimming nutrition. In this lesson you'll learn what it actually means - topping up your carbohydrate tank through a familiar, carbohydrate-based dinner - and what it definitely doesn't mean. No new restaurants, no uncomfortable amounts of food, no dramatic changes to your routine. Familiar, simple, and satisfying is the goal.

Race morning: how to adjust breakfast based on your start time

An 8am race and a 2pm race require completely different breakfast strategies. In this lesson you'll learn how to adjust your timing and portions based on when your first event is, what to do when nerves are killing your appetite, and which options work best for different time gaps. One rule applies every race morning regardless of start time - and it could save you from a costly mistake.

Between events: how to fuel the gaps without slowing down

The gaps between events are where race day nutrition most often unravels. Swimmers eat too much and feel heavy, grab the wrong thing, or forget to eat at all. In this lesson you'll get a clear strategy for short gaps, medium gaps, and long gaps, plus how to manage fluids across a full competition day so you arrive at every race ready to perform.

Multi-day meets: how to stay sharp until your final race

Swimmers who perform on day four are the ones who fueled on days one, two and three. In this lesson you'll learn why multi-day meets are a cumulative nutrition challenge, how to repeat your pre-race routine consistently across every day of competition, and how to manage gut fatigue, hydration, and recovery when racing is happening every single day. Don't let a great day one, turn into a flat day four.

Warm-up to blocks: how to nail your final fuelling window

Breakfast is done. But the window between warm-up and the blocks is where many race day nutrition plans fall apart. In this lesson you'll learn exactly what to eat and when across the final two to three hours before you race, why warm-up itself burns carbohydrate that may need replacing, and how nerves change what your gut can handle. Practice this entire sequence at prep meets before it counts.