There is a lot to keep in mind when preparing to attend a swimming meet. For starters, to become an elite-level swimmer, you are required to have a serious commitment to training, anywhere between 6 and 12 multi-session per week, which may include 10 km high-intensity sprints, including cycling and weight drills. Then, there are the key essentials for a competitive swim season that will keep you in tip-top shape while in the water.
Nutrition Is Essential For Swim
Swimming is also anaerobic, a metabolism-boosting activity requiring participants to have a strong upper body with lower body fat levels. Therefore, nutrition requirements will be determined by a wide range of factors such as training load, goals, body composition targets, and an athlete’s overall health.
Swim Gear Essentials
Just as training and nutrition are vital to a competitive swim season, so is the swimming gear. Having the appropriate swim accessories can save you time, money and even streamline aerodynamics to maximize speed and efficiency. The following are the most important essentials to bring with you to a swim conference meet;
Swim Goggles
A practical solution to the itchy, burning eyes is to wear high-quality swim goggles designed with a soft silicone strap and flexible frame that sits comfortably against your face. You also need a specially formulated anti-fog spray that helps keep your swim goggle lenses clean and fog-free.
Swim Cap
In addition to the streamlined aspect, a wrinkle-free and hypoallergenic silicone swim cap is recommended because it also helps prevent hair damage from the chlorine in swimming pools.
Swim Earplugs
To mitigate symptoms of a swimmer’s ear such as ear pain, itchiness, irritation, swelling, hearing loss, foul smells, and yellowish ooze from the ear, you should wear silicone, ergonomic earplugs. If you prefer swimming while listening to your favorite jam, you can wear underwater headphones, and while they will not keep water out of your ears, you will be having fun between swimming laps.
Nose Clip
These little devices made from hypoallergenic and lightweight polyurethane frames are designed to have a snug fit on your nostrils and keep the water out of your nose. Newbie swimmers can benefit from a nose clip, especially during a front crawl and backstroke, as they only need to focus on their technique without worrying about breathing. While experienced swimmers rarely use it, they can use an ergonomic nose clip in case of an allergic reaction to pool chemicals.
Water Bottle
This cannot be insisted enough; hydrating before, during, and after practice is vital to the success of all swimmers because among all the benefits water provides the body, muscle recovery and regulating the body’s temperature is of paramount importance. Dehydrated swimmers are more likely to experience fatigue and cramping during workouts, which can increase the risk of injuries that may interfere with the overall performance in the water.
You need to carry between 14 β 24 oz of water in a bottle to keep you adequately hydrated to mitigate this. Yeti bottles come in a variety of sizes and colors.
Microfiber Towel
Thanks to its excellent absorbency, a microfiber towel makes a perfect addition to every swimmer’s bag to help quickly dry off and keep them warm between laps and after workouts. Additionally, they are more hygienic because they don’t retain water, unlike regular bath or beach towels that make great breeding grounds for foul odor, bacteria, and mold growth.
Stability Snorkel
Swimmers who suffer from neck or lower back problems can either modify their swimming technique or train with a stability snorkel to improve factors such as body composition, speed, including swimming without oxygen.
Foam Roller
This cylindrical self-massage tool that comes in different sizes, designs, and firmness levels is used by professional athletes to help release muscle tension on the shoulders, quads, hips, under the feet, etc. It’s recommended to use a high-quality foam roller before and after swim workouts. The rolling motion created will help increase tissue elasticity and boost blood circulation and oxygen levels to sore muscles.
In addition to the above-mentioned swim gear essentials, don’t forget to also bring a positive sportsmanship spirit to your next competitive swim season meet.
Looking for more swim gear? Check out Omega Sports for all things swim. Or if swimming isn’t your thing, check out our post on pickleball.
