However you train, tell us your session and we'll tell you what goes on the plate. Free, with no signup.
Build my plate →Macros tell you what's in the food. We tell you what it's for.
Easy laps and a two-hour swim don't need the same food. Pick your swim and see your plate.
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JG Fitness
By James Gonzo, personal trainer and swim coach in Heywood. Not a registered dietitian.
Eat Like You Train is brought to you by JG Fitness. Cooking and meal prep videos are on the way, and the avocado does the cooking. Want a training plan too? Try the free 4-week pool plan or running strength plan.
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{{receipt.source}}Tap a day to change the session. Your food and shopping list update as you go. Free, with no signup.
The meals around your training at {{kg}} kg, using your swaps.
However you train, tell us your session and we'll tell you what goes on the plate. Free, with no signup.
Build my plate →Macros tell you what's in the food. We tell you what it's for.
You have to wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim.
Easy laps and a two-hour swim don't need the same food. Pick your swim and see your plate.
There's no medical evidence for the old 30-minute rule. For a gentle swim, eating shortly before is usually fine. For a hard session, leave at least an hour, because working hard on a full stomach is uncomfortable.
Keep it small and easy to digest. A banana with a little skyr works if you only have 30 minutes. Go low on fat and fibre, as both can sit heavily while you swim.
Carbs and protein together. Guides disagree on whether you need to eat within 30 minutes or an hour, so don't stress over the clock. Have a proper meal within a couple of hours and a snack sooner if you're training again soon.
Cold water may be part of it. In a small 2025 study, people ate about 230 kcal more after 30 minutes in 16°C water than after 30 minutes in warm water. They were sitting still rather than swimming, so treat it as a clue, and have food ready for when you get out.
Most swims under two hours don't need food. Do take a drink, though. Swimmers still sweat, and the amount varies a lot from person to person.
JG Fitness
By James Gonzo, personal trainer and swim coach in Heywood. Not a registered dietitian.
Eat Like You Train is brought to you by JG Fitness. Cooking and meal prep videos are on the way, and the avocado does the cooking. Want a training plan too? Try the free 4-week pool plan or running strength plan.
Visit JG Fitness →Most people who train do well on 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day, spread over 20–40 g meals.
Jäger et al., 2017. ISSN position standRunners, riders and other endurance athletes should match their carbs to their training load.
Stellingwerff et al., 2019. Periodised nutrition frameworkPeople ate more after sitting in 16°C water than in warm water. Cold may be part of why you feel hungry after a swim.
Grigg et al., 2025. 15 healthy adultsThe 30-minute swimming rule has no medical evidence behind it. Leave about an hour before hard exercise.
UAMS Health, 2019Tap a day to change the session. Your food and shopping list update as you go. Free, with no signup.
The meals around your training at 80 kg, using your swaps.