Recovery just as important as training
June 26, 2010
Brendan Kennedy
STAFF REPORTER
When Miguel Vadillo was a teenage swimming sensation in Mexico, he didn’t think too much about what he ate.
He would make sure to have a healthy meal before a big race, but he never worried when or how he filled his stomach afterward.
“My recovery was way faster back then. I’d eat whenever the food was available.”
Today, at 40, Vadillo is training for the most challenging physical test of his life, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that his body can’t bounce back the way it used to.
If he doesn’t properly refuel after a long training session, his muscles let him know in the morning.
“I have to carry my recovery food on my back, so I can eat as soon as I finish training.”
After a practice session these days, he’s got a banana in his mouth as soon as he gets out of the water.
On Aug. 10, Vadillo is hoping to be the 43rd person to swim across Lake Ontario since Marilyn Bell first accomplished the feat in 1954. Aside from battling his mid-life demons, he’s also raising money for learn-to-swim programs.
Fortunately for Vadillo, his partner, Katie White, is also a personal health coach, who is designing his training diet.
White said endurance athletes often overlook the importance of recovery, which can be more important than the actual training. “And part of your recovery is your food,” she said.
There are no hard-and-fast rules when creating a nutrition plan for an endurance athlete, White said — the key is to listen to your body.
“It’s an ongoing experiment, because every athlete who does this kind of event is different,” said White, who studied nutrition at the University of Guelph and now works for the UWeightLoss Clinic. “It’s definitely a trial and error situation.”
Warning signs that your diet may not be working for you include feeling overly sore the day after training, being constantly dehydrated or having trouble sleeping.
“Staying hydrated is the first and foremost priority,” White said. “Once you’re depleted, you’re pooched.”
Vadillo drinks water throughout his training, and after a long swim he’ll have a homemade protein shake to refuel. The shakes are usually made with whey protein, a carbohydrate blend such as orange juice, and a little flax seed oil to boost the fat content.
White said they prefer to make their own shakes, so they know for sure what’s in it.
“Natural ingredients work best, because the body assimilates natural products better.”
Regarding Vadillo’s day-to-day eating habits, White said an ideal breakfast would be yogurt with berries and a little granola; a good lunch would be a salad with some lean protein, such as chicken or turkey, with a similar meal at dinner. For snacks, fruit, nuts and a little cheese are best.
White, who is a vegetarian, said animal proteins are best for athletes, because they are the most accessible to the body.
Endurance athletes should be getting fat, carbs and proteins in every meal, altering the proportions depending on the time of day and how it fits into the training schedule.
On a regular day, Vadillo will consume 2,500 to 3,000 calories. But during his long training days — when he can spend five or six hours swimming — he doubles his caloric intake.
“It really comes down to what works best for you,” she said. “Everyone’s built different, everyone’s got different demands.”
To support Vadillo’s swim by making a donation, visit http://j.mp/a4WBtp or follow his blog at http://malvaswimlakeontario.typepad.com/my-blog/. The Star will be tracking Vadillo’s training throughout the summer with biweekly updates until his big swim on Aug. 10.
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