Supercharge your day of swimming

Nutrition plays a key role in a swimmer’s performance, recovery, and overall health. The Outdoor Swimmer team have been testing Arla dairy products to help them reach their swimming goals

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The Outdoor Swimmer team are all very different swimmers — some are sprinters, others prefer longdistance, and a few are just getting started. Our strokes may vary, but one thing we have in common is our busy lives!

Between work, family, and training, we don’t have time to worry about complicated meals. That’s why quick and easy nutrition is so important. We need fuel that fits into our busy schedules and supports our performance in the water. Whether it’s early morning lake laps or evening sessions in the pool, having quick, nourishing options makes it easier to stay energised and focused on reaching our swimming goals.

The importance of protein

Swimming is a full-body workout, so swimmers need to fuel their bodies with the right vitamins and minerals. Protein is especially important, as it supports muscle growth and repair after exercise. Incorporating products that are high in protein into a swimmer’s diet helps maintain muscle mass and speeds up recovery, reducing the risk of injury and fatigue.

As sponsors of the Great North Swim, Arla recognises that protein products shouldn’t compromise on taste, while swimmers are on their training journeys. They’ve created a range of dairy products that are easy to use and versatile, including long-lasting and pure filtered Arla Cravendale milk, Arla LactoFREE so you can enjoy the goodness of dairy but without lactose; high protein and low fat Arla Protein, which is great to eat on the go; and Arla Skyr, a naturally occurring high protein yogurt that’s beautifully thick and creamy.

Find out how the Outdoor Swimmer team got on with using Arla’s dairy products during a busy week of swim training.

“As my body changes, I’m learning the importance of protein.” Rowan Clarke, endurance swimmer and features writer

As a peri-menopausal woman, I’m always looking for ways to up the protein in my diet – especially as I don’t eat much meat. Protein is said to be essential for maintaining strength, mobility and metabolic health as oestrogen levels drop. So, it makes sense to eat protein-rich food before working out in the gym or going for a swim.

I find yogurt and milk-based food tasty and digestible when I work out – I’m prone to reflux when I swim, and this doesn’t happen with dairy. I started my day with a smoothie bowl made from Arla Cravendale Milk and Arla LactoFREE Natural Yogurt topped with loads of nuts, seeds and blueberries for slow burning energy. The Arla Protein Raspberry pot was great for a preworkout boost, and I used the Protein Food to Go mid-training for a tasty energy boost.

As my body changes, I’m learning about the importance of protein. It’s wonderful to find delicious Arla products that support me.

“Dairy plays a big role in my diet as a source of protein”: Simon Griffiths, Founder & Publisher

I often exercise twice each day, especially when training. I’m a veggie, so dairy plays a big role in my diet as a source of protein.

I enjoyed the Arla Skyr Whipped Strawberry and Caramelised Orange, and the Arla Protein Strawberry pot. They tasted great as a pre-swim snack without being over-filling. The Arla LactoFREE Natural Yogurt was a lovely complement to my standard breakfast of oats and dried fruit (soaked in Arla Cravendale milk, naturally).

The Arla Protein Food To Go meal replacement shake was a perfect way to start my recovery after a long training swim and easy to drop into my swim bag.

“The Arla yogurts are an easy way to refuel my muscles post-swim”: Abi Whyte, Digital Editor

I’ve recently started a new challenge of swimming 26 miles over 12 weeks, so I’ve been hitting the pool or lake at least three times a week. This is usually in the mornings after the school-run, so I like to have a pre-swim breakfast of porridge made with Arla Cravendale milk (it lasts for a whole week in the fridge once opened), honey and flaxseed. This provides slow-burning energy for my morning swim.

After my swim session I then have an Arla Protein Blueberry pot (so fruity and creamy!) that provides an easy low-fat, high-protein way to refuel my muscles post-swim.

When I wild swim with friends at the weekends, I like warm up with peppermint tea then have an Arla Skyr Whipped pot (my favourite flavour is Caramelised Orange) as it provides me with some feel-good indulgence for my sweet tooth!

“The Arla Protein Food To Go gave me good, sustained energy”: Ella Foote, Editor

Even though I love swimming I don’t always jump out of bed for my swim sessions, I can always convince myself to sleep a bit longer and perhaps skip breakfast… So, the Arla Protein Food To Go (Chocolate Caramel flavour!) was perfect for me. I actually had a little before swimming and finished it after. It gave me good, sustained energy and I felt full and satisfied.

It was like drinking a normal milkshake full of sweet taste, but the fact it is enriched with milk protein, vitamins and minerals was reassuring. It’s convenient and I held off snacking until lunch – which is saying something after a swim!