NEWS
FREEDIVING NUTRITION
GET THE RIGHT FOOD FOR APNEA BY BASSEL OUNAH – PADI FREEDIVING INSTRUCTOR TRAINER
In water, we lose a lot of energy from our bodies – that’s why what we intake before and after a dive, is a very important issue. When it comes to diving, we should be careful with our choices. Equalisation plays a vital role for freedivers during a descent, that’s why avoiding dairy products which may affect our equalisation and make it more difficult to perform, can be replaced with almond milk, for example. It’s a good replacement and contains minerals and vitamins! Many agree that coffee is a freedivers number one enemy. We should try to give up or reduce the intake of caffeine because it will increase our average heart rate, and give us less hydration as coffee is a known diuretic. Decaffeinated coffee is a good alternative for freedivers. Before a dive, avoid citrus fruits, ginger, vinegar, cinnamon, and cider. All of these
will increase stomach acidity. Stay away from too much sugar and honey, avoid chocolate or sweets as it will increase blood sugars and it will make all the carbohydrates disappear from a freediver’s blood. Carbohydrates and foods with high iron are good fuels for our bodies during freediving. Consider having oatmeal for breakfast which contains carbs, and bananas which are rich in potassium is also good for muscles. Dried fruits such as dates would be good as they contain vitamin B, iron and fibre. Beetroot can increase breath hold time up to 10%, and will also help muscle oxygen consumption during a freedive, it will increase blood circulation as it’s also high in iron. You have to choose foods which are easy to digest, and plan to eat 2-3 hours before your dive. Berries would be beneficial as an antioxidant and includes vitamin C and E. Vitamins play a very important role in a
freediver’s intake, green tea for cold days could be a better option than decaffeinated coffee. We have to increase the intake of alkaline foods as well, it has a good impact on increasing blood PH levels which give freedivers a higher CO2 tolerance. Low metabolism is the secret to a freediver’s nutrition, small meals but frequently is always advisable. No nutrition article would be complete without mentioning water! Men should drink more water than women, on average 3 litres for men and 2 litres for women. Proper hydration will avoid lower breathhold times, fatigue, black outs and difficulties with equalisation. Our bodies will lose a lot of water due to diuresis, the hot temperatures of the UAE, and the intense activity done during freediving, so we should consume water even before we feel thirsty. Better nutrition, makes better freedivers!
MARCH 2020 | DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
17
