- Dietary Guidelines for Americans (from the US Dept. of Agriculture): They recommend a balanced intake from all food groups (there are six of them now) through use of the food guide pyramid. This approach is based on years of research and observed results. It is also similar to the Unified Dietary Guidelines proposed by five of the major health organizations in the USA.
- Vegetarian Diets are varied, from avoiding some meats to absolutely no animal products. These diets are a bit more challenging to make complete for an athlete, but very achievable. In fact, they may be healthier than many other eating plans. This plan (or life choice) has a food pyramid, too.
- 40-30-30, such as The Zone Diet: A plan based on the concept that what and how you eat has a powerful effect on your physiology and health - don't all diets have this same underlying philosophy? Yes, but not all plans stress it as much as this one. This plan recommends changes in the composition of dietary fats, exercise, omega-3 fish oils, and controlling the proportions of three main elements of nutrition (intake should be 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 30% fats).
- High Protein, Low Carbohydrate, such as The Atkins Diet: These focus on lowering the overall intake of carbohydrates. These plans do not seem to fit in the general realm of fitness; they limit the most easily accessed source of energy. They are also not recommended by the American Dietetic Association due to the larger portions of fat and increased demand on kidney and liver function.
Each of these plans, and many others, all have different rules and guidelines to follow in regards to what to eat - they also have recommendations on how much to eat. Swimmers, like other athletes, need to take in enough calories to offset those used in exercise (and used during the non-workout times, too).
