Diet for freediving – What to eat and what to avoid when freediving?

If you are a freediver you might be thinking about what you should and shouldn’t be eating to make your dives feel nice, and to perform your best. There are many foods that are beneficial to us as freedivers because they contain certain vitamins and minerals that boost performance. There are also many foods that freedivers might choose to cut out if they want to take their training seriously. In this article, we are going to look at the recommended diet for freediving, giving you tips on what foods to choose and what to avoid as well as go over some popular supplements that can boost your performance.

Best foods for freediving

Eating healthy is crucial when picking up a demanding sport like freediving. The right foods can help make your body and mind function better, so let’s have a look at some of the best types of food for freedivers to consume.

Foods high in iron

Iron is essential for transporting oxygen around the body. It is important that freedivers have enough iron in their diet as regular breath holds can lead to an iron deficiency.

Healthy fats

Not all fats are bad, some healthy fats help to absorb vitamins and minerals, reduce your risk of heart disease, fight inflammation, and do lots more to help you stay healthy.

High protein foods

Protein is essential for repairing muscles and staying strong. The recommended amount of protein is around 0.8-1g of protein per 1kg of body weight. However, athletes might need up to 1.6-2g per 1kg.

Organic fruit and vegetables

Organic food is better because it uses less synthetic fertilizers and other chemicals to be grown. These chemicals are bad for us to eat and bad for the environment too.

Fruit and vegetables have so many benefits for our bodies and brains, they help give us energy, they are high in vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, and are generally low in calories. It is good to get a mix of different colors when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Many fruits have a high water content which helps keep you hydrated.

Water

Becoming dehydrated can cause dizziness, fatigue, and poor concentration, which are all detrimental for freediving training. The recommended daily intake of water is between 2.7-3.7L. If you do a lot of exercises or live in a hot climate country, you should have more.

Foods to avoid for freediving

Certain food can cause congestion, inflammation or make you bloated which are not ideal when you are about to freedive. If you want to take your training seriously, avoid such foods or minimize consuming them.

Foods that can cause congestion

Some foods can promote mucus buildup, which can affect our ability to equalize the ears and sinuses while freediving.

Foods that can cause inflammation

Inflammation can lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. On top of being unhealthy, such foods can also make it harder to equalize the ears.

Foods that can raise the heart rate

It is important to stay as relaxed as possible for freediving. This is to make the breath hold feel nicer and to avoid having a blackout. Certain foods can raise our heart rate and make us less relaxed.

Foods that are high in fat

As we already talked about, there are some good fats that are beneficial to the body. However, there are also saturated fats and trans fats that can raise cholesterol, increase fat percentage of the body, and lead to various diseases, so the best is to eat less or fully skip products that contain such fats. Here are some examples:

• Processed meat
• Full-fat dairy products
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Chips
• Pastries
• Ice cream

Supplements for freediving

Many freediving athletes will add supplements to their healthy diet so that they can perform their best in freediving. It is important to consult with a doctor or a dietician before deciding which supplements you need. Everybody is different but here are some common supplements you might consider as part of a freediving diet:

Protein

Protein helps to repair and restore muscle that is damaged during exercise and can help optimize carbohydrate storage. Many freedivers will have a workout plan in place alongside their freediving training, so protein can help them to stay strong for both wet and dry training.

Creatine

Creatine can help to boost energy, as well as increase muscle mass and strength. Many serious athletes consider creatine to be a must-have supplement for training.

Magnesium

Magnesium helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue, aids normal protein synthesis, increases energy, and supports electrolyte balance. Magnesium is vital in ensuring optimum health.

Iron

Iron is one of the most important things a freediver needs in their diet as it helps to replenish hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is what bonds oxygen with the blood. Breath holds put stress on hemoglobin and so freedivers who dive regularly are more prone to becoming anemic (iron deficiency).

If you struggle to get enough iron in your diet, it is a good idea to take an iron supplement. Iron requires vitamin C for the body to absorb it best, so taking a multivitamin that includes both iron and vitamin C could be a good idea.

Serrapeptase

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down proteins into amino acids. It is excellent for speeding up recovery in sports and dissolving inflammation. British freediving record holder Gary McGrath takes serrapeptase because he believes it will prevent lung damage when doing lots of dives to extreme depths.

BCAA’s

BCAA’s are said to reduce fatigue, shorten recovery time in sports, and build and maintain muscle. It is under debate whether it is beneficial to freedivers specifically, but those who are training in the gym alongside their diving can benefit from taking BCAA’s.

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