swimming for cardio? what u think?

**quadsofsteel** · 08-22-2008, 01:52 PM

hey people! i run intense cardio everyday and even with knee wraps my knees are getting exhausted. I have the drive to run on treadmill, bike and elliptical for an hour or more but my knees are not liking me for it, even with knee wraps. So I been looking for a "non impact" cardio rutine that wouldnt be so detrimental to the knees and found an article about swimming. Before i copy the article i just got 3 questions?

Who else here does swimming for cardio work?
Calories burned?
Effective fat loss?
How long do you swim to cardio to be effective?
different styles of swimming more effective than others?

Anyway, I dont know if you wanna read through the whole thing, but i figured id post it up because its got some usefull info for diet noobs. Heres the article i found about Michael Phelps, olympic swimmer for the United States that eats 10,000 friggin calories a day for swimming. incredible.

The Olympic Diet of Michael Phelps
Questions and answers about the high-calorie diet that fuels the Olympic swimmer's championship performance.
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDAug. 13, 2008 -- His body may resemble the trim, athletic figure of Michelangelo's statue of David, but the diet of Michael Phelps sure doesn't sound like the stuff of champions.

The U.S. Olympic swimmer told ESPN that he eats roughly 8,000-10,000 calories a day, including "lots of pizza and pasta." In addition to stuffing down carbs, he's said that he routinely eats foods like fried egg sandwiches.

How to Get an Olympic Body

It takes much more than eating lots of pizza and pasta to perform at the level of an Olympic champion. Discover the training and diet secrets of Michael Phelps and other U.S. Olympic athletes in this WebMD slideshow.
See the slideshow
Related to the Olympics 10 Tips for an Olympic Body
Olympics in Beijing: Air Quality Woes
© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
So exactly how do all those calories help fuel the most decorated Olympic athlete in history? Here are some questions and answers about the Michael Phelps diet.

How can Michael Phelps eat 10,000 calories a day and still be so lean?
There is no doubt he packs away a ton of food, but it is unlikely that he actually eats that many calories a day, an expert believes. University of Pittsburgh Director of Sports Nutrition Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, says eating 10,000 calories a day is almost impossible. "To consume 10,000 calories a day, he would need to be eating all day long."

Bonci estimates that to support his 6-foot-4-inch, approximately 190-pound frame, Phelps' rigorous training regime requires roughly 1,000 calories per hour while he is racing or training; she suggests he probably eats closer to 6,000 calories per day.

What does Michael Phelps eat for breakfast?
NBC commentator Bob Costas rattled off Phelps' breakfast menu, which includes three sandwiches of fried eggs, cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onions, mayonnaise, an omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast with powdered sugar, and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

Without knowing the exact details of the portions, recipes, and ingredients, this meal probably contains roughly 3,000 calories, about half from carbohydrates, a little less than half from fat, and 15% from protein. It's not a bad distribution of major nutrients for competition, according to dietary recommendations, assuming the breads are whole grain, the cheese is low fat, and the fats used to fry the eggs are healthy. The addition of fruit would improve the nutritional profile of this meal, Bonci says.

Is it bad to eat high-fat foods even if you don't gain weight?
Athletes need a diet rich in healthy carbohydrates and fats to provide the necessary energy to compete. "Athletes need fat but, they need to be selective about the type of fat and whenever possible choose unsaturated fats such as olive or canola oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds," says Bonci. Fried and greasy foods are generally not recommended for athletes -- or anyone else.

Wouldn't Phelps feel bloated during a race?
Managing food intake is a huge challenge to all athletes to be sure they have enough calories to fuel their event without being bloated. Bonci advises athletes to take advantage of nutrient-dense liquids like smoothies that empty from the stomach more quickly than solid foods. "We encourage athletes to eat foods that are high in calories and small in volume -- so granola with fruit and yogurt would be a better choice than flake cereal with milk." Timing of meals and snacks is an important issue for athletes to help them get the calories and nutrients they need without feeling stuffed and interfering with competition.

If you're not an Olympic athlete, how much should you eat?
Compared to Olympic athletes, most of us need to follow the general guidelines of approximately 2,000 calories per day, adjusted for age, sex, and physical activity levels. The average weekend athlete burns about 200-700 calories an hour running on the treadmill, whereas Phelps probably burns 3,000 calories a day swimming. Most athletes need three to four times as much as the rest of us to keep their bodies strong and energized for competition.

How does Phelps balance eating, sleeping, and recovering so he is ready for the next race?
It is a delicate balancing act, and sometimes Phelps has had only one hour to rest between races. Keeping muscles fueled and ready for record-breaking races requires a regime of eating enough to provide readily available energy, and then resting and repairing the stressed, overworked muscles to prepare for the next race. "Within 15 minutes of finishing a race, Phelps should eat a small meal of two-thirds carbs and one-third protein, with a little healthy fat to start and optimize the recovery process," says Bonci. Recovery is critical to repairing muscles and getting them ready for the next event. Bonci advises athletes to think of recovery as the appetizer -- followed by a meal within an hour or two -- and then rest. She warns that eating too much can interfere with the body's ability to sleep or get a good rest.

***FireGuy*** · 08-22-2008, 01:57 PM

Muscle sinks, fat floats.

**michael tyson** · 10-07-2008, 10:50 AM

swimming is good cardio. helps the skin too

**michael tyson** · 10-07-2008, 10:51 AM

i find it very relaxing also

**rykketid** · 10-08-2008, 01:51 AM

I thought i was pretty fit once until i decided to go for a swim - massive respect for professional swimmers!

**Iced696** · 10-08-2008, 08:36 AM

Swimming is one of the best forms of cardio there is. I swim 3 X a week. It's easy on the joints and despite how well someone runs or how good they think their cardio is program is, swimming will show you whether your cardio is up to snuff.

**redz** · 10-08-2008, 08:39 AM

Why not its great cardio I wish I had a pool at home I would use it every day through the summer.

**smokeyd** · 10-08-2008, 08:43 AM

i like swimming also, i want one of those little pools that has the jets that you can swim into

**xlxBigSexyxlx** · 10-08-2008, 08:43 AM

Hypoxic Swims...

**intensityfreak** · 11-09-2008, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by smokeyd

i like swimming also, i want one of those little pools that has the jets that you can swim into

just imagine how boring that would be, im also gonna put swimmig in my reputway.....

**kickinit** · 11-11-2008, 11:50 AM

Swimming is a great cardio, like running for water only more upper body...

I like to do it since its NO impact, but hard to find a pool that I can do it in now, plus with my back im taking it easy. Once I know im good I will be back in the pool.

**jimmyinkedup** · 11-11-2008, 07:51 PM

Hmm it is good cardio however if you compare on the basis of time per activity for calorie buring swimming finishes behind jogging, cycling, and elliptical. It does have many benefits ...no impact , resistance of water, alleviation of lactic acid build up. So if you like it and want to do it ...then go for it.

**jimmyinkedup** · 11-11-2008, 07:52 PM

oh and all of those activities finish behind rowing.

**rockinred** · 11-11-2008, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyinkedup

oh and all of those activities finish behind rowing.

Don't get too caught up on those charts... everything dep ends on the level of exertion applied to the exercise. you can row real slow and it will be behind that....you can run real hard and fast and it will be in front, you can swim hard and fast and it will be in front of others.....

not trying to talk smack here...just want to clarify that all things really depe nd on the amount of energy and work you put into it.. that is the key in any cardio

**j4ever41** · 11-11-2008, 11:03 PM

all i know is i could bust my ass on elliptical for 45 minutes - hour and a couple of days i would swim and there is no way i could go all out for 45minutes - hour

**jimmyinkedup** · 11-11-2008, 11:41 PM

good point rockin ...all depends on intensity as well as duration I suppose. Main thing when it comes to cardio IMO is do what you like best ...because then you will do it!

**gympigi** · 06-20-2010, 01:57 AM

I swim between 1 and 2 miles several times a week. I had asthma but my swimming has eradicated it and my CV fitness is fantastic. My resting heart rate is only 54bpm which is very good. I can wholeheartidly recommend it. What I would suggest is that you use a Speedo Aquabeat or something as it can get tedious. It is very good for calorie burn but ONLY if you make it work. If you plod along you wont get anything from it but shake things up about with drills and stuff and youll find it helps a lot!