Channel Swimming Association (CSA) Membership
CSA Registered Pilot (Seaman to guide the support boat)
Medical clearance
Accommodation for the weeks before and after your attempt
Support crew
Passport
Training and Nutrition
Step 1
Find an experienced mentor or coach to write you a detailed training plan. A training plan will motivate you to put on your swimsuit when the water's cold. Also, coming to the pool or beach with a workout every day will keep you from slacking off and ensure that you get the best fitness and weight loss results from every swim.
Step 2
Train your body to metabolize fat efficiently by doing some of your shorter workouts on an empty stomach. This teaches your body to spare finite carbohydrate stores by using fat (a practically unlimited source of energy) for fuel. Swimming in a "fasted state" also prepares your body for the low points that come after swimming for six hours, when carbohydrate reserves are exhausted and you begin to "hit the wall."
Step 3
Understand that long swims are the cornerstone of a marathon-swimming program, and burn a tremendous number of calories. Channel swimmers must be prepared to swim at least 22 miles, which can take seven to 27 hours. In the winter, weekly long swims should last two to four hours, building up to 10 or more hours the month before the Channel swim.
Step 4
Practice fueling during any workout that lasts longer than two hours, and always eat immediately after a workout. Keeping up with your fueling with a mixture of fat and carbohydrates helps maintain high-quality swimming right until the end of your workout and prevents post-exercise binges from extreme hunger.
Step 5
Focus on eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods rather than restricting calories to lose weight. Make sure that you eat plenty of complex carbohydrates before, during and after your workouts so that your muscles have enough fuel. Eat lots of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ("good") fats, which actually encourage fat burning. Finally, eat enough protein to rebuild your muscles after hard workouts.
Step 6
Supplement your swimming with weight training at least twice a week and land-based cardio training (such as running or cycling) at least once a week. Crosstraining increases muscle strength, decreases injury risk and increases post-exercise calorie expenditure.
Tips and Warnings
- CSA registered pilots usually have a three-year waiting list for Channel-crossing attempts. Practice swimming in cold water and during all weather conditions.
- Make sure that your crew knows how to spot the signs of hypothermia. When swimming alone in open water, swim parallel to the shore and always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back.
Things You'll Need
- An English Channel swim requires many months' hard training, and it is likely that by the time you reach Shakespeare Beach in Dover, weight loss goals will be far from your mind. The average competitive swimmer has five percent more body fat than competitive runners; and since fat protects open water swimmers' bodies from cold, ocean swimmers have even more fat than their pool-bound peers. The Channel Swimming Association doesn't recognize swimmers who use wetsuits in the 55- to 64-degree F Channel waters, so extra blubber helps prevent hypothermia and increases chances for success. Nevertheless, too much fat can slow a swimmer down. Following some steps will help you reach the best body composition to swim across the English Channel.
References
- Channel Swimming Association: Training
- Practical Sports Nutrition; Louise Burke; 2007
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: Weight Loss without Dietary Restriction; Grant Gwinup, MD; 1987
Member Comments