When to eat before swimming?

[Kathy]

I go to swim club in my lunch breaks. Normally, swimming starts at noon, so I have a banana or something at about 11:15, and the rest of my lunch at 1:30, and this seems to work fine. However, Internal Politics means that Wednesday's club is now at one o'clock.

I've tried eating my lunch at 11:45, but then I was sleepy and sluggish when I swam. I've tried having a snack around noon and the rest of my lunch at 2:30, but I nearly died of starvation. 

I have an orange, a banana, a cheese-and-salad wrap and a Gu banoffee pudding to work with. What should I eat, and when?

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Eat the Gu banoffee pudding NOW! I'm surprised it has survived this long. Mmmm... GU puddings.

[Kathy]

GU puddin' is to see me through the afternoon when I have the post-swimming endorphin-low blues.

I shall try nomming lunch now - entirely in the name of scientific 'sperimentation, and not because my tummy is grumbling.

[Ian H]

My late mother-in-law wouldn't allow anyone to take a bath after food, in case they drowned.

[Paul]

Is this a question about cramp? If so, I heard Stephen Fry (on QI) comprehensively dispel the myth about eating within an hour of swimming causing cramps, stating that there is no medical evidence whatsover to support it.

If it's a question of what to eat and when, for the sake of enjoyment, I always found that everything tasted brilliant after swimming.

Oh, and the post swim fag was amazing.

[Kathy]

Is this a question about cramp?

Nah, it's more about when to eat if you're going to be doing intensive exercise at the time when one normally eats. If I eat before, then my metabolism isn't expecting food that early, and doesn't release the energy soon enough. If I eat after, then I go "bonk" during swimming, due to not having eaten.

[andygates]

I skip breakfast and have a heavy elevenses, then a heavy afternoonses. 

[rogerzilla]

Oh, and the post swim fag was amazing.

Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy Video

Sorry 

I actually really like that record.