Useful Information

Open Meets

Open meet competitions can be held over several sessions and days, they allow swimmers to have the opportunities to race at a range of distances and events in specific age groups categories. The swimmers may be from your club or from clubs all over the country. Swimmers compete individually and represent the club. The selection of events the swimmer chooses is decided by the swimmer with guidance from their coach. Rushden Swimming Club may select specific open meets that are appropriate for the swimmer’s level. To swim in Open meets the swimmer must hold level 2 ASA memberships (if a swimmer does not have this it can be arranged at the Club desk on Monday evenings). All swimmers should try open meets as there are levels for all abilities, the entry forms can be confusing to fill in & if it is your first time, please feel free to ask any of your coaches or committee, to help you fill out the entry forms. More...

Nutrition

The ability to train to the levels which could ensure success in competition may be considerably affected by the swimmer's diet. A healthy diet is one that provides for the energy we need in training requirements.
Energy is made up from three basic nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glycogen; most is stored in the muscle, although some is stored in the liver. Fat is stored in the adipose tissue and muscle cells. Swimmers who eat sensibly should get all the vitamins, proteins and minerals they need from any food intake. At 'steady state' training, both fat and carbohydrate will provide for energy requirements.
As exercise becomes more intense, the swimmer will rely more on carbohydrate and less fat is used. When exercising is high, the energy in fat cannot be released quickly enough. The body cannot store vast amounts of carbohydrate so the muscles store it in the form of glycogen and these amounts are small, with the result that between sixty to ninety minutes of intensive training can use up most of it - and depletion leads to fatigue. If the swimmer has the wrong intake of foods levels, he or she will reach a stage of being unable to cope, or of 'falling adaptation'. More...

Doping & Drugs

Doping is the use of drugs to gain competitive advantage. This is cheating. It is also is illegal and can damage your health.

The British Swimming Association has an anti-doping policy. It enforces anti-doping rules and maintains a doping control programme (including drug detection tests). In Britain, any registered competitor may be tested for drug abuse. Very young competitors tend not to be tested but testing has occurred at the National Age Groups Championships. Punishment for a positive drugs test may vary widely from a warning letter up to a lengthy (possibly permanent) ban from training and competition. A swimmer may be penalised even if the drug was taken unknowingly/accidentally e.g. in medicines. More...