Swimming Fuel: Red Ambassador Amy Ennion’s Essential Swim Nutrition Tips

Written by Lydia Burdett / July 2025

Whether you’re heading out for a sunrise dip or gearing up for a multi-hour endurance swim, what you eat and drink matters more than you might think. Red Ambassador Amy Ennion, preparing for her ultra-swim challenge in Loch Ness in July, shares her advice for fuelling before, during, and after a swim – no matter your distance. These tasty tips are all about keeping your energy up, recovering strong, and retaining the joy of swimming front and centre.

While you might be taking on something slightly more sensible than a 16-hour swim yourself, there are three key tips for swimming nutrition that every swimmer ought to know…

1) You should fuel any swim longer than 90 minutes.

You only have enough immediate energy store in your body for about 1.5 hours of moderate exercise. If you’re swimming for any longer than that, you should have something to eat or a sugary drink to keep yourself topped up with energy. You can push through the 90-minute barrier, of course – but you’ll eventually ‘hit the wall’, as it’s known in long-distance running. You’ll feel tired, lethargic, possibly grumpy and irritable – and generally not be as able to enjoy your swim!

2) The best nutrition is something you enjoy, that sits well on your stomach.

Feeds while swimming should be small – about the size of two thumbs, or c.150–200ml of liquid – so they don’t cause you to cramp. They should be easily digestible: think simple sugars, simple carbs, bananas, tea or hot chocolate. And they should be enjoyable for you. So don’t force down half a banana if you’re not a fruit person – enjoy the jelly babies!

3) Remember to fuel your recovery.

Adequately fuelling after your swim and making sure your body has the nutrition it needs to recover means you will be stronger, fitter, less tired and better able to enjoy your next swim. Good recovery nutrition looks like a fist-sized serving of carbohydrates, and a thumb-sized portion of protein.