Characteristics of the Sport

Overview

Diving is divided into springboard (1 and 3 m) and platform (10 m) events for men and women.  Synchronised events also occur for these disciplines.  Different combinations of starting positions, twists and movements in flight combine to determine the degree of difficulty of each dive.  Skill and power relative to body weight are important in determining a diver's success.

Training

Elite divers train in excess of 20-30 hours per week.  Morning and afternoon sessions lasting for 2-3 hours are undertaken on most days.  Divers train on dry land as well as in the pool.  During training sessions, divers repeatedly practice a new skill or sequence of skills within a dive and work on strength and flexibility.  Training usually starts at an early age as years of skill and strength development are required.

Competition

Preliminary rounds are generally held on the morning and finals in the evening of the same day. Each competitor must perform a set number of dives with limit (usually 4-5) and dives without limit. Each dive is marked separately out of 10 in increments of half marks. Men perform eleven dives in the 3 m springboard event, while women perform 10 dives. In the 1 m springboard event, men perform 6 dives and the women perform 5. In the platform events, 10 and 8 dives are performed respectively. A diving meet can last four to six days with the competition for board or platform being held on separate days.

Physical Characteristics

The skill and agility of a diver requires that the athlete be small, lean and well muscled.  This body composition provides physical advantages including increased mechanical efficiency, increased power-to-weight ratio and a favourable image to diving judges. 

Common Nutrition Issues

Body Fat Levels

Divers are encouraged to maintain a lean, well-muscled physique.  It can be difficult for female divers in particular to achieve or maintain the dimensions required.  Consequently, female divers may consume a diet low in energy, placing them at risk of inadequate nutrient intakes such as carbohydrate, calcium and iron.  It is important for female divers to eat nutrient-rich, low-fat foods at meals and snacks to meet their daily nutritional needs.  High-fat snacks (e.g. chips, chocolate) and nutrient-free carbohydrate foods and fluids (e.g. lollies, soft drink) are not encouraged as regular choices but as occasional treats.

Males tend to achieve lower body fat levels with more ease.  (However, some face similar challenges to female divers).  Most young male divers find they need large amounts of nutrient-rich foods to keep up with the added demands of growth and training.  This can be difficult with training and other commitments impacting on opportunities for meals and snacks.

Training Nutrition

Some divers avoid eating a regular breakfast before early morning training sessions as they feel solid food causes discomfort while training.  Divers experiencing this problem should try a carbohydrate-rich drink such as low-fat milk, a smoothie or juice before the session.  This will help maintain energy levels throughout training.

Due to a diver's busy lifestyle (training, school, university or work commitments), finding time to eat regular meals and snacks can also be a challenge.  Creative meal planning and preparation is needed to ensure nutrition doesn't suffer if having to eat "on the run".

Suitable snack choices for between training sessions are nutrient-rich foods that provide the carbohydrate, protein and vitamins necessary for recovery and repair.  Good transportable snacks include fruit, cereal bars, low-fat flavoured yoghurt and sandwiches.

Competition Nutrition

Divers need to develop a meal plan that fits in with their competition schedule.  This may vary from day to day.  Divers should choose foods they are familiar and comfortable with.  Practising pre-competition eating before training sessions helps divers to identify which food choices suit them best.  One challenge that may exist is making sure that divers adjust their energy intake over the competition period to account for their reduced energy requirement (due to a decreased training load).  Unwanted weight gain can be an issue if this does not occur.

Bone Development and Strength

Dietary calcium along with weight bearing activity, menstrual status and overall nutritional adequacy of the diet are major factors in determining bone mineral development in female athletes.  Dietary calcium intake should be assessed in female divers with low energy intakes.  It is important for female divers to have calcium-rich foods (such as low-fat dairy products) at meals and snacks to ensure that their dietary calcium needs are met.

Eating Behaviours

Divers require a lean physique if they are to perform at a high standard.  The focus on achieving and maintaining an optimal body composition places divers  (especially females) at a higher risk of disordered eating practices.  It is essential that the doctor, sports dietitian, coach and diver maintain regular communication so that potential problems can be identified.  An appropriate healthy, weight management plan can then be constructed for the diver.

Fluid Balance

Dehydration is detrimental to a diver’s performance as it decreases skill level and concentration. A diver’s training and competition environment is often warm and humid, (especially on pool deck), which can increase fluid loss from the body. Divers should consume fluid regularly during both dry land and pool training to prevent dehydration.

Case Study

Michaela is an 18 year old elite diver. She has hopes of being selected on the Australian team within the next 2 years. She trains twice per day (morning and afternoon sessions), four days per week and another two sessions per week on separate days. Her morning sessions start at 6:00 am and her afternoon sessions at 3:30 pm. Michaela has been feeling extremely lethargic lately and unable to perform at her best throughout her sessions. She has also been losing strength in her weights sessions.

Michaela's coach noticed her diving performance was suffering as a result of her poor energy levels. He suggested an appointment with a sports dietitian to investigate whether Michaela's eating plan was appropriate for her training load. Michaela explained to the sports dietitian that she was worried about her body fat levels and as a result had reduced her food intake at meals and snacks. She was also not eating after training sessions as she thought this would further help control her body fat. She said that she finds it difficult to eat food before her early morning sessions as it makes her stomach feel uncomfortable.

Michaela revealed that she has a fondness for chocolate. If she skipped a meal or snack, she often craved the chocolate even more and would snack on it at night time before bed. This snacking would make her feel guilty and the following day she would try to restrict her meal intake even further.

The sports dietitian assessed Michaela's eating plan and found that her diet was lacking in carbohydrate, iron and calcium. Not eating after training was also affecting her energy levels and not allowing for sufficient recovery between sessions.

Michaela and the sports dietitian discussed ways in which she could obtain the nutrition she required to perform well and maintain her health while also keeping her body fat to an acceptable level. This included eating regular low-fat meals consisting of nutrient-rich carbohydrate (e.g. breakfast cereal, bread, fruit) and protein (e.g. low fat dairy, lean meats, poultry and fish) foods. Incorporating a nutritious recovery snack such as yoghurt or fruit after training sessions would also help to restore energy levels before the next session. The sports dietitian suggested Michaela try a liquid meal supplement or carbohydrate-rich fluid prior to long morning training sessions rather than training for 2 hours without eating.

Michaela followed the dietitian's suggestions and found that within a few days her energy levels had improved dramatically. She found that because she was feeling satisfied after meals her craving for chocolate had subsided. A couple of months down the track she found that she was able to maintain her desired body composition while still including her favourite chocolate as an occasional treat. Her training performance had returned to its usual high standard and consequently, her skill level was improving.