Getting up at 7am may seem daunting for most people but for swimmers it's a long lie.

At 4.30am swimmers like Hannah Miley and Michael Jamieson rise from their beds, step out into the cold and then dive straight into the water for their morning work out regime.

The smell of chlorine fills their bodies and pushes them. These athletes try to beat their all-important personal best for two hours before hitting the gym for various routines whether it be sprints, aerobic exercise or general muscle work.

Training is hard. It is early in the morning but the water is refreshing, their bodies grow used to the early mornings and the dedication to the sport drives the swimmers on.

Early morning training does not happen every day, however, quite often swimmers bodies grow so used to it that they will wake early to practice and maintain their fitness regime.

The swimmers are required to be at the pool every night for at least two and a half hours for intense training with their team mates and coach pushing them to the limit. Some days they can train for up to six hours, while other days (their day off as some may say) involve only two and a half hours training.

It used to be that swimmers only ever trained in the pool, constantly in the water to work up their strength, power and stamina. However, this changed after studies showed that young swimmers who had trained in water and never on the land were developing brittle bones from a lack of contact on a hard surface.

It is known that if somebody has suffered from a severe injury and requires physiotherapy they are advised to swim as the lack of hard contact helps the muscles and bones redevelop. This however has the opposite effect on swimmers who live their life in the water and are therefore required to train on hard ground to ensure their muscles and bones don't deteriorate.

So what do swimmers eat to keep their bodies in peak physical condition? Their diets have to be filled with vegetables and proteins. Their bodies work hard and use a lot of energy and the best way to ensure they can continue to do this day after day is to feed their muscles. The protein ensure swimmers can work their bodies to the limit and be pain free the following day before going through the rigorous routine again.

It's not only food that swimmers have to fill their bodies with, to ensure they are getting the right amount of nutrients they often have to take vitamins as well. This is particularly important during the winter periods to ensure their immune systems are boosted to avoid colds and viruses.

Finally, after a swimmer has thrown themselves up and down the pool for hours on end they head home to their friend, families or bed and live like any normal person - well that is until 4.30am the next day when they have to start all over again.

The regime is hard but the swimmers bodies have to grow used to it if they want to win a medal. The dedication to any sport requires early morning training and hard, physical work and swimming is no different.