The complaints may be totally independent of food intake and sometimes they may only happen on race day. Studies have also shown that factors like fiber intake, fat intake and the use of very concentrated carbohydrate drinks are causes of gastrointestinal discomfort. You can get a good idea by weighing yourself before and after training.

Think about this in advance and use CORE to plan your race nutrition. There are benefits associated with this but also risks, so you need to practice and make sure you use the right carbohydrate blends!

The most common mistakes are: Not having a plan and hoping for the best. Sometimes this approach works Having a plan but sticking to a plan at all costs: If for some unforeseen reason you cannot follow the plan you lost a bottle, or you are developing gastrointestinal problems , do not continue with the plan at all costs.

Be flexible and adapt. A slightly lower intake is not going to be a problem, forcing more nutrition in will. Only use products that you have tried and tested, products you know you tolerate well. Thinking that more is better: Drinking more and eating more is not always better.

Sure, you have to take in enough energy and enough fluids, but once you achieve the basic needs, more is not necessarily better and in some cases detrimental. Professor Asker Jeukendrup is a leading sports nutritionists and exercise physiologist who spent most of his career at the University of Birmingham UK and currently he is a visiting professor at Loughborough University.

During his career Professor Jeukendrup authored over research papers and book chapters The science Nutrition guides Long distance triathlon nutrition guide.

Long distance triathlon nutrition guide An overview of the scientific literature and its application. Three main nutritional issues The three most important nutritional issues during a half distance triathlon are: Meeting the man with the hammer: Running out of fuel, hitting the wall, bonking, or just not being able to keep up the intensity during the last part of the race.

Dehydration: Becoming progressively dehydrated to an extent where this will limit performance. Stomach problems: Gastrointestinal problems such as stomach cramps, bloating, etc.

that can have a negative impact on your performance. Carbo-loading Carbo-loading is a technique that aims to optimize carbohydrate stores often in the days leading up to an event. Breakfast Breakfast is probably one of the most important parts of nutritional preparation for a long distance triathlon.

Variety is important! Why not try out a new vegetable or fruit this week? Many athletes are proper foodies and taking the time to have some nice meals with family and friends between all your training and other commitments will be good for both body and soul. The meals have been broken down into Breakfast, Lunch, Evening meals and Snacks, each of which will help you achieve — whatever your goals.

Eating well is all about having a regular consumption of nutritious food and drink. If you as a triathlete give your body the proper fuel, you will have more energy for training, work and education, friends, family and other everyday activities. Good breakfast alternatives are for example smoothies, porridge and yoghurt with cereal and berries.

Time for some food again! A delicious omelette, chicken salad or salmon wrap are good alternatives for lunch. Remember to include some fruit and vegetables. For many athletes, an evening meal is one of the most important meals as it gives an excellent opportunity to fuel whilst spending some quality time with friends and family.

Your evening meal can be varied endlessly — why not try homemade pasta Bolognese served with salad and bread rolls? The favourite word of many athletes. Follow the 10 percent rule no matter what your nutrition and health goals are: Simply put, 10 percent of your total daily calories can come from splurges, treats or desserts.

This keeps your glass of wine, square of dark chocolate or ice cream cone guilt-free, but also within your nutrition budget. Plan healthy snacks! Avoid foods that are high in fat and fiber for both your pre-race dinner and morning-of breakfast to keep your gut happy during the race.

Eat breakfast 2—3 hours before your race to allow ample time to consume adequate calories and digest them before you toe the starting line. RELATED: Whole Foods For Recovery.

Heading out the door?

She shared advice she gives many of her multisport athletes through her business Nutrition Energy in New York City. Ready to learn more about triathlon? Eat 2—3 fruits and 4—6 veggies per day to optimize your weight and nutrient intake. Be realistic about weight loss. Losing five pounds in 5—6 weeks is possible, 10 pounds in two weeks is not.

Gimmicks do not work! RELATED: Simple Half-Ironman Nutrition Advice. Recover right. Consume half a gram of carbs per pound of body weight, and 15—20 grams of protein within 30—60 min after training sessions or races.

Follow the 10 percent rule no matter what your nutrition and health goals are: Simply put, 10 percent of your total daily calories can come from splurges, treats or desserts. it is recommended that triathletes consume grams of carbohydrates per kg of bodyweight, hours before competition to ensure glycogen stores are full, improving performance and minimise the risk of gastrointestinal distress [1].

If you have trouble eating before exercise then drinking your carbohydrates maybe better. For training or races longer than 60 minutes you should have carbohydrate during exercise. The amounts recommended range from g per hour [1].

If you do not usually consume carbohydrate during exercise then start at the lower end and gradually increase the amount you consume. Think of the post-training or race period as preparation for the next training session. You need your body to recover and adapt to the exercise you have just completed in order to improve.

Restocking your glycogen stores is important therefore aim to eat 1. Not consuming carbohydrates following exercise means stress hormones remain elevated, can impair immune function, reduce training output, and cause burnout [4].

Your race nutrition plan should be practiced in training to ensure there are no nasty surprises on race day. Although, protein is often associated with body builders it is important for all athletes. Protein is not only important for muscle repair and growth but it plays an important role in many body systems including the immune system, hormones and enzymes which are required for muscle contraction [1].

It is generally recommended that triathletes consume 1. For a 70 kg athlete this is 1. Ideally protein should be consumed in every meal and snack roughly g consumed five times per day, with g of protein being ingested soon after exercise [1]. It should be noted that not all proteins are created equal, in fact proteins are made up of amino acids and we require all amino acids for optimal health and performance [5].

Proteins which contain all the amino acids are said to be higher quality which is measured by Digestible Indispensable Amino Acids Score DIAAS.

So when choosing a protein following exercise look for a DIAAS greater than 1. When consuming protein in order to ensure you obtain a good mix of amino acids make sure you eat from a variety of protein sources.

The training load for triathletes is high which means energy needs are high. Not meeting your energy demands can have negative impacts on both health and performance. If you do not eat sufficient energy over time you can develop Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport REDS , which negatively effects almost all systems in the body reproductive, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, immune, endocrine [7].

Therefore, make sure you are fuelling appropriately around training and competition before, during and after , as well as eating regularly throughout the day from a variety of food sources. Micronutrients are substances that the body requires in very small quantities, yet if insufficient amounts are consumed the body is unable to function properly.

Some micronutrients iron, folate, vitamin B12 are important for the red blood cells which transport of oxygen around the body [8]. Other micronutrients play an important role in our immune system and can act as antioxidants Vitamin C, E and K which remove harmful free radicals which form during exercise.

It should be noted that supplementing with large volumes of antioxidants on a daily basis is not recommended as it can impair adaptation to training but consuming antioxidants from foods is beneficial for health and recovery from exercise [8].

Other micronutrients Vitamin D and Calcium are important for bone health, with all micronutrients playing some key role within the body it is important that adequate amounts of micronutrients are consumed.

Micronutrients are found alongside protein and carbohydrates in fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, dairy and dairy alternatives so consuming a diet from all of the food groups is important.

Gastrointestinal discomfort is one of the most common issues experienced during competition [9]. There are a number of potential reasons why this could occur including changes in blood flow away from the gastrointestinal tract, inappropriate fuelling, or due to the gut microbiome [9].

A healthy gut microbiome can optimise systems that prevent inflammation, reducing discomfort and allowing you to perform without interruption. Diet can influence the gut microbiome, including an appropriate array of prebiotics and a type of fibre that acts as food for the microbiome can improve the gut microbiome.

An abundance of healthy bacteria in the gut and reduce gastrointestinal issues during endurance exercise [10]. Fluid needs vary substantially between individuals and training sessions depending on the environment, exercise intensity and duration, genetics and training status [1].

Both not drinking enough and drinking too much can lead to health and performance decrements. Weight loss or gain during exercise is likely mainly due to water losses sweat or gain drinking [1]. You should aim to start exercise well hydrated i.

be able to urinate and urine should be a pale yellow colour. During exercise weigh yourself before and after you can use these values to check your hydration status during exercise. At Radix, we strive to create the best quality products for the best possible performance.

Sourced from all-natural, quality ingredients, our meals are made to provide the key elements of nutrition to ensure your body can perform at its absolute best. American College of Sports Medicine position stand.

Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sport Ex. J Appl Physiol. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. Potential Impact of Nutrition on Immune System Recovery from Heavy Exertion: A Metabolomics Perspective.

Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. J Sports Sci. Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition: Report of an FAO expert consultation. IOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport RED-S : update. British Journal of Sports Medicine. and Deakin, V.

Clinical Sports Nutrition 6th edition. Gastrointestinal Issues in Athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports 18 6 :p Endurance exercise and gut microbiota: A review. J Sport Health Sci. Email address Notify me when this product is available:.

Buy from the country of your choice. Remember that we can only ship your order to addresses located in the chosen country. Search 0 Cart. Commonly searched: Breakfasts Meals Drinks Company. Nutrition guide for Triathletes. August 07, 6 min read. Nutritional challenges for Triathlon?

Nutrition for Triathlon. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are important for fuelling both your races and training. Protein Although, protein is often associated with body builders it is important for all athletes.

Energy The training load for triathletes is high which means energy needs are high. Micronutrients Micronutrients are substances that the body requires in very small quantities, yet if insufficient amounts are consumed the body is unable to function properly.

Microbiome Gastrointestinal discomfort is one of the most common issues experienced during competition [9]. Hydration Fluid needs vary substantially between individuals and training sessions depending on the environment, exercise intensity and duration, genetics and training status [1].

Radix solution At Radix, we strive to create the best quality products for the best possible performance. References: -American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, American College of Sports Medicine, et al.

Related Blog Posts. Simone Maier. Introducing Radix V9 Meal Range. Advancing Towards Personalised Nutrition At Scale. Post-Workout Nutrition: The Key to Recovery and Muscle Growth. Start your day right with our v9 Original breakfasts! Its packed with the perfect balance of macro and micro-nutrition to keep you focused and performing at your best.

Plus, its a great source of protein, fibre and over 30 essential vitamins and minerals.

When you completely deplete your glycogen stores, that is known as bonking. Recovery foods and drinks should also contain protein which assists muscle repair post-workout. Your post-workout shakes or meals should include a mix of carbs and proteins, plus vitamins and minerals.

After high-intensity training sessions, focus on consuming more carbs to refill your glycogen stores. Following a low-intensity training session, focus on consuming fewer carbs and more protein and fat to help repair your muscle fibers.

However, this means that your pre-race fueling is critical. We recommend eating a breakfast filled with carbohydrates hours before the start of your triathlon.

Focus on consuming carbohydrates in this meal, such as oats, cereals, or rice. This might mean waking up at three or four in the morning, but you can always go back to bed after downing a quick meal. Before the start of your race, you should have a sports gel minutes before the start.

The bike leg of a triathlon is the best time to eat solid food during a triathlon. On the bike, focus on nailing your nutrition strategy with calories and carbs with a mix of solid foods, sports drink, and energy gels or chews.

Once you enter the run leg of your triathlon, you should only be consuming energy drinks, sports gels, water, and electrolyte mix.

It can be nearly impossible to consume solid foods at this point of the race, so make sure you train your gut and digestive system with liquids, gels, and water. Again, focus on hitting your nutrition goals based on calories and carbohydrates throughout the run leg.

The best practice is to consume sports gels and electrolyte mix as your source of energy during the run leg. This provides the best ratio of carbohydrates and liquids while being relatively easy on your stomach. It is very common to have stomach issues crop up during a triathlon.

Between the intensity, volume, weather, and nutrition, it can be a lot for your stomach to handle during a triathlon. These issues are most likely to come up during the bike leg or run leg of a triathlon when you are taking in the most calories.

With our recommended nutrition strategy, you should be taking in a mix of liquid calories, gels, chews, electrolyte drinks, and water. We don't recommend having an all-in-one nutrition strategy where you are taking in all of your calories from one drink or source.

If your stomach starts to get upset, switch to drinking water instead of electrolyte mix. Keep up with the energy gels as best you can, as these will provide the necessary carbs and energy to get you through the rest of the race.

Switching to water will help reset your stomach by balancing the osmolality. When your stomach is back to normal, switch back to electrolyte mix along with your sports gels. We recommend separating your drinks electrolyte mix and water from your calories in case you become extra thirsty and start drinking more.

This is also why we don't recommend using an all-in-one nutrition strategy. If your stomach gets upset and you switch to water, you'll no longer be taking in any calories and the bonk becomes imminent.

Triathlon nutrition is not all created equal. Adjusting for the duration is self-explanatory, and the differences will be apparent in our nutrition calculator at the beginning of this post. However, there are crucial differences in the proportion of carbs, fats, and proteins that you need to adjust for each workout.

Fueling for speed workouts is all about carbohydrates — carbs, carbs, and more. Instead, focus on the proportion of carbohydrates you eat before and during your speed workout. Speed workouts are typically short, high-intensity workouts designed to improve your speed over a given distance.

Given the high intensity, it can be hard to digest solid foods during a speed workout, so this is an excellent opportunity to practice fueling with sports drinks, energy gels, and electrolyte mixes. Most speed workouts are minutes long, which means that you technically have all the stored carbohydrates you need to complete the workout.

However, this assumes that your glycogen stores are full at the beginning of your workout. That means you need to fuel your speed workout with a carbohydrate-rich meal before the session. Endurance workouts are defined as low-intensity workouts that are strictly below Zone 2.

Check out our guide to Zone training for triathletes in Everything You Need to Know About Heart Rate Training Zones. The focus of endurance workouts for triathlon is learning to burn fat as fuel. To burn fat as fuel, your body should be relatively low on carbohydrates.

This does NOT mean that you should enter each endurance workout depleted. Instead, you should be fueling with fats and proteins instead of grams of carbohydrate. Before an endurance workout, focus on fueling with minimal grams of carbohydrate such as berries or bananas.

This will stabilize your blood glucose levels while still using fat as your primary fuel source. As long as you strictly exercise below Zone 2, you should never need to worry about bonking. Using fat as a fuel source is one of the most significant determinants of triathlon performance, especially for a long course or Ironman triathlete.

The last category of the training session we have is race-specific workouts. These are workouts designed specifically for your goal race and typically completed once per week.

Race workouts involve race pace intervals and are the perfect opportunity to practice your race-day nutrition. This is the exact effort you will be swimming, riding, or running at on race day, so knowing what your body and your stomach can handle at such an effort is important.

One of the biggest mistakes a triathlete can make is not practicing their race-day nutrition strategy in training. Make sure you nail your nutrition targets caloric intake, number of carbs, etc. in training to avoid trying something new on race day.

This example looks at two different athletes competing in an Ironman and finishing in a time of 12 hours. Both athletes will burn the same number of calories in this simplified example , start with the same number of stored calories, and consume the same number of calories throughout the race.

Using what we know about fat and carbohydrate metabolism, we can see exactly how many more calories from fat the high fat burner uses compared to the low fat burner. By the end of the race, the low fat burner has a surplus of over 1, calories, putting them at great risk of bonking or ending up with a DNF.

You can see the pieces coming together in the above paragraphs. We will put the puzzle together in our triathlon racing and training nutrition plans. Start by returning to our triathlon nutrition calculator and noting your target number of calories consumed. Once we break down our nutrition strategy, we need to divide our strategy into three different categories of workouts: speed, endurance, and race.

Fuel your speed workouts with grams of carbohydrates before the workout. That could be a bowl of cereal, toast, or pancakes.

Anything rich in carbohydrates to fill up your glycogen stores before the workout. However, we recommend having a sweet-tasting drink that will activate the neuromuscular system and give you a kick each time you take a sip. When completing an endurance workout, your nutrition goal should be to control your blood glucose levels.

Instead, your goal is to burn as high a percentage of fat as possible. Before an endurance-building workout, consume a meal that is high in protein and fat while low in carbohydrates. For example, you could have an omelette, peanut butter, meats, seeds, or nuts.

Suppose your endurance workout is longer than 90 minutes. In that case, you should be fueling with the same high-fat and high-protein foods at a rate suggested by the triathlon nutrition calculator. Just plug in the workout, time, and details, and you will get the target number of calories to consume.

These efforts should be fueled in the same way as you will fuel your race day efforts, but with some slight modifications. That means a high amount of carbohydrates before and during the workout. When you first start your race-specific workouts weeks before your goal race, your should start at the low end of the nutrition calculator when it comes to taking in your calories.

You will gradually increase this amount each week to help train your gut while also training your race-specific fitness.

At the peak of your race-specific training, you may actually be consuming more calories than the target from the calculator. On race day, you'll actually be able to drop your calories down, and your stomach should be able to handle the race-day calories comfortably compared to what you consumed in training.

Similarly to how you increase your training load over time, you should focus on increasing the number of carbohydrates that you can consume each week. Another key point is that you should consume a high-carbohydrate snack before your race-specific workout.

Aim to consume a muffin or bowl of cereal, for example, minutes before your race workout, to ensure that your glycogen stores are completely topped off. During your race workout, consume the exact amount of calories that our triathlon nutrition calculator suggests.

These calories should come from mostly carbs, such as sports gels and energy drinks. Specifically, you should aim for a high percentage of carbohydrates consumed during these workouts.

Our nutrition calculator will provide your target number of calories to consume, but you can also narrow it down by calculating the grams of carbohydrate per hour to consume. In everyday life, you may be consuming grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight per day. However, as a triathlete, your carbohydrate requirement will be much greater on high-intensity training days and race days.

Energy Gel Caffeine and Energy Gel Aqua Caffeine each contain exactly 30mg caffeine per sachet. You can take up to three sachets of Energy Gel or Energy Gel Aqua per hour. This will give you around 60g of carbohydrate per hour.

If you have been using caffeine, then one gel should be the Caffeine variant to keep you in the caffeine performance zone. Any remaining gel should be standard gel with no caffeine. If you have a medical condition or do not wish to use caffeine for another reason, then simply switch each of the products detailed above with the non-caffeine equivalent from HIGH5 and ignore the section on caffeine loading before your event.

Adding ZERO Neutral Tabs to your drink boosts the electrolyte content and provides magnesium. This might be particularly useful in hot conditions. When we exercise our muscles become energy depleted and break down.

In a tough triathlon, you really push your body to the limit so expect soreness and stiffness afterwards. Consuming protein and carbohydrate as soon as you can afterwards to help replenish your muscle energy stores and kick start the recovery process.

Drink ml Recovery Drink as soon as you finish. This contains a unique blend of whey protein isolate and carbohydrates. It gives you the time to have a shower and relax a bit before eating a balanced meal one to two hours later.

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uk To know more about how we use your data, please see our Privacy Notice. triathlon guide Olympic Triathlon. Fuelling a Triathlon Carbohydrate is your high-energy fuel for endurance events. Staying Hydrated You lose fluids and electrolytes when you sweat. Good to know The following guidelines are based on the latest science and real world feedback from thousands of athletes to help you perform better and enjoy your race more.

Breakfast An ideal pre-race breakfast is light and high in carbohydrates with a little bit of protein too. Caffeine before the swim Caffeine gives you both a physical and mental boost. Related guides. See all. running guide What To Eat After Running: Ultimate Guide to Post-Run Nutrition Read.

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