Triathlon: A Nutrition- Demading Sport.

Science tells us:The Best Triathlon Athlete must  recover faster from workouts, gain fitness faster, develop a leaner body composition, be able to handle a heavier training load, get sick less often, suffer fewer injuries, and not least of all, kick the butt in races! And if you wish to  continue training and racing strong long after age slows you down, you have to find the proper way to feed your overstressed body longterm and properly.

1. Eat your fruits and vegetables.

If you had a nickel for each time you were advised to eat more fruits and vegetables, you could buy a new tri bike every year. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is the most effective way to nourish your body for fitness and overall health. The reason is that the human species evolved on a diet consisting mainly of fresh fruits and vegetables, so we are genetically dependent on these foods for optimal functioning Men and women alike should aim to consume at least two cups of fruit per day. Fresh, canned, frozen, dried, cut, and pureed fruits all count toward this total.

2. Eat a balance and a variety of foods.

There are seven basic categories of food (see table). Each category delivers different specific types and proportions of nutrients than the others. Eating a balance of foods from each category is the best way to ensure you get enough and not too much of all the nutrients your body needs. Different fruits and vegetables often have very different phytonutrient profiles, so the fewer types you eat, the more phytonutrients you miss out on. Color is a good guide, because phytonutrients give plant foods their distinctive colors. The more colorful your diet is, the better.

3. Limit your consumption of “unnatural” foods.

Like the two preceding tips, this one is also based on the fact that our species is genetically adapted to the diet our ancient ancestors maintained, so that, in order to achieve optimal health today, we have to maintain a fairly similar diet. Our bodies are not designed to make good use of various types of processed and otherwise unnatural foods that are popular today.First, minimize your consumption of processed grains and foods with added sugar. Minimize your consumption of fried foods and foods containing processed oils. The damaged, “trans fats” in these foods clog arteries and are linked to a host of other health problems.

4. Optimize your body composition.

One of the most effective ways to boost your triathlon performance and overall health is to optimize your body composition—that is, to achieve a body fat percentage that is close to the minimum your body needs.In addition, you should consider purchasing and using a body fat scale such as the Tanita Ironman and use it to measure your body fat percentage regularly. As the saying goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” In other words, simply quantifying and paying attention to your body fat percentage on a regular basis will influence your eating and workouts habits in ways that help you lower it.

5. Customize your nutrition to your unique body.

Each human being is genetically unique. Consequently, each of us has a unique set of nutritional needs. The same foods may have very different effects in different bodies. For example, some people function best on a high-carbohydrate diet, others on a moderate-carbohydrate diet, and still others are able to adapt to either. Some people can tolerate a higher rate of nutrition intake during exercise than others. Some people are unable to digest dairy foods properly, and others are. Some people tend to store excess fat very easily, while others seem able to eat all day and still stay lean. And so forth.

Nutrition Basics Pre-During–Post exercise.

Training Basic Plan	Pre -Exercise	During Exercise	Post-Exercise
*What and how intense will you be exercising? *How long will you be training? *What can you stomach or tolerate?	Start increasing carb and fluid intake and hour or more before your workout. 1/2 nutrition bar and 10 or more oz of water (300ml). If longer than a 1 hour workout maybe 8 oz gatorade and 8 oz water (240ml).	Start with is 100 calories per hour. > 1h replace carbohydrates during your workout. 4 to 8 ounces(120*240ml)  fluid/15’ (this should replace both carbohydrates and sodium).  30 to 60 grams of carb/ hour : energy drink, fruit, energy bars, gels or any other source you tolerate.	Some carb to replace energy  - no later than an hour and 1/2 after the workout. After every workout 30/30: eat less than 30 grams protein, less than 30 minutes after   to help with recovery. Bananas, nuts, electrolyte drink, chocomilk.

f you use these tips as a starting point for your triathlon nutrition plan you will see your body recover faster from workouts and your performance improve. You need to self-experiment with your nutrition plan - everyone is different.

Katerina Chremou, Nutritionist-Dietitian,Ms