Nutrition for Newbies 5.


Triathlon training is simply stress, recover and improve. You are the machine and your fuel – your nutritional approach – can mean the difference between peak performance and sub-optimal recovery and improvement.


Optimal body mass, fuel for training and competition, replenishing fuel stores and fluid levels and rebuilding muscle and energy balance are all directly influenced by nutrition. to get to the finish line or through the training session, your athletes will need constant and adequate calories in specific amounts and at specific times. Plan nutrition like you plan workouts and match fuel in (energy) to output (volume of work).


Sound hard? Let’s simplify.


Primary causes of fatigue (‘bonk’) during endurance event/training: • inadequate caloric, carbohydrate (cHo) or protein intake


• iron deficiency • Vitamin/mineral deficiency • inadequate fluid intake – as little as 2 percent loss in bodyweight from dehydration can hinder performance by 10-15 percent; performance drops off even more rapidly as additional fluid is lost


Bonking is simply glycogen depletion. Glycogen is the stored form of CHO in the body and cannot be replenished during exercise. It is the primary fuel used during high intensity exercise, and at the onset of exercise, even lower intensity. For longer, lower intensity (stress) sessions or races, the body starts with glycogen and glucose (carbs from food intake) in the bloodstream. If the intensity is not too high, the body gradually uses more and more fat and less glycogen if there is sufficient blood glucose available as well (from eating during exercise).


Avoid bonking with nutrition approach • consume smaller meals more frequently (5-6x/day) to maintain energy and drink more


• Moderate increase of fiber • avoid excessive protein • avoid too many calories (can cause Gi – gastrointestinal – distress)


• experiment before the event – adjust all suggestions below to fit your athletes and their physiology, tolerance levels, metabolic activity, tastes and lifestyle


We consume all the nutrients from what we eat, whether we consider them to be “good” or “bad” foods. For better choices:


1. Increase the nutrient density of foods by encouraging athletes to choose those


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with the best possible amount and availabil- ity of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fiber (to help prevent Gi distress or upset stomach) and antioxidants. For example for the same calories, an apple with some peanut butter is more nutrient dense than M&Ms. Sad but true.


Some other good nutrient dense foods are spinach, whole grain cereal and bread, salmon, sweet potatoes, kiwi, chicken breasts, brown rice and soy milk.


2. reduce processed/refined foods and those with saturated and trans fats or preservatives, and avoid diet fads and extremes. Choose organic, whole foods whenever possible. Supplement as needed with gels or bars and choose these wisely.


Stay in energy balance Help


your athletes learn to balance


macronutrients – protein, CHO, and lipid (fats) intake – that help the body store and transport energy.


Many sports scientists recommend a basic diet that supplies 50-65 percent cHo, 25- 30 percent lipids, and 20-25 percent protein, with


additional CHO after training. For


endurance athletes who often train at high intensities, a more realistic breakdown might be 70 percent cHo, 10-15 percent protein, and the remainder lipids, preferably mono- and unsaturated.


• cHo (grains, fruits, starchy vegetables and milk based dairy foods) are broken down to glucose in the blood stream and raises blood glucose levels (refer to glycogen explanation above). CHO in food provide four calories per gram.


• Proteins consist of polymers of amino acids and are essential in your diet for tissue growth and repair. Protein sources include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, and legumes and requirements are generally about 0.8-1.0 gram per pound of body weight/day. Proteins in food provide four calories per gram.


• Lipids (usually termed fats) function in the long-term storage of biochemical energy, insulation, structure and control. Examples of lipids include the fats, waxes, oils and steroids (e.g., testosterone, cholesterol). Lipids provide four calories per gram.


• Get about 25-30 grams of dietary fiber/ day (begin slowly if adding). It is found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes and helps control blood sugar levels and provides roughage.


By Dusty Roady USAT Level II coach


• avoid caloric overcompensation – too many can actually cause GI distress.


Numbers that best support recovery as athletes, we use about 200-350 calories/ hour for exercise: more can divert blood from working muscles and lessen muscle contractions which can result in bonking.


Before Start exercise sessions and races with stable, fasting blood glucose levels and higher blood fat levels. You may feel a bit hungry, so eat during or post exercise. When you stop exercising your body can then handle and wants calories to start restoring muscle glycogen – your fuel reservoirs.


Before a long event you will have more endurance and perform better if you eat a meal containing cHo (0.5-2.0 grams/pound of body weight) two to three hours before. the 2-hour time interval is sufficient to reduce blood glucose levels back to normal and restore fat metabolism.


During


Drink a sports drink (or powder mix or gel) or eat a low-fiber food (bar) after 20-30 minutes and throughout the session or race. This will help avoid nausea and fatigue from low blood sugar. about 30-60 grams of cHo will prolong your ability to perform at your best.


After the most important nutrition-related recovery objective after racing or training is


replenishing muscle glycogen. Muscles


are most receptive to replacing depleted glycogen stores within the first hour after training and racing, regardless of whether or not we feel hungry. Protein rejuvenation is taking place, which gives us strength and growth. Exploit that window.


athletes should consume 10-20 percent of their daily CHO and protein intake as soon as possible after exercise, optimally within 30 minutes, when their bodies can synthesize about twice as much muscle glycogen as waiting two hours or more for consumption or absorption. Consequently, both glycogen and protein synthesis proceed faster when CHO and protein are consumed together.


eat about one-half gram of cHo/pound body weight, and 6-20 grams of protein within 30 minutes of a session, and then repeat two hours later.


For example, a PBJ (or almond butter version) is about 320 calories, with 42 grams cHo (63 percent), 11 grams protein (16 percent) and 15 grams fat (22 percent).


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