Can you guys point me to a good resource or two on nutrition for triathlete?
I’m currently training 6-8 hours/week and want to do my best for a sprint try next June.
What to eat? When to eat? What to eat on rest days? Does diet vary with type or intensity of workout?
I’m not trying to be OCD, but I would like to get the most from my training and be as fit as I can be.
Thanks
Racing weight by Matt Fitzgerald is a great resource. He explains the use of all the macronutrients, timing, and just in general health eating with a good way to manage it too
“Racing Weight” by Matt Fitzgerald is a good, common sense place to start. Don’t go crazy with this one, as there is a lot of chaff in the nutrition industry and it’s easy to get lost if you don’t have some formalized backing in nutrition, exercise physiology or biology.
Easiest answer here however is as follows: “eat after you train, eat when you’re hungry, eat things with ingredients you understand, and train hard.” This keeps me sane, and I’ve found that sanity is a much bigger motivator for performance than cutting chocolate, beer and bacon out of my diet. I’ve found this approach is true for many other elite AGers and pros.
Max
My old saying is that if a food product is advertised, you probably don’t need it.
Another vote for Racing Weight. A general guideline I go by to try to eat food that you can tell what’s in it (basically fresh fruit/vegatables/meat). For packaged food go for as few ingredients as possible (e.g. peanut butter with only peanuts as an ingredient, etc. Obviously I’ll still eat a Five Guys burger, pizza, etc occasionally but most of the time I know what’s in the food I’m eating.
Why for a triathlete? Good eating is good eating:
Eat mostly whole foods, stay away from packaged goods, fried food and sugary items.
Then, remember this quote: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper
Revolve your meals around non-processed carbs (ie fruits & vegetables) & carte blanche w/ good quality protein & fat.
Need to get closer to target weight? Eat less.
Close to target weight & not recovering well? Eat more.
& yes, it is that simple…especially if your key race is a shorter distance as race nutrition during the event is a non-issue.
Perfect Health Diet is a good book to read.
If you can’t grow it or kill it, don’t eat it.
My old saying is that if a food product is advertised, you probably don’t need it.
They advertise for lettuce, so don’t eat lettuce?
Why for a triathlete?
I was thinking there might be some tricks to a diet plan that maximizes muscle adaptation, recovery, and stamina during workouts that may not apply directly to other activities. For example, for someone that only runs, they don’t need the muscle mass that a triathlete needs. Right?
Also on the timing of what you eat - do you eat an apple right before you run? after? Doesn’t matter? I don’t know.
How would this compare to a bike day? Are the nutrient demands different?
How about a 90 minute zone 2 ride vs doing some hard intervals/hills?
How would my diet compare on a day off versus a long brick day?
I think the challenge of maximizing triathlon training is different from just ‘eating well’.
Perhaps I am wrong?
That’s why I’m asking questions.
Thanks
My old saying is that if a food product is advertised, you probably don’t need it.
They advertise for lettuce, so don’t eat lettuce?
Who’s advertising lettuce?
Foxxy probably has dozens for one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYpd8UHoM_A
I’ve also seen billboard for apples, one was near my house.
Orange juice sure does.
Halo advertises its cuties on TV.
Dairy/Milk (not going to debate it) also advertises.
Pork, beef and chicken all advertise.
Heck water advertises!
Plenty of non processed food industries advertise.
“Racing Weight” by Matt Fitzgerald is a good, common sense place to start. Don’t go crazy with this one, as there is a lot of chaff in the nutrition industry and it’s easy to get lost if you don’t have some formalized backing in nutrition, exercise physiology or biology.
Easiest answer here however is as follows: “eat after you train, eat when you’re hungry, eat things with ingredients you understand, and train hard.” This keeps me sane, and I’ve found that sanity is a much bigger motivator for performance than cutting chocolate, beer and bacon out of my diet. I’ve found this approach is true for many other elite AGers and pros.
Max
Even if you have that training, it’s easy to get lost. Things are changing all the time, and what we don’t know about nutrition and physiology is unfortunately still greater than what we do know.
Your second paragraph is a great approach.
John
Then, remember this quote: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper
Why? Other than bro-science sentiment, what makes this a good approach? What if the bulk of your daily training occurs between 4-7pm?
John
OP stated he’s working out 6-8 hours a week. He’s not working out from 4-7. He asked what to eat and when and didn’t ask specifics until later. I gave him a general rule of fun I have found helpful.
You’re the science guy, have it.
OP stated he’s working out 6-8 hours a week. He’s not working out from 4-7. He asked what to eat and when and didn’t ask specifics until later. I gave him a general rule of fun I have found helpful.
You’re the science guy, have it.
I’m just wondering if you had a justification for your advice, or were just repeating something you were told and don’t really understand.
8 hours a week, 1.5 hours a day on average. If he is a typical 9-5’er, then he does the bulk of his training in the evening (most likely). You’re advocating eating the least at the time he would need to be refueling.
John
and not only that, there’s the “don’t eat after 8” myth. When we go to sleep our body goes to work fixing itself. It’s part of why we rest, yet we starve it of nutrients at the most critical part of the day? Was it because someone saw a fat guy eating a hotdog in his pj’s?
I go hunned pacent vegan all organic get jacked on bananas. I go vegan cause plants typically produce unsaturated fats and don’t produce cholesterol which are both factors for optimal heart performance which is great for an endurance athlete, also carbs so that gets ya goin, I get enough protein in the diet too along with the environmental/ethical benefits. I would look up “essential fatty acid” and “glycemic load” I find those essential for making a good diet.
I eat more omega-3 when I first wake up so my inflammatory response doesn’t make me feel unpleasant so I can run or w/e and eat high glycemic foods like grains to get me hype to start the day. then I shift to a mix of omega-6 and omega-9 in the evening, omega-6 cause this is when I care less about my inflammatory response and the day is dying down so I need inflammation to repair tissue and I still have the n-3 in my system from earlier to control that somewhat depending on how late it is, n-9 is mostly just a filler fat that’s good for hdl that I use for energy; I also go to low glycemic foods like fruits at this time as I don’t need energy instantly cause i’m leveled out. Then at night I go n-6 and protein so my tissue repair is maximal while i’m asleep
I will eat carbs depending on what I am doing, on a day where I am not doing much I will eat them less and go more keto and low glycemic. if I am about to run 15 miles i’ll get jacked on like 10000000 bananas. people try to generalize diet but it really depends on what you’re doing and what you want your body to do, an endurance athlete eats their weight in carbs while a bodybuilder eats their weight in protein. I also don’t eat food that’s been processed. I actually enjoy being ocd about my diet I think it’s a lot of fun lmao. SPRINT TRI?! go ballz deep bro you can do the full iron just get jacked on like fitty bananas
I think the OP is trying to over complicate matters. Training 8 hours a week isn’t a massive load to be too concerend about when and how you eat. Balance and a good dose of common sense. An apple before a workout? Personally, no, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try.