I am a 17 year old male runner, 6ft, 160/5lbs. I run cross country competitively and this year have taken up the swim team in preparation for my first season of triathlons this season. I have a question regarding nutrition though. I know that nutrition itself has been beat to death but… perhaps I can have a turn at the horse?
I consider myself very fit, I’m ran ~17:30 5k’s this year in cross country (my junior year). My body composition is somewhere around 7% body fat I believe and with the addition of swimming this year my upper body muscle mass will doubtlessly increase. I eat healthy, but have a sweet spot for carb loading through bread and pasta, and meat (but not fast food). Now I don’t plan on giving up either of these habits, but have a question dealing more with protein shakes (PRO shakes, I suppose).
I’ve read about these many places and they are recommended for both before and after workouts, or basically whenever you want them… I have never taken whey, and basically consider it a supplement. A “food group” I refuse to consume on priciple. That said with all the recommendations I wonder if I should look into it. An addition of protein in my diet would help to build muscle when coupled with weight workouts and swimming.
Basically I was hoping for some nutritional advice for the mostly lean male who is not looking to lose weight. I have no problem gaining weight if it is muscle, but feel no need to bulk up. Should I even be considering whey powder, or should I stick to soy milk with fruit shakes? Any other nutritional advice for teens is welcome.
I would say leave the protein supplements alone, you aren’t trying to become a bodybuilder. From what I have read/heard you can get all the protein you need from consuming a chicken breast daily, so I would assume you are already getting enough. From what you have said about your current diet I wouldn’t think you need to change anything, and at 6ft/160 lbs you might not even gain much weight from swimming, or need to.
Also, unless you are an extremely skinny/weak person (which you don’t sound like) then adding muscle will only hinder your running abilities. When I was commited solely to XC and track during high school I weighed 125-130 lbs at 5’8" and ran some good times and was more then strong enough with some weight training, I’ve gained about 15 pounds since I got into college and although most of it is muscle (I hope) I don’t feel as smooth when I run and I feel like I hit the ground harder.
It’s nice to think about getting huge by lifting/swimming and taking protein powder, but gaining weight only means more poundage to carry up hills. Look at pro triathletes they are all very skinny guys (except Jurgen Zack) with no fat on them, they put their focus on maintaining muscle mass but increasing endurance and strength. I would assume you will naturally put on a little weight with regular swimming and weight training workouts, but keep running and you won’t get bulky. Sorry if I started rambling, I guess my point is stay off the weight gainer, as long as you eat right and work hard, your body will find the set point that will be most efficient for triathlon.
Goose is right about getting what you need from whole foods on a day to day basis and don’t need to make a daily habit of taking in a protein shake, but upon completion of a very tough workout, for example; a 17:30 5K, it would be a very good idea.
As you get deeper into your triathlon training, and your workouts become longer and more intense…fueling your body before, during and after your workouts needs to keep pace.
I am pretty meticulous about preparing a post workout drink; 60g protein (pure eggwhites), 50g carbs (orange juice, blueberries, strawberries), flaxseed oil, 15g L-glutamine…you get the picture. This is something I’ll drink right after a long run or ride while standing in my pool (set at a comfy 58 degrees) for about 20 minutes…and I’m always ready to go for the next day of training.
Hey. I’m a 20 y/old runner turned triathlete, now primarly a swimmer.
Anyhow, through highschool i was decent runner for the training i did, and now i’ve stepped it up a bit. I’m on the swim team at university (Queens in Canada), and thats usually 6-8 times/week and i try and get in an easy run on top of that.
Anyhow, if you wanna know how fast I am… pm me ;).
Food, I eat everything, I’ve put on 20 lb’s of muscle in the past 2 years, I started university at 150ish, and now hover around 170ish, and i’ll probably drop 3-5 lb’s once i start seriously bike/run training come febuary, cause then i just can’t eat enough to keep the weight on. When I was doing two a days over the summer I ALWAYS made sure to eat either a protein shake (I used the cheapest whey protein and added 2-3 table spoons of white sugar) or a fresh fruit smoothie. The whey protein + sugar came from a doctor who trains with us, and super stresses the importance of extra sugar/protein once your done a hard workout. If i have the time, i like the fresh fruit smoothies (2 banana’s, some frozen berries, yogurt) because they taste better.
I found that doing so, really helped my recovery, I also have a problem that if i get much below 9% b.f i go immunocompamized, which I can’t afford to happen at school.
I think its important to just eat a balanced diet, i’m not the best example of this however, I eat porrage with peanut butter and cholate chips every morning (SOOO GOOD and fills me up until 12 ish) then i eat a small lunch (2 samwhiches, 2-4 apples, a granola bar maybe) and then swim and then eat dinner. Anyhow, if you have any more questions, email me.