Sports Nutrition Is Not Enough

A solid understanding of sports nutrition will help any athlete better plan their menus and make sure they’re getting enough nutrients to provide energy and repair muscles. But for Triathlon training, it isn’t enough. You have to go beyond just nutrition for basic sports and learn and apply endurance nutrition.

What is the difference between sports and endurance nutrition? The former focuses on your carbohydrate requirements for fairly short term athletic feats. The latter focuses on all of your nutritional requirements in order to support an endurance event. 

For triathletes running in a Triathlon, protein and fat requirements are also an important part of their nutrition. Caloric needs become amplified when you’re training for a Triathlon. While the average American might need 1,800 calories a day, a triathlete could easily require three times that amount! 

Water is probably the most important nutrient a triathlete should stay on top of during either his or her training and during the Triathlon. Why? Because when a triathlete is in long distance race, they can use up to 2 quarts of water every hour. And unlike other short term nutrition deficiencies, running out of water can kill you in a fairly short time. Don’t over do it either! Drinking too much water in too short a period can be fairly dangerous to your body as well. 

Triathlete snacks during recovery phase for re-fueling. Assorted bars and gels (along with triathlete gear) available from Paragon Sports. The Sports Specialty Store. Over 10,000 on line items. Free Ground Shipping or 2nd Day Air Only $9.99

 Buy Multi-Vitamins - Save Up to 51%

Male Triathlete (target 60-80 g carb)
- 200 g carton fruit yoghurt + jam sandwich
- 200 g carton fruit yoghurt + cereal bar + 250 ml of fruit juice
- Flavored milk + cereal bar + 1 banana
- 750-1000 ml of sports drink
- 60 g Sustagen Sport made with water + 1 banana
- Sports Bar + 500 ml of sports drink

Female Triathlete (target 40-50 g carb)
- 200 g carton fruit yoghurt + cereal bar
- 200 g carton fruit yoghurt + 1 banana
- Flavored milk + cereal bar
- 750 ml of sports drink
- jam sandwich + 250 ml of fruit juice
- Sports Bar

Sample Carb loading for Olympic distance triathlete

Breakfast
- 3 cups of low-fibre cereal with 1 1/2 cups of reduced fat milk
- 1 medium banana
- 250 ml orange juice

Snack
- Toasted muffin with honey
- 500 ml sports drink

Lunch
- 2 sandwiches
- 200 g low-fat yoghurt
- 375 ml soft drink

Snack
- Banana smoothie made with low-fat milk, banana, honey cereal bar

Dinner
- 1 cup of pasta sauce with 2 cups of pasta
- 3 slices of garlic bread
- 2 glasses of cordial

Late snack
- Toasted muffin and jam
- 500 ml sports drink

Do you want to outperform your competition?
Do you want higher energy levels?
Do you want to avoid that feeling of fatigue after the competition?

If you answered yes to these questions, you need to download the Athlete Recipes ebook!

Related Article(s)

see also Sports Olympics