Everyday Nutrition

Tips for fueling outside of race day.

They call nutrition the fourth discipline in triathlon. We all get that nailing nutrition on race day will make a huge difference in race performance, and we

have separate articles dedicated to the topic of race nutrition. But what about the other 99% of the time??

Think of it this way: do you only practice your swimming, biking, and running on race day? Is race day the only time you really focus on getting the other three right? Of course not, we practice the "other three disciplines" constantly. You should be doing the same with your nutrition!

Are you thinking "but Coach, I can make it through an hour or two workout EASILY without any nutrition at all, does it even matter?" YES! IT MATTERS!

Sure, you can survive an hour, maybe two, maybe even three with taking in many calories or hydration. It's possible. Is it optimal? Far from it. Not only are you not going to get the most out of the workout, you're going to put your body at such a deficit that you also prokong your recovery, and your future workouts will suffer!

Ever go for a long or tough morning workout, then huge a big mid-day slump where you feel like you can't even keep your eyes open? Did you fuel that workout??

To get the most out of any workout, you need a small amount of fuel 2-3 hour before (a few hundred calories, primarily carbs), and you need to fuel the

workout itself if it's over 20-30 minutes! You need calories and hydration- use whatever you would normally use in a race, and the same amounts! It's just as important to practice the nutrition as it is to practice the swim, bike and run. If your stomach is used to running on empty, or being fed PB&J, then suddenly on race day you're filling it with Gatorade and energy gels, it's not going to go well! Practice like it's the real thing as often as possible!

What about when the workout is over? Quick shower and straight to work, no time for breakfast? You might as well have skipped the workout! Without the proper fuel to rebuild the muscles you just strained, you've probably done as much harm as good! You need to get some carbs and protein (3:1 ratio, 20-40 grams of protein) ASAP- I mean literally as soon as you finish the workout! And a fully legitimate healthy meal as soon as is practical. You also to need to start re-hydrating. Even if you were hydrating during the workout you're liking loosing more than you're replacing, so as soon as you're done it's time to start replenishing so you're ready for the next one!