Nutrition Tips for T3MultiSport Racers
Swim, bike, run..... It’s the heart and soul of triathlon training. Just like your favorite sports car needs gas to run, your body like a high performance car, needs gas too. That’s where your choice of foods and drinks (your “gas”) can help you go fast and feel good. Keep poor food choices from slowing you down. Remember, the food you eat not only gives your body energy to train, but also gives you energy to have fun and continue to grow. So racers listen up, check out the following nutrition tips to help you get the most of your triathlon training.
Don’t skip meals
Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner plus healthy snacks give your body the needed
energy to train and race.
- Try to eat good foods every couple of hours on training days.
- On race days, eat a 1 -2 hours before the race.
- Avoid eating right before the start of a race because you may wind up with an upset stomach.
Not feeling hungry? Try something light like a piece of fruit or glass of juice an hour or so before a training session or race, it may just give you an energy boost.
Eat your fruits and veggies
Ok, so maybe you’re not a big fan of some fruits or vegetables, but if you want to do well and get better in the sport, you need these foods.
- Try to eat fruits such as bananas, apples, oranges, melons, pineapple or fruit juice every day.
- Try to eat vegetables every day as well. Maybe try a potato, salad, tomato or carrots sticks.
The key is to find the fruits and veggies you like and make them a part of your meals.... EVERYDAY!
Get plenty to drink
If you don’t drink enough fluid before, during and after your training you can
quickly run out of steam and not perform your best.
- Be sure to drink regularly the day before your race.
- Race morning: drink a glass of water or sports drink about 1 hour before race start.
- Depending on your race distance, you may need to drink while in the transition area, riding your bike and during the run.
- After the race: drink another cup of water or sports drink. Stay away from soda, if possible.
Watch out for junk foods
Sure... soda, cookies and potato chips taste great but they don’t give your body the
“good stuff” it needs to train hard and perform well. When training for a triathlon
you want to give your body foods and drinks that taste good but are also good for
you. Instead of loading up on junk foods, try some of these high performance snack
suggestions:
For More Information Please contact Jennifer!
Train Well!
Jennifer Hutchison
Triathletes / T3 Coaches