Triathlon Nutrition - Nourishment Techniques and Strategies For Results
By: Chris Chan
Submitted: 2010-08-19 22:32:47 | Word Count: 565
Entering a major event, or even a prolonged workout session, it is really vital to map out a nutrition program. This is not the time to be winging it. Training for a triathlon takes careful planning and skill.
Step one should be to figure out how much fluid you'll need to stay suitably hydrated. As you can imagine this will be influenced by your body type, your level of exertion and weather conditions. However a pretty good guideline will be 24-30 oz each hour.
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The next step would be to figure out how many calories you will have to ingest. You certainly will need to always keep fuel in your tank, or you risk bonking. The amount of calories that's required not surprisingly will likely differ for every person, from body type to body type -- and as a consequence you'll have to try things out to see just what exactly works best for you. But nevertheless , a decent guideline is 300-400 calories each hour for strenuous physical exercise.
A petite athlete would most likely opt for something a bit lower -- say, 250 cal/hour -- however be careful about going above 400 cal/hour. That's commonly well-accepted as being the most your GI system is able to ingest.
Let's take my next half-Ironman as an example. I'm going to most likely finish in approximately 6 hours. Considering I am on the larger side, I should approach the upper hourly thresholds of 30 ounces of fluid plus 400 calories. Therefore over the course of a six-hour competition, I'm looking at needing to take in 180 oz . of liquid along with 2,400 calories.
The next bit of the plan is now to work out HOW THE HECK you will eat 2,400 calories together with a gallon and a half of water during a triathlon -- particularly when for a good portion of it, you're going to be in the water! It's very possible.
Better to break it down by hour, and also the three disciplines. Needless to say you can not eat anything on the swim, nevertheless, you could factor in what you eat just prior to your swim (but not including your breakfast). I recommend having a gel or two and about 12 oz of liquid approximately 10-20 minutes before the gun goes off.
On the bike and run (and transitions, if you decide), you can actually receive many your calories from your sports drink. Drinks like will get you 120 calories per 20 oz -- something such as Infinit Nutrition might get you a lot more and really simplify what else you'll have to carry to supplement. Take approximately 6-8 oz . in a standard cup of fluid from an aid station during your run. Bars run approximately 200 calories, gels about 100. If you like ShotBloks or Sport Beans, calculate those in as well.
Think about your optimal menu and ensure everything adds up!
