A triathlon is a grueling athletic race in which competitors usually complete a 1,500-meter swim, immediately followed by a 40-kilometer bicycle ride and 10-kilometer run. While a significant amount of physical preparation is required to complete such a task, a triathlete's nutrition can determine success in a race. A healthy diet not only supplies the body with the fuel to compete, but it can also serve to enhance an athlete's level of focus, emotional well-being and overall performance.
Nutritional Needs
A triathlete must supply her body with the amount of calories, vitamins and nutrients necessary to endure the rigors of competition. This means augmenting your consumption of certain foods to comply with the body's increased need for sustenance. A typical triathlete can expend from 8,000 to 10,000 calories during an event. Without adequate stores of dietary material to sustain your body during performance, you will suffer any number of deficiencies, including loss of focus, excessive fatigue and inhibited muscle repair.
Iron
Iron is a mineral essential to the proper flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body. Oxygen is not only essential to life, but also necessary to the process that converts food into energy. Iron deficiency is a perilous condition to any endurance athlete. Athletes who lack iron may experience excessive heart rate, a decrease in body temperature and an inability to focus.
Planning
Proper planning is fundamental in establishing the diet of a successful triathlete. Your body needs a specific quantity of nutrients, consumed at certain time intervals, throughout training. These variables will, however, be determined by your individual training style and intensity. Nutritional scientist Jaclyn Maurer says, "One way for triathletes to gauge if they are meeting their daily calories needs is by keeping a weekly performance and weight log."
Ratios
A successful triathlete must be particular in his choices of what, when, how and how much to eat. To successfully compete, an exact combination of proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins must be consumed by the athlete before an event. Medical doctor and seasoned triathlete Steven Jonas suggests that competitors follow the 40/30/30 plan, a diet consisting of approximately 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent proteins and 30 percent unsaturated fats.
Water
A triathlete must ensure that her consumption of fluids cooperatively coordinates with the demands of her daily training regimen. Mackenzie Madison, U.S. Olympic-level triathlon coach, says, "Once you get to greater than a 2 percent decrease in total body water lost during exercise, huge performance decreases are seen." For this reason, a vigilant focus on hydration is essential. A triathlete must continually monitor his total fluid loss and intake while training. Bob Seebohar, performance director at the Colorado Center for Altitude Training, says, "As triathletes, we need from 12 to 16 glasses of water per day."
Member Comments