What Do Triathletes Eat?

Triathlons include three sports: biking, running and swimming. If you are a dedicated triathletes, you can spend between 10 and 20 hours training each week in all three of these areas. In addition to your athletic training -- and because of the intensity of it -- you must focus on your dietary intake. You need to consume lots of calories, nutrients and fluids to maintain strenuous training regimens and optimize your performance.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a vital macronutrient for athletes. They provide a quick source of energy for working muscles, making them necessary for peak athletic performance. Carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. Liver glycogen helps maintain blood sugar levels while muscle glycogen is used to provide energy for physical activity.

Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals and breads are excellent sources of carbohydrates. As a triathlete, eat carbohydrate-rich foods regularly to help maintain glycogen stores. Inadequate stores can force your muscles to rely on fat for energy during exercise, which is an inefficient form of fuel that results in fatigue.

Protein

Protein is an important building block for muscles, bones, teeth and skin. Lean meats, low-fat dairy products and eggs are excellent sources of protein. Usually 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein are recommended per kilogram of body weight for endurance athletes. To find your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. Although many athletes use protein powders and supplements, strive to get most of your protein from whole foods.

Before Training and Competition

Eating prior to training and competition can help improve the quality of your training and your performance. Eat pre-workout meals and snacks about one to two hours before the activity. This allows time for foods to digest; eating close to activity can cause stomach upset and discomfort in some athletes, making training and competition uncomfortable.

Pre-workout meals should be high in carbohydrates and low in fat. Good choices for snacks are whole-grain breads, cereals, yogurts, beans, oatmeal and pasta. Protein bars and shakes can be used, but the calories supplied by these supplements come mainly from sugar.

During Competition

The biking portion of triathlons provides the best opportunity for supplemental nutrition. Foods that are easy to pack and consume on a bike ride are breads with honey or jams, fruit bars, dried fruit, bananas and energy gels. These are high in carbohydrates, providing the quick energy needed to push through the remainder of the competition.

Recovery

Refueling soon after competition or an intense training session is extremely important. Food helps rebuild lean muscle and replenish glycogen depleted during exercise. Eat recovery snacks and meals with a 4-to-1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio within 30 minutes of finishing. This allows you to store more glycogen than athletes who don't, making your energy use during exercise more efficient.