The Daily Caloric Needs For An Active Triathlete

If you're a triathlete, your body requires enough nutrients to fuel your body through the rigors of swimming, biking and running. Athletic performance and recovery are enhanced by a nutritious diet, notes the American Dietetic Association. Active triathletes need enough calories to burn for energy during workouts and races. Knowing your daily caloric needs can help you follow a healthy eating plan and perform at your highest level during triathlons.

Caloric Intake

Calories are units of energy in food and drinks that give your body fuel to perform basic functions. Your body also needs fuel for training and races. To help your body perform well during athletic activity, you need to eat calories equal to the amount you burn each day. In addition to your activity level, your age, weight and sex play a role in determining how many calories you need each day. Men and younger people require more calories than women and older people.

Basic Guidelines

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute offers guidelines on caloric intake for active people. Women triathletes 19 to 30 should consume about 2,400 calories daily, and men in the same age group should consume about 3,000 calories per day. Active women 31 to 50 need about 2,200 calories a day. Active women 51 and older require fewer calories—about 2,000 to 2,200. Active men 31 to 50 need 2,800 to 3,000 calories, according to the guidelines, and active men 51 and older need 2,400 to 2,800 calories per day.

Calculating Intake

You may require fewer or more calories than the number the NHLBI guidelines recommend depending on factors such as your body weight and the intensity and duration of your training. The longer your workouts and the higher their intensity, the more calories you will burn and the more you will need to eat to refuel. Your body size also plays a role in your caloric needs, as the heavier your weight, the more calories your body burns and requires during exercise. The USDA's MyPlate Daily Food Plan allows you to customize a healthy eating plan to calculate your caloric needs based on your height, weight, age, sex and activity level.

Dietary Choices

Consider the type of calories you consume to ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs to perform well. If you follow a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy items and protein foods, you should get the nutrients your body needs each day without having to take supplements, explains the American Dietetic Association. Consume 55 to 65 percent of your calories in the form of carbohydrates, 15 to 35 percent as protein and 20 to 35 percent in the form of fats, limiting your saturated fat intake and cutting out trans fats from your diet.