TRIATHLON NUTRITION...Your Healthy Diet Plan, Tips, Hints, AnswersTriathlon nutrition comes in many forms. What you eat and drink over the course of training and on race day are critical to the end result.
Visit my Ironstruck book store What makes understanding nutrition so difficult is the fact that everyone has a different metabolism and reacts to foods and nutritional supplements differently. In other words, a nutrition plan that works for some people, may not work for you, and the other way around. The time to figure out the perfect triathlon nutrition sources and what works best for "you" is in the training and learning period leading up to the events you have scheduled in the coming season. The last thing you want to do is find some new energy drink at the pre-race expo that looks interesting and test it out on race-day. That is a critical mistake because you have no idea how your body will react to the ingredients in the drink.
It is no different with food. Most likely you are going to find yourself in a town or city that might have a culture completely different from what you are used to. For instance an Ironman might compete in China, Malaysia, South Africa, or dozens of other destinations and what triathlon nutrition choices might be found in restaurants and grocery stores in those countries might be be pretty foreign to you and your body in particular. It's a common misconception that is you train like a Roman Gladiator year round you can pretty much pig out on a daily basis and eat whatever you. After all, you are swimming, running, biking, and every waking moment either doing something physically active or else planning the next training session. It seems that it only makes sense that if you are burning these hundreds and hundreds of calories that your triathlon nutrition choices are unlimited and you can wear a hole in the floor from all the trips to the kitchen. That was exactly my train of thought over thirty years ago when I first decided I was going to take up running and become an honest to God marathoner. I ran every freaking day. It consumed me. After just my very first 6 months of running...EVER I tackled my first marathon and crossed the line in 3:28. Within one year I was running 100 miles weeks and eating everything in sight. I was just so hungry and was eating everything I could get my hands on. Ice cream by the pail, cake, cookies, pie.....and then I had desert. Only kidding, but yes I had tons of junk food.
I finally learned that this was not the way to go and I was cheating myself out of much better performances and recovery from races. Hopefully I can pass on a few tips that might help you out in your triathlon nutrition choices. Here are a few topics you might find interesting when it comes to nutrition and hydration for a triathlete. I am just passing on what I learned over the years after over 35 marathons and 14 Ironman events. You can take it or leave it but I hope it will help you out. These are some of the topics I will discuss at length if you choose to visit the page links below. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER HYDRATION For years and years we have been told to drink tons of water. At all costs we had to avoid dehydration. Of course this is true, but in the last decade much more attention is being give to the dangers of drinking too much and suffering from the serious effects of "over-hydrating". Visit the link below for more on this very important topic and how a proper balance of fluid intake is an essential component of triathlon nutrition. THE MOST COMMON DIET MISTAKES Not sure where to begin when it comes to diet? Often just simple diet mistakes can prevent us from realizing the best results from all our hard work and training week after week. Check out some common diet mistakes that can be easily avoided. Images by Art.com
THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL Coconut oil has been getting a bad rap for years, but consumers(and athletes in particular)are beginning to realize that coconut oil is a great addition to a healthy diet and can enhance athletic performance, speed recovery, increase endurance, and even help lose those extra pounds. What a great way to boost your triathlon nutrition. Check out the link below on the benefits of coconut oil. THE BENEFITS OF COFFEE WHAT! Is coffee really a good thing? Athletes in the know have been using coffee for that little competitive edge for years. There's a reason why caffeine is on the "banned substance" list for Olympic athletes. GO FASTER FOOD I stumbled on to this book by Kate Percy and it's full of great recipes to help fuel athletes. At the bottom of the Go Faster Food page you will will also have the opportunity to submit your own great training recipe. The first person to read this and submit a recipe that I approve will receive a free autographed copy of my book "Ironstruck...The Ironman Triathlon Journey". CINNAMON...A NUTRITIONAL SPICE Here is a spice that has been used for eons by many cultures because of the health benefits it provides. Better yet, there a few spices that can provide the flavor to meals the way cinnamon can and at the same time promote weight loss.
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