Fitness

What To Eat Before A Triathlon

You’ve constantly been crushing your training and now are ready to experience the ultimate celebration of putting your run, bike, and swim into a fun-packed race, i.e., Triathlon.

Suddenly, the most important question pops up in your mind: “What to eat before a Triathlon to perform your level best in the contest?” or, “What to eat as a triathlete?”

Well, eating well is all about having proper and regular consumption of healthy drinks and nutritious food. And do you know that nutrition is even considered the 4th discipline of Triathlon? Yes, that’s right!

If you do not know what to eat before and after the race, many things can go wrong out of the blue. Even starting at the appropriate time is crucial to have your best race.

That clearly means that no one can solely rely on hard training of day and night. Whether you are going to race in the Olympics, spring, long or middle distance, a good athlete has to choose carefully.

So, are you ready to fuel your body properly with the right nutrients? Keep reading to explore what do triathletes eat before a race!

Best Foods To Consume Before, During & After A Triathlon

Triathlon nutrition undeniably takes months of training, planning, and ultimate execution on the race day. Remember that you will not even finish your game without proper nutrition.

To help you win the contest, we’re here with the best nutrition guidelines:

Eating Before The Triathlon

Eating carefully before the race is important for you to keep things easy going and smooth. Some foods and drinks that a competitor should be eating during a triathlon are given below:

• Energy bars
• Sport gels
• Electrolyte drinks
• Water
• Sport drink

For many triathletes, these drinks and foods are the least difficult for their stomach —  giving the perfect portions of carbohydrates and calories.

They are the most reliable drinks and foods in different weather, distances, and terrains. Note that athletes ought to use these things for training as they are not tough to carry on for a long time as well.

The best part is that they can consume solid meals during training when their strength is lower, especially when they have time to eat and rest. Getting calories in liquid is undeniably suitable for racing because they quickly eat and digest!

In training, it is also good to pay attention to consuming whole meals before the training session starts.

You must aim to eat complete food 3-4 hours before starting a training session, with a unique proportion of nutrients based on the workout.

The rule of thumb is to pre-workout fueling, take more carbs before a high-strength exercise and more proteins and fats before a low-strength exercise.

Vegetables and fruits are always perfect. However, you should save peanut butter for low-strength days.

Eating During A Triathlon

If your diet is pretty balanced and full of nutrition, a triathlon that takes around 120 minutes or less doesn’t really need refueling during the entire race — only liquids are needed for rehydration.

But yes, depending on the needs of individuals, and particularly if the race is longer, such as in Half Ironman, Ironman, and Olympic Triathlon, it’s recommended to use a refueling strategy.

Don’t forget to grab some extra energy snacks to keep you ready for the very next phase. Usually, energy bars, energy gels, flapjacks, sweets, drinks, and sandwiches are the perfect option.

Wondering what to eat during a triathlon: race, bike, and swim? Scroll down!

• For a swim triathlon, your body must have enough stored energy to help you perform well. Therefore, if your race is long, energy gels and drinks are the fastest way of boosting your energy between lengths.
• After completing the swim, you may need a kick for the cycle triathlon. So make sure you refuel before you feel a decrease in your energy. Eating solids while sitting on the bike is more convenient than during swimming or running, so you can surely carry snacks there, like flapjacks and energy bars.
• Triathlon run nutrition also requires energy-boosting meals. This is because this is the final stage, and most of your energy will start depleting at that point. This is where gummies, energy gels, and sweets can provide you with a pick-me-up to motivate you to the finish line.

And that’s all about it! Following this nutrition plan, you’ll surely be able to perform well.

Nutrition for Post-race Recovery 

Due to the strength of effort involved in finishing the small or long-distance triathlons, competitors do not feel as fulfilled and fresh as after completion.

However, there is usually a short turnaround to the following training session – so getting carbohydrate-containing and protein snacks soon after completing them is essential for promoting recovery.

That said, fresh juices may be the best, well-tolerated, and practical option initially.

Most triathlons, in fact, consist of a recovery station at the completion that has sessional fruit and water sports drinks available.

Some great and most suitable options for post-recover involve:

• Long-life liquid food replacement tetras
• Beans or eggs on toast
• Porridge or cereal with yogurt and nuts
• Milkshakes and fruit smoothies
• Warp, sandwich, roll-filled salad and meat

This is the best spot to start recovery with something small in protein. Note that planning is good, and you should not rely on what is given.

In a nutshell, what to eat after a triathlon matters a lot in your journey to recover fast!

Ideal Timing of Triathlon Nutrition 

Well, many athletes know what they should eat and what particular meals work best for them in racing and training. But you know what? Most of them don’t know what is a good time to eat!

Triathlon nutrition’s timing is as important as its quality. If you start to eat too late, you’ll run out of energy soon. You will also suffer the same way if you go two hours straight without eating in the middle of a long-distance race.

What’s more, the triathlon nutrition timing starts hours before the race, and the heavy breakfast is full of carbohydrates.

We recommend eating your breakfast 3 to 4 hours before the race starts and then consuming an energy gel within 20 to 30 minutes of the beginning.

Once you are onto your bike leg, try aiming to consume calories every 15 to 30 minutes — if you can’t take it more often. Also, it’s good to use a triathlon nutrition calculator to notice how many calories you actually consume every hour.

With quick math and the right eating strategy, one can determine the intake of calories regularly.

Stick with your nutrition schedule through your bike race and into the run — along with your last solid piece consumed, with around 30 to 35 minutes remaining in the specific bike leg.

Keep taking in gel and liquid calories every 17 to 28 minutes. Don’t forget that the 30 to 35 window is only for solid food, and it’ll provide your stomach sufficient time for digestion.

Conclusion

So there you have it! From what to eat before a triathlon to foods to consume for recovery after the race, we’ve covered the best triathlon diet plan in this comprehensive guide.

Believe me, if you’re planning to take part in the Triathlon this year, getting your competition nutrition and training right can make a huge difference in your overall performance and progress.

The goal is to eat enough so you can keep your energy levels at their peak. However, make sure that you don’t over-eat — otherwise, the conclusions can be opposite.

Although it’s a challenging balancing act for everyone. But if you see what works best for your body and rehearse your specific nutrition plans efficiently, everything will be done the right way!