Triathlon Training Tips: 8 Nutrition Plans You Should Follow

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Triathletes must constantly train hard for the hours of swimming, biking, and running required during a triathlon. To maximize their training, triathletes should also stay healthy by eating right. Following the nutrition plan tips listed below will help one prepare for a triathlon. 

#1: Keep a food log. 

Lauren Antonucci, a registered dietician and owner of Nutrition Energy in New York City, tells CNN that triathletes should keep a food log. She suggests recording food intake "3 to 5 days at least twice per year for a nutrition reality check." 

#2: Eat early and often. 

According to Fit Day, studies show that foods eaten early in the morning become heat energy rather than stored fats. In addition to eating early, triathletes should also eat small quantities of food through-out the day. Frequent consumption of food will give the body the "necessary energy that is required at any particular time." 

#3: Follow the 10 percent rule. 

Triathletes are allowed some guilty pleasure while training as long as they stay within the 10 percent rule. Triathlon states that triathletes are allowed to spend 10 percent of their total daily calories on "splurges, treats, or desserts." 

#4: Eat carbs. 

Besides the 10 percent dedicated to yummy treats, people training for a triathlon should eat carbs, Antonucci tells CNN. She says that triathletes should include carbs in most of their meals. In addition, carbs should be consumed before and after a workout. 

#5: Drink more water. 

Water can help enhance an athlete's performance during a workout session, reports Fit Day. The report adds that water can also "increase blood volume and lower body temperature through hydration." Fit Day recommends drinking soft drinks more since "they contain additional contents that are more absorbable and have better retention rate." 

#6: Avoid foods that are high in fat and fiber 

Triathlon suggests avoiding foods high in fat or fiber the night before and the morning of a big triathlon race to "keep your gut happy." 

#7: Eat fruits and vegetables. 

Antonucci advises triathletes to eat two or three fruits and four or six vegetables everyday, reports CNN. Fruits and vegetables help "optimize" weight and nutrient intake. 

#8: Reduce consumption of refined foods.  

According to Fit Day, processed food can "stimulate blood-sugar levels" which can be "detrimental to an athlete's health." In addition, processed oils like hydrogenated vegetable oils can cause inflammation in the joints and muscles, says the report.