Nutrition for Triathletes - Triathlon

fez

04/10/2007 at 16:32

Well I've now gone though a season with minimal injuries and actually got into the top half of one of the sprint tri's. Now considering setting next years challenges and how to reach them.

Spoke to a personal trainer (and bodybuilder) who said that one of the key things people get wrong when they're doing a reasonable amount of training was to think that the normal rules of eating apply.I explained I trained did about 8 hours a week and was wanting to improve performance and was considering upping this in 2008 to an average of about 12. He said nutition becomes more important the more you train and that eating fish, fruit and salads and not chocolate etc was OK, but really I should be looking at increasing my protein intake – specifically by protein drinks.I don’t know much about this but what do people think of this advice and have you any experiences with them?What’s the best sort or is there something else I should take?

cougie

pirate

04/10/2007 at 16:35

I'm a bit sceptical. Maybe for bodybuilders - but not for us. A reasonable diet should be OK. Only thing I do is have a recovery drink or milkshake after a long run or long bike.

Rest of the diet is beer and crisps.

Kryten

pirate

04/10/2007 at 16:43

Bodybuilders always recomend protein shakes - no matter whether you are bodybuilding, training for a triathlon or learning to play the guitar.

M...eldy

pirate

04/10/2007 at 16:44

I cant play the guitar, would protein shakes help?

Sacco di Noci

04/10/2007 at 16:47

I wouldn't bother with protein shakes, a balanced diet provides you with everything you need.

Kryten

pirate

04/10/2007 at 16:51

Yes, to play the guitar you need to be drinking protein shakes, lifting heavy weights and admiring yourself in the mirror.

fez - but I should say that like Cougie I do have a recovery shake (REGO) after long bike rides and long runs.

Sacco di Noci

04/10/2007 at 16:55

Isn't regular chocolate milk supposed to be just as effective?

cougie

pirate

04/10/2007 at 16:59

I think thats what they say, but as I've still got some Rego - I can use that up.

Would be a good idea for the mag to test maybe ? Doubt they can get any real evidence though - tired legs are a bit hard to judge.

I also use Slimfast if I'm at races, easier to pack than Rego and the carb to protein ratio is spot on for what the scientists reccomend - altho dont think milkshake is far off ?

DIM Wickett

04/10/2007 at 17:01

I used to have the recovery shakes, but I find that a post-race vodka keeps them at bay.....

Sacco di Noci

04/10/2007 at 17:08

I'll stick to my yazoo.

Try Taffia

04/10/2007 at 17:10

protein shakes just give you bad guts!

Colin - www.colinwatts.co.uk

04/10/2007 at 17:14

I saw a presentation last night by a chap from SIS and I spoke to him afterwards and said that all this electrolyte/recovery/energy stuff did not make any difference to an average punter like me and the real difference was seen by 'serious athletes' and professionals. Naturally he didn't enthuse about my point of view but he did quietly agree.

I do also support the view that bodybuilders seem to see a protein shake as a route to the holy grail of bodybuilding and a normal diet should provide all that you need.

Colin

DIM Wickett

04/10/2007 at 17:15

So does beer and kebab, but they're all necessary training supplements, Taff!

Sacco di Noci

04/10/2007 at 17:19

The holy grail of bodybuilding is the anabolic steroid.

cougie

pirate

04/10/2007 at 17:22

I dunno - I do think you need some decent stuff whilst racing. Certainly for long distance stuff you need to be able to get energy in and keep the salts topped up.

Theres no need to swan round the gym knocking back sports drink though after 2 mins on a treadmill.

DIM Wickett

04/10/2007 at 17:25

I did the Ultra on Saturday using just water, flapjack and lava salts. Worked a treat!

(albeit, the home made flapjack was a bit bulky - but sooooooooo worth it!)

Energy food & drink? Pah!!!

Colin - www.colinwatts.co.uk

04/10/2007 at 17:33

I've done some long distance stuff over multiple days (admittedly completing not competing) and besides loads of homemade flapjacks - which are not much different to SIS Go bars , but alot cheaper - I just ate alot of pasta over the 6 days. I suspect though that if I had been racing over a similar distance or time I may well have suffered from carbo depletion.

Colin

The Trickster pirate

pirate

04/10/2007 at 17:52

I find flapjacks make me forget to pick up the nutrition I'd packed in special needs......

Seriously - forget protein shakes, you just need to eat larger quantities of what you normally eat (assuming this is reasonably healthy)

Duck Girl

pirate

04/10/2007 at 20:21

Simple rule for tri nutrition - lots of it!

I reckon on choc soya milk after a hard session, toast & marmite (for salt) when it's hot, but otherwise wouldn't particularly bother too much about fiddling round with percentages of this & grammes of that. Just try to avoid actually eating the table as well & you'll be right.

I'd suspect your bodybuilder friend was talking about bodybuilders. You don't want to end up looking or training like a bodybuilder, so you probably need to look more at carbs. Flapjack is good, so is malt loaf & jam sandwiches - see what suits you.

BTW, I'm vegan, have been running maras & long stuff for a few years & did an IM last year, and have never used protein supplements. I'd use proper 'sports drinks' with electrolytes in for long or hot races though.

Try Taffia

04/10/2007 at 20:24

So does beer and kebab, but they're all necessary training supplements, Taff!

so wickett do we need to teach you the correct loading methords of the important food groups of larger and kebab?