If transition is triathlon's fourth discipline, nutrition should be the fifth. Making fuelling mistakes could mean your race ends in disaster. And the longer the event, the more critical your food and drink strategy becomes. But it's not easy
: your calorie and carbohydrate intake needs to match your training energy output. However, as your training volume increases and then tapers, so should your food intake. Planning your pre-race diet needn't be a nutritional nightmare: here are 25 handy
to match your training energy output. However, as your training volume increases and then tapers, so should your food intake. Planning your pre-race diet needn't be a nutritional nightmare: here are 25 handy do's and don'ts to help get you started
the next day. How late you eat the night before isn't too big a concern, unless it affects your sleep patterns. Breakfast is the most important meal to time right.Q. How much water should I drink on the morning of the race? I want to drink enough water
Q. I want to practise my nutrition for race day but my trainer says I should wait until a few weeks before the race so I get the maximum benefit - is he right?A. It's imperative that you experiment during training to find out what will work best
sodium during the race (for example, in the sports drinks on course). If you have a history of cramp or sweat heavily, then electrolyte gels may also be a sensible addition.Q. I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the nutrition advice out there. Would you
eat since you are not burning it off as fast."Even nutritionists sometimes struggle with the concept. "Maintaining weight after a long race season can be hard for a triathlete," says Suffredin. When he was training for an Ironman towards the end
'.But despite all the hours of putting left after right, if you're not prepared to provide your body with the fuel it needs along the way to the finish line, you won't get there half as quickly as you'd planned. A race nutrition strategy is as important to your
. To read the full article - including Gordon Ramsay's perfect pre-race dinner and Michel Roux Jnr's favourite recovery fuel - subscribe now. You'll even save 30 per cent on your annual subscription by doing so right here online. Race-morning breakfast
