Triathlon - The Ultimate Nutrition Manual

Nutrition is often regarded as triathlon’s fifth discipline. You swim, bike, run, practise transitions, and then maximise all that effort by eating the right foods. But fuelling correctly is as important as racking up the miles because consuming what your body needs results in greater physical adaptations to training, faster recovery between sessions and, ultimately, a new personal best. That’s why what follows is the perfect performance threesome between theory, sound science and tasty recipes, all in a palatable format that’ll have you coming back for more. Enjoy Triathlon – The Ultimate Nutrition Manual, brought to you by 220 Triathlon mag……

SUBSCRIBE TO 220 TRI MAGAZINE See p116 ULTIMATE FUELLING PLAN Subtly tweaking your food intake to match changes in training intensity and volume will reap significant racing gains. It’s what the pros do; it’s what you need to do p16 CUTTING-EDGE NUTRITION Want to improve your triathlon performance with no extra effort? It’s time to carb rinse, bike fasted, train your gut, retrain your metabolism and seek out a (legal) dopamine hit p54 PORTABLE FUELLING Commercial energy bars serve a purpose but you can’t beat making your own on-the-fly snacks. Well now you can thanks to chef Biju Thomas and acclaimed nutritionist Allen Lim p100…

TIPS FROM THE TOP # 1 “If I’m hungry, I’ll have some fruit with yoghurt sprinkled with vegan protein powder… it helps fill me up” DANIELA RYF “After my evening meal, if I’m craving something sweet I’ll make tea with honey and a drop of essential lemon oil. If I’m still hungry, I’ll have some fruit with yoghurt sprinkled with vegan protein powder. The protein helps to fill me up and satisfy my sweet cravings. “I also like to make a smoothie with frozen strawberries, soy milk and a drop of essential spearmint oil. This is very refreshing and light – it’s like a liquid frozen fresh ice cream. In the summer, I’ll freeze bananas and grapes, which taste like a little treat out of the freezer. Sometimes, I’ll also enjoy…

You spend thousands of laps refining your swim technique, hours poring over cutting-edge carbon components and wear out dozens of run shoes. But do you apply the same dedication to your nutrition plan? Many of us fall into the trap of eating what we want without stopping to think ‘Hang on, is my nutrition plan suited to my training at this particular time of the year?’. Enter periodised nutrition. In essence, this fuelling template matches your training macrocycle and the intensity of your training, but in the case of nutrition, this is broken down into the following phases: Base, Build, Competition and Transition. MONTH BY MONTH We’ve timed the phases here to begin in early-mid January, peaking for the triathlon race season in early June (although this is adaptable if…

THE CHIMES OF Big Ben still echo in your ears – as does the sound of masticating mince pies, glugging Glenfiddich and listening to Graham Norton. Yes, Christmas may well bring the family together, but it’s distinctly divisive when it comes to reaching your triathlon goals with studies showing the average weight increase is 5lb. “That’s why body composition is so important to the base period,” says sports nutritionist Drew Price. “You’re looking to reduce your weight and now’s the perfect time to do it because training intensity should be low.” Beyond cutting the pounds, improving your aerobic capacity is key, achieved via long sessions at an intensity (anything less than around 75% of you maximum heart rate) that will focus on utilising oxygen to create energy. Nutritionally this means…

THE SALMON AND eggs deliver a significant amount of omega-3 to satiate appetite (and help with weight management), and also reduce blood pressure and inflammation post-training. Antioxidants from the watercress, like vitamins A, C and B, boost immunity, while the iron content helps to transport oxygen around the body. Serve with a salad of green leaves or tomatoes, drizzled with a little walnut oil dressing. INGREDIENTS (TO SERVE 4) 1 tbsp olive oil 6 spring onions, finely sliced 150g watercress, washed, stalks trimmed 150g hot smoked salmon Zest of half a lemon 1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper Pinch of ground nutmeg 10 large free-range eggs 1 tbsp crème fraîche 25g feta cheese, thinly sliced METHOD 1 Pre-heat the grill. 2 Warm the olive…