Nutrition Part 1: Fuel for Triathletes

First off, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and welcome back!

The Bay State Team has been a great resource for me in my short triathlon career. Not only do I get to socialize and train with a group of people that all share the same interests, but we also have sponsors and meetings where we have speakers that discuss different triathlon topics with all of us. At the January meeting we just had, we had one of our sponsors and team dietitian discuss with us Fuel for Triathletes.  She discussed with us the proper foods to eat and to avoid, as well as the proper amounts, for endurance athletes.

We were told that the main sources of energy for athletes is in protein, carbohydrates and fat.

Protein: The daily recommendation is 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg body weight (the lower end of the range is appropriate for endurance athletes; the higher end for strength and power athletes at the early stages of training). Multiply recommended intake in grams by 4 to calculate energy intake from protein (there are 4 kcal per gram of protein).

Examples of proteins are animals: fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, eggs, lean pork, lean ham, buffalo and lean red meat; plants: natural peanut butter, nuts-almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios-soy, beans, lentils, hummus, tofu, and seeds; dairy: lowfat milk, cottage cheese, string cheese, yogurt, greek yogurt.

• You need protein for muscle growth and to repair muscle damage after exercise. 
• You also need protein to make red blood cells, which move oxygen to muscles, and white blood cells, which help fight infection.
• Your body uses protein to make hormones and enzymes, which help regulate metabolism.

They are many more key points about protein, but I will not be including them in this post. If you would like to learn more, leave me a comment, or wait until I post later about it again.

Carbohydrates: The daily recommendation is 5 to 10 g/kg body weight (the lower end of the range is appropriate for off-season and recreational athletes; the higher end for athletes who train for several hours a day and for ultraendurance athletes). Multiply recommended intake is grams by 4 to calculate energy intake from carbohydrate (there are 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate).

Examples of carbohydrates are grains: whole grains are good source of fiber and can decrease your risk for heart disease and help you lose weight; fruits and veggies: good for decreasing risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and help you lose weight; milk and yogurt: helps you build healthy and strong bones and teeth.

• Carbohydrates are the best fuel for working muscles.
• Plan to include carbohydrates in all your meals and snacks.

Fat: The daily recommendation is ≥ 1 g/kg body weight. Multiply recommended intake in grams by 9 to calculate energy intake from fat (there are 9 kcal per gram of fat).

However, there are "good" fats and "bad" fats. Examples of "good" fats include: olive or canola oil, nuts, olives, avocado, peanut butter.

• You need fat for energy.
• Fat also helps your body to use some vitamins as well as plant chemicals known as "phytochemicals."
• Fat helps move substances in and out of cells, and it helps keep your brain and nervous system healthy.

Now that you have a brief synopsis of the main sources of energy needed by endurance athletes, there are other sources of intake that is essential. 

Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins and minerals do not give you more energy, but they help to unlock the energy stored in food so your body can use it as fuel. Your body needs calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and vitamin D to keep bones strong.

Fluids: Fluids are essential for everyday use for everybody, not just athletes. But here are a few guidelines about fluids for athletes:

• Drink at least 16 oz of water or other fluid 2 hours before an event.
• Top off drinking 8-16 oz of water 15 minutes before an event.
• Drink 5-10 oz every 15-20 min of exercise.
• Use a sport beverage if exercising longer than 60 min.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages.
• Avoid carbonated beverages.
• Drink as much as possible within 15 minutes of the end of an event or training.
• Continue to drink to replace fluids lost through sweat plus more.
• Rule of thumb - one "gulp" equals one ounce.

Nicole Cormier is a registered dietitian and founder of Delicious Living Nutrition. DLN is a nutrition consulting company that comes into your home for nutrition counseling. They offer a variety of services catered to improving your quality of life and creating balance. You can check out her website for information about services, resources and contact info at Delicious Living Nutrition.