In between your training sessions, you want to make sure you have adequate fueling, not just before your intense workout. Twenty four to 48 hours before your mock-event day and event day, you may need to start fueling up.

Eating too close to your session can cause gastrointestinal upset, while eating too far out can leave you lacking energy. Of course, one to four hours before exercise is still a fairly large time range. How do you know what is best for you? Practicing is the best way to find out. Try different foods and timing during training to nail down exactly what works best for you, both in terms of gastrointestinal comfort and energy levels.

Eating about an hour before your long run? A bagel with a little cream cheese might be a perfect option for you. Eating four hours beforehand? You might have a bigger meal, like a breakfast hash and a fruit smoothie.

During exercise, your nutrition concerns should focus on carbohydrates, hydration, and electrolytes. For exercise lasting less than an hour, drinking plain water works just fine.

Though several electrolytes are lost in sweat, including magnesium, sodium is lost in the largest amounts. The rate at which you sweat and the sodium that is lost varies from athlete to athlete. Research has shown that high sodium losses in sweat can lead to slightly lower blood sodium levels.

This, combined with fluid overload, may increase the risk of hyponatremia—a dangerous drop in blood sodium levels. Instead of drinking water for long sessions, you can drink a commercial sports drink.

You can also use fizzy electrolyte tabs that you add to water. Or, you can drink water and use a salt replacement product designed for athletes. Your muscles are working hard, and keeping a steady stream of carbs flowing gives them the energy to continue to do so.

Aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate for every hour of exercise. You will be consuming about 6 to 12 ounces of fluid ounces per hour. Fuel can come in many sources, but they should be rich in easily digestible carbohydrates. You can choose options specifically manufactured for sport, or you can choose grocery store options that will also meet your needs.

For example:. Either of these options would fuel you at that rate of 30 to 60 grams per hour. The only exception to this advice is for fat-adapted ketogenic athletes. Proper recovery nutrition is a key part of the triathlete diet.

Keep in mind that not every workout needs a large recovery meal. Sometimes recreational athletes make the mistake of eating big recovery meals after every workout, which can contribute to excess calories and weight gain.

Instead, focus on recovery meals and snacks after:. In those three situations, take in carbohydrates along with some protein within 30 to 60 minutes of completing your workout.

You can wait up to two hours for maximum results, but it's ideal to consume carbohydrates and protein ASAP after you finish your workout. Just how much carbohydrate depends on your body weight.

Aim for 1. This may seem like a lot, but it can easily be built into a filling post-workout meal. Along with that carbohydrate, most people should include 15 to 25 grams of protein. Masters-age athletes may experience slower recovery rates compared to younger athletes, possibly due to issues with protein remodeling in the muscles after exercise.

Because of this, some researchers have suggested that older athletes take in a bit more protein after exercise perhaps around 25 to 30 grams. Remember, for shorter sessions you don't have to worry about these amounts. You can maximize recovery after short workouts with a small carbohydrate and protein snack—for example, a glass of chocolate milk or Greek yogurt with fruit.

Your training schedule, body type, genetic makeup, and food preferences are unique to you. Following the basic tenets of healthy eating for athletes, though—like consuming lots of nutrient-dense whole foods and focusing on good pre-exercise and recovery meals—will have you crossing the finish line like a champ.

Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans December Kerksick, C. et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing.

J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 33 Jäger, R. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 Vitale K, Getzin A. Nutrition and supplement update for the endurance athlete: Review and recommendations.

Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen J, Burke L, et al. The IOC consensus statement: beyond the female athlete triad--relative energy deficiency in sport RED-S. Br J Sports Med. Zinn C, Wood M, Williden M, Chatterton S, Maunder E. Ketogenic diet benefits body composition and well-being but not performance in a pilot case study of New Zealand endurance athletes.

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Burke LM, Ross ML, Garvican-Lewis LA, et al. FREE Triathlete Main Meal Recipe Book. FREE Triathlete Smoothie Recipe Book. Toggle navigation. Why is BMR important for athletes? Try the Macro Calculator for Athletes below. Please enable or load JavaScript to run this calculator.

Select your gender. Male Female. Women are just 4 minutes behind. As a beginner, if you finish it in around an hour and a half, you've done a great job! You can check the average finish times for other people of your age and sex in the average triathlon finish times calculator.

It's time to service your bike, dig out your running shoes, and don your swimming suit. The next couple of weeks won't be easy, but they will be worth it! Come back to our calculator whenever you need it. Before you go, learn how you can track your heart rate during your training for better race performance in the triathlon heart rate training zones calculator!

Embed Share via. Triathlon Nutrition Calculator Created by "Triathlon" Taren Gesell , Julia Żuławińska and Aleksandra Zając , MD. Reviewed by Bogna Szyk and Jack Bowater. Table of contents: Why is nutrition important for triathlons? What and when to eat during a race?

When to start preparing? Tips for training Triathlon statistics. Why is nutrition important for triathlons? Good examples of race snacks include: 🍯 Energy gels — now you even have more natural options, like honey-based gels. Aim for ripe bananas, as they have a higher amount of simple sugars than green ones and are easier to digest.

Awesome if you find cooking fun, and you can make countless versions. Use dried fruits, nuts, peanut butter, honey, oats, and your imagination! Now that you know why and what you should eat, let's answer another question — when?

Before the race 🏁 The problem is that the first part of a triathlon is swimming, where eating is not only extremely uncomfortable, but also dangerous. After jumping on a bike 🚴 🚴 Work for a while on getting the right pace, and after minutes, eat something.

A big handful of raisins. A small to medium sized gummy bear. On the run 🏃 🏃🏼 The rule is the same — a snack every minutes. Tips for training Get a fitness plan 📅 Workout around five times a week.

Eat nutritious foods 🍌🥙🥦 Your diet shouldn't change much as you start training, as long as you were eating healthily. Rest 🛀 Don't overdo it!

Triathlon statistics The first record of the "Les trois sports" trans. Name Swim Bike Run Sprint 0. Hello athlete! completing a triathlon. Triathlon type. Sprint Triathlon. Time per sport. Target time. Your weight. Race nutrition schedule to consume the above calories:.

Before the race :. Maybe an energy bar! Fluids: 💧💧. Sip a light electrolyte drink every mins. Your target is approximately 16 ounces of fluid one big bottle every hour!

Eat one again every minutes , but keep in mind to have the final one 10 minutes before T2 bike to run transition. A good choice would be some energy chews, gels, or bars specifically designed for sports nutrition.

Every mins eat a calorie snack. Small snacks like dried fruits, energy bars or energy gels will be both nutritious and easy to carry! Average triathlon finish times Cycling power zones Triathlon heart rate training zones … 1 more. People also viewed…. Heart rate recovery Use this heart rate recovery calculator to determine the change in your heart rate after the first minute of rest after exercise.

Heart Rate Recovery Calculator. Lost socks Socks Loss Index estimates the chance of losing a sock in the laundry. Lost Socks Calculator. MET minutes per week Do you want to know if you meet your weekly physical activity recommendations?

This calculator helps determine how much carbohydrates you should be consuming. This calculator works between body weights of lb kg. For those below lb 47 kg , use the values for lb 47 kg as a maximum.

For those above lb 98 kg , use the values for lb 98 kg as a minimum. To optimize your plan, we recommend you consult with a good sports dietician, using the information calculated here as a starting point. Please use this calculator as a guide. Fluid Calculator. This is far more palatable than consuming energy gels and energy drinks together.

After all, nobody wants to spend a whole day eating energy gels. Swallow a SaltStick capsule every hour for extra salt, depending on your sweat rate.

OPTION 2: Consume Maurten Drink Mix and nothing else. It also takes care of your hydration needs. Maurten drinks do contain some salt, but not that much. On hot days you may need to supplement this with SaltStick capsules or similar. Run Nutrition By the time you get to the run, your gut will be compromised and you need to treat it kindly.

Consume energy drinks in small, regular sips. Avoid energy gels and bars. Their carbohydrate is very concentrated and can cause gastrointestinal distress at this stage of your race. It is like pure sugar and starts entering your bloodstream before it even reaches your stomach. IRONMAN Race Day Nutrition Plan Before your race, you should make a detailed hour by hour IRONMAN nutrition plan.

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Popular Articles from the Training Tips Blog. The Essential Ironman Nutrition Plan Phil Mosley February 18, Recovering From A Triathlon or any other endurance event Phil Mosley July 27, Train For A Triathlon In Four Weeks Phil Mosley June 28, How To Pace a Half Distance Triathlon such as an IRONMAN Sign up for Phil's email newsletter!

Choose your event:. Planning Your Off-Season. You can start our Off-Season Fitness Maintenance plans anytime you like. Planning For Your Event. The longer plans start easier and progress more gradually.

This has a bearing on the difficulty level you choose. Short Medium Long Duration. Our Standard and Masters plans are designed to get you ready for your target event, while our Off-Season plans allow you to recover from a tough season but still maintain your well-earned fitness.

STANDARD MASTERS OFF-SEASON Approx. This table provides a brief overview of which level might be right for you, to help you get the most out of your plan. You should also note your current fitness levels and how many times you have done this event before.

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During plan only. We're Sorry To See You Go! Event Event Triathlon - Sprint Triathlon - Olympic Triathlon - IRONMAN First, let's go into more detail on why you need to eat during long-distance races and workouts! The human body can store energy, which means that we are not dependent on constant eating and can survive some time without food.

Fat tissue is one of the ways of storing energy, but think of it more as energy 'for a rainy day' — it takes some time to both gain fat tissue and to get rid of it everybody who ever tried to lose weight knows what we're talking about 😉. Luckily, we also have another energy reserve that can be used quickly — glycogen.

An average human with an average muscle mass has g of glycogen total in their body, which provides approximately kcal. Seems a lot?

Yes, but for an incredible feat like a triathlon, it's not even close to enough! That's why during long-distance races, you need to focus on carbohydrates — the primary source of easily accessible energy.

They will keep your blood sugar level right and keep you in the highest gear. When choosing your snacks, keep in mind they should not contain high amounts of fat or proteins — although in the regular diet they're super important, they prolong the process of breaking down nutrients.

Eating a fat bomb during triathlon will not only cut off your energy supply, but can also give you gastrointestinal problems. Let's be honest — that's the last thing that you want during a race.

Whatever you choose, you should first try it a few times during your regular training sessions. See if you prefer gels over solid foods or the opposite , how your stomach reacts to what you eat, and what gives you the most energy.

Don't experiment during the race! Choose the old, reliable options. You need to consider two things — the metabolism of carbohydrates and the structure of the triathlon race. It takes about 30 minutes for the carbohydrates to be absorbed. To prevent you from sudden energy drops, you should start eating in the first hour of your race, even though you won't feel the need to eat.

Then keep snacking every thirty minutes. You should aim to drink 16 ounces of fluids of a light electrolyte drink each hour. Do so by taking a large sip each minute. If you start burping, slow down your drinking. If you feel an upset stomach, switch from the electrolyte solution to water until your stomach feels better, then switch back to the electrolyte drink.

The problem is that the first part of a triathlon is swimming, where eating is not only extremely uncomfortable, but also dangerous. To keep you fueled during this part, treat your pre-race time as a part of the competition — start eating. Eat the first high carb snack minutes before diving in.

Test the timing and type of snack at home first so that you don't end up with a stitch! At T1 first transition — from swimming to bike , focus on a quick clothes change and don't bother yourself with food, unless you really need to — e.

Work for a while on getting the right pace, and after minutes, eat something. Cycling triathlon training is the most comfortable time to eat during the whole race, so if you prefer more solid foods, this is the best time.

Don't forget to sip your drinks every minutes. If you feel thirsty, it means you haven't hydrated enough — increase the frequency at which you drink rather than drinking half of a bottle at once, as it may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and influence your performance.

Each snack during the cycling part should contain around kcal. Energy bars and gels usually have the energy content given on the package. The last snack for this part of the race should be eaten minutes before the second transition.

Again, don't lose precious time on eating during the transition. The rule is the same — a snack every minutes. But notice that chewing solid bars now might be hard and uncomfortable. Focus on energy gels, dates, and soft ripe bananas. Sip your drinks every minutes. Keep fueling yourself to maintain your best performance, and you'll be sure to get that PB personal best!

Don't feel intimidated by triathlons. You now know that in terms of nutrition, it comes down to having a few snacks and remembering to hydrate. But you may ask: what about fitness? It's okay if you let yourself go a bit over the winter, as triathlon season depends on the weather; you wouldn't want to freeze during the swimming part!

Therefore it starts earlier in warm Florida than in rainy England. Usually most of the races take place from May to August. Find a sprint triathlon that's at least twelve weeks from now, and you'll be ready to go!

You probably won't win your first one, but Triathlons aren't about winning or losing. They're about fighting our weaknesses. Before you hop on a bike and ride a tremendous distance, which is likely to cause you an injury — do some research.

Check out websites like mymottiv. com , read some books about the topic, or consult a triathlon coach.