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Introduction
Welcome to the Team JC nutrition guide tailored specifically for triathletes. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or just starting your journey, fuelling your body effectively is crucial for optimal performance and recovery. I like our athletes to focus on balanced nutrition, blood sugar regulation, and practical tips, without the need for counting calories.
Fuelling Your Training
Under 60 Minutes | 60-150 Minutes | 150+ Minutes |
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| Hydration is crucial. Drink water before and during the activity. Special sports drinks aren’t necessary unless you’re sweating excessively. For nutrition, if you’re not exercising intensely or on an empty stomach, you generally won’t need extra snacks or energy gels. Instead, maintain a balanced diet with sufficient carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to support your overall fitness and energy levels. | Hydrate adequately with water and consider electrolyte-rich beverages. To sustain energy levels, consume easily digestible carbohydrates like energy gels or sports snacks starting around the 45-minute mark. Aim for approximately 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour during these longer sessions. This helps sustain performance and prevent fatigue without over-fuelling. | Drink water and use electrolyte-rich beverages to replenish lost minerals. Fuelling with carbohydrates is essential. Consume easily digestible carbs like energy gels, sports drinks, or snacks consistently during the activity, aiming for around 60-90 grams of carbohydrates per hour. This approach helps maintain energy levels and sustain performance during extended activities. |
| During Training: Water Only | During Training: 30-60g Carbs per hour | During Training: 60-90g Carbs per hour |
| AFTER TRAINING RECOVERY Refuel with 15-30 grams of carbohydrates and 10-20 grams of protein within 30-60 minutes after your training. | AFTER TRAINING RECOVERY Refuel with 30-60 grams of carbohydrates and 15-25 grams of protein within 30-60 minutes after your training. | AFTER TRAINING RECOVERY Refuel with 60-90 grams of carbohydrates and 20-30 grams of protein within 30-60 minutes after your training. |
The Importance of Blood Sugar Regulation
Why Blood Sugar Matters
Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is key to sustaining energy, enhancing performance, and supporting recovery. Fluctuations can lead to energy crashes, cravings, and impaired performance.
Tips for Regulating Blood Sugar
- Balanced Meals: Ensure every meal includes a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats.
- Complex Carbohydrates: Opt for whole grains, legumes, and vegetables instead of simple sugars and refined carbs.
- Eating Around Training: Focus on eating small, balanced meals and snacks around your training sessions rather than adhering to traditional set meal times to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
- Healthy Snacks: Choose nuts, seeds, and fruits over sugary snacks and processed foods.
To help you maintain stable blood sugar levels and ensure you’re fuelling adequately during training, here are some examples of what 30 grams of carbohydrates looks like. These options are easy to digest during bike and run sessions and help avoid blood sugar spikes:
| 1 medium banana (118g) | 1 energy gel (32g) | 2 Medjool dates (48g) | 1 small sweet potato, cooked (100g) | 1 slice whole-grain bread with honey (40g) |
| 1 apple (182g) | 30g dried apricots | 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (90g) | 2 rice cakes with peanut butter (52g) | 1 cup mixed berries (150g) |
| 1 orange (131g) | 3 fig bars (51g) | 1/2 cup oatmeal, cooked (120g) | 1 slice malt loaf (42g) | 1/2 cup cooked lentils (100g) |
| 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (100g) | 1/4 cup raisins (36g) | 1 granola bar (40g) | 1/2 cup cottage cheese with pineapple (112g) | 1/2 large pear (122g) |
| 1/2 cup hummus with carrot sticks (130g) | 1 small whole-wheat pita (64g) | 1 cup milk, regular or plant-based (240ml) | 1 cup butternut squash, cooked (205g) | 1/2 cup black beans (130g) |
| 1 small bunch of grapes (92g) | 2 tablespoons chia seeds pudding (30g) | 1/2 avocado on toast (70g) | 1/2 cup peas (80g) | 1 small apple with cheese (154g) |
Why You Shouldn't Count Calories
The Limitations of Calorie Counting
Counting calories has long been a traditional method for managing diet and nutrition, especially for coaches and athletes. However, recent research and insights suggest that it might not be the most effective or necessary approach for everyone. Here’s why:
- Inaccurate Labels: Food manufacturers can mislabel calorie content by up to 20%. This means you might not be getting accurate information about your intake.
- Body Adaptation: Studies on hunter-gatherer tribes, such as the Hadza in Tanzania, have shown that the human body adapts to varying activity levels. Despite their highly active lifestyle, the Hadza burned about 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day, similar to adults in Western populations. This suggests that calorie needs are more stable than previously thought.
- Quality Over Quantity: Focusing on the quality of the food you eat, rather than just the calorie content, can lead to better health outcomes. Nutrient-dense foods support overall health, energy levels, and performance.
- Mindful Eating: Paying attention to hunger and fullness cues helps in making better food choices, preventing overeating and promoting a healthy relationship with food.
- Metabolic Health: Stable blood sugar levels and metabolic health are more effectively managed through balanced meals and regular eating patterns than strict calorie counting.
- Historical Methods: The method of calculating calories was developed in the 19th century and refined in the 1980s. It involves incinerating food to measure energy content, which is not how our bodies absorb and use energy. This method doesn’t account for the complexity of human digestion and metabolism.
- Individual Variability: Caloric needs can vary significantly between individuals due to factors like age, sex, genetics, and metabolic rate. A one-size-fits-all approach to calorie counting doesn’t accommodate these differences.
- Stress and Obsession: Constantly tracking calories can lead to stress and an unhealthy obsession with food. This can harm mental health and disrupt a healthy relationship with eating.
Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods
Instead of counting calories, aim to fill your diet with nutrient-dense foods that provide the energy and nutrients your body needs to perform and recover. Here are some practical tips to get started:
- Fill Half Your Plate with Vegetables: Make sure at least half of your plate is filled with a variety of colourful vegetables. This ensures you’re getting a range of vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
- Include a Rainbow of Foods: Try to avoid beige meals and include colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet. Each colour provides different nutrients and benefits.
- Whole Foods First: Prioritise whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods are nutrient-dense and support overall health.
- Balanced Meals: Ensure each meal includes a balance of macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—to maintain energy and support muscle recovery.
- Healthy Snacks: Opt for snacks like nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables rather than processed or sugary options.
- Hydration: Don’t forget the importance of staying hydrated. Water should be your go-to, with electrolyte-rich beverages during longer training sessions.
- Listen to Your Body: Eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re full. Your body is an excellent guide to its own needs.
- Variety is Key: Include a variety of foods in your diet to ensure you get a broad spectrum of nutrients.
By shifting your focus from counting calories to maintaining a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, you can better support your training, performance, and overall health.
Gut Health and the Microbiome
The Role of Gut Health
A healthy gut microbiome is essential for overall health, including digestion, immune function, and even mental well-being. For athletes, gut health impacts nutrient absorption and energy levels.
Tips for a Healthy Gut
- Probiotics and Prebiotics: Include foods rich in probiotics (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut) and prebiotics (garlic, onions, bananas) in your diet.
- Fibre-Rich Foods: Aim for a variety of fibre sources, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
- Stay Hydrated: Adequate hydration supports digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Limit Processed Foods: Minimise intake of processed and sugary foods that can disrupt gut health.
Practical Shopping and Cooking Tips
Plan Ahead
- Create a Weekly Meal Plan: Ensure you have all necessary ingredients by planning your meals for the week. This helps avoid impulse buys and ensures you stick to a balanced diet.
Shop the Perimeter
- Focus on Fresh Produce: The outer aisles of the supermarket typically have fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. These are less processed and more nutrient-dense.
- Choose Foods That Look Natural: Opt for foods that look like they have come straight out of the ground, off the plant, or from the animal. If a food looks like it could have been made in a factory, it’s likely more processed and less nutritious.
Read Labels
- Minimal Ingredients: Choose products with a short list of ingredients that you recognise and can pronounce. Avoid added sugars, artificial preservatives, and unnecessary additives.
- Ingredients Order: Ingredients are listed by quantity, from highest to lowest. If sugar, refined grains, or unhealthy fats are among the first ingredients, it’s best to avoid those products.
Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF)
- Recognise UPF: These are often packaged foods with a long list of ingredients and artificial additives. They are typically high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium, and low in nutritional value.
- Common UPF Ingredients to Avoid:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Hydrogenated oils (trans fats)
- Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose)
- Artificial flavours and colours
- Preservatives (BHA, BHT, sodium nitrite)
- Emulsifiers (soy lecithin, carrageenan)
- Stabilisers and thickeners (guar gum, xanthan gum)
Additional Shopping Tips
- Seasonal and Local Produce: Choose seasonal and locally grown produce. These are often fresher, more nutritious, and environmentally friendly. Locally grown food can also be better for your digestive system and gut microbiome, as it may contain beneficial microbes from the local soil. Additionally, local honey can help with allergies by exposing you to small amounts of local pollen.
- Whole Grains Over Refined Grains: Select whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats instead of refined grains like white bread and pasta. Be cautious with some seeded and granary breads, as they can be made with white flour and are essentially white bread in disguise. Always check the ingredient list to ensure the first ingredient is a whole grain.
- Bulk Buying: Buy staples like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds in bulk. They are often more economical and reduce packaging waste.
- Frozen and Canned Options: When fresh produce isn’t available, opt for frozen or canned fruits and vegetables without added sugars or salt. They retain most of their nutrients.
- Organic and Free-Range: Where possible, choose organic produce and free-range meats. They are often produced with fewer chemicals and more sustainable practices.
- Avoid Marketing Gimmicks: Be wary of health claims on the front of packaging. Always check the ingredients list and nutritional information to make informed choices.
Cooking for Performance
- Batch Cooking: Prepare large batches of meals and snacks to save time and ensure you always have healthy options available. Cook meats upon purchase and store them in the fridge or freezer depending on how quickly you plan to use them. Freezing cooked meals and ingredients can help preserve their nutritional value and make meal prep more convenient.
- Simple Recipes: Opt for simple, wholesome recipes that don’t require elaborate preparation. This makes it easier to stick to a healthy eating plan.
- Experiment with Flavours: Use herbs and spices to enhance the taste without adding unnecessary calories or sugar. This can make your meals more enjoyable and help you avoid boredom with your diet.
Managing Cravings
- Identify Triggers: Recognise situations, emotions, or times of day that trigger unhealthy eating habits. Common triggers include stress, boredom, and specific times like mid-afternoon or late at night. Find alternative coping strategies such as taking a walk, practising deep breathing, or engaging in a hobby.
- Healthy Alternatives: Have healthy snacks readily available to curb cravings. Keep options like nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables within reach to avoid reaching for unhealthy foods.
- Stay Active: Physical activity can help manage stress and reduce the urge to snack unnecessarily. Incorporate regular exercise into your routine, such as walking, cycling, or yoga.
- Stay Hydrated: Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger. Drink water regularly throughout the day to stay hydrated and help control cravings.
- Structured Eating Times: Establish a regular eating schedule to avoid extended periods without food, which can lead to intense cravings. Eating balanced meals and snacks at consistent times can help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
- Mindful Eating: Pay attention to your eating habits and be mindful of what and why you’re eating. Eating slowly and savouring each bite can help you recognise when you’re full and reduce overeating.
- Sleep Well: Ensure you get enough sleep, as lack of sleep can increase hunger and cravings, particularly for high-calorie and sugary foods.
- Stress Management: Practice stress-reducing activities such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. Managing stress can help reduce emotional eating and cravings.
Your Path to Peak Performance
As a triathlete, fuelling your body properly is as important as your training regimen. By focusing on nutrient-dense foods, maintaining stable blood sugar levels, and avoiding ultra-processed foods, you can enhance your performance and overall health.
Key Takeaways:
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues, and eat when your body tells you to.
- Prioritise Quality: Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods that support your training and recovery.
- Stay Hydrated: Consistent hydration is crucial for optimal performance and recovery.
- Plan and Prepare: Plan your meals and snacks to ensure you have healthy options available, and consider batch cooking and freezing for convenience.
- Manage Cravings Mindfully: Identify triggers, keep healthy snacks handy, stay active, and practice mindful eating to manage cravings effectively.
Your journey is unique, you know your body and your life, you are the expert here! By implementing these nutrition strategies, you can tailor your diet to meet your specific needs and goals. Remember, consistency is key. Keep experimenting with what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to seek professional advice if needed. With the right nutrition, you’re well on your way to reaching your peak performance and crossing that finish line with confidence.
Good luck, and happy training!
— Jen
How To Test?
To test your zones I look at 20 minute tough efforts in each discipline to calculate your threshold power, pace and heart rate. It takes some practice and the more you do it the easier it becomes to gauge effort.
I recommend retesting regularly, typically every 4-8 weeks depending on the athlete and their goals. This is a great way to monitor improvements and update your zones so your training progresses along with your updated fitness.
I have a training week available to purchase on Training Peaks for $4.95 using the link below, this will link to your sports watch and Zwift so you can test yourself easily at home.