standard diet

training
and triathlon competition
Graduate in CC of Physical Activity and Sports from the Univ of
Grenade. Alberto Pérez Cantero
Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding Trainer. Adaptation Course apc_enelcortijo@hotmail.com
Pedagogical (CAP) from the University of Granada. Program Courses (Spain)
PhD in Human Nutrition (University of Granada).

Summary
Triathlon is a sport that is made up of several united sports disciplines that are carried out in the
following order: Swimming, Cycling and Running. Furthermore, within the triathlon there are different distances to travel in
each of the disciplines. The most extreme specialty in this sport would be the "Ironman" (3900 meters of
Swimming, 180 km of Cycling and 42 km of Running. The next in toughness would be the "Half Ironman", which would be
half the distance of the previous one. In this work we are going to focus on the Olympic Triathlon, which consists of the
following distances: 1500 m of swimming, 40 km of cycling and 10 km of running. To complete the
modalities we find the "Short" triathlon which would be half of the Olympic one.
Triathlon is a sport that clearly falls within Endurance sports, so we
We find specific training and nutrition principles for this type of sports, which will establish
the bases for good performance in this type of tests.
While the training plan will be conditioned by sports goals and objectives, nutrition planning must be periodized in parallel with
training and in turn include specific nutritional goals inherent to the particular athlete.
Keywords: Triathlon. Diet. Nutrients. Training.

1/1

Introduction

Aspects to take into account when planning a triathlete's diet

To achieve optimal nutrition, two factors must be combined:

• Individual requirements of the athlete: determined by genetic inheritance, nutritional status,

current physical condition and health history of the athlete.
• Specific requirements of the sport: the regulations (in this case that of the Olympic Triathlon),
the morphological characteristics of the triathlete, the training plan and the competition
calendar.

To estimate the energy needs of the triathlete we need, among other data, to know the weekly work
volume (sum of the net time invested for the three disciplines), which added to the triathlete's body evaluation
will allow us to make the best recommendation regarding calories. of the diet.

Due to the characteristics of intensity and duration of the Olympic Triathlon, the energy used will come
mostly from carbohydrates and minimally from fats, given the high intensity of the exercise. These
carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. As it is a sport with several
disciplines, it is likely that athletes develop a greater active mass of glycogen and that this during the
competition will be selectively depleted depending on the exercise being done at that moment. For example,
during cycling, the muscles of the thigh would be the ones that suffered the greatest glucogenic depletion,
while during running, the muscles most involved would be those of the lower leg (calfs and soleus).

The main factor that influences the duration of glucogenic reserves is the intensity of the exercise; the
higher the intensity, the faster they will be depleted. The time to glucogenic depletion is related to the point of
fatigue in those tests whose duration is greater than 1.5 - 2 hours. From this point of fatigue you have to lower
the intensity to be able to continue the exercise. This glucogenic depletion does not generally occur in the
short triathlon event, but it does occur in the rest, including the Olympic triathlon. This is why there are many
specific diets for this sport that aim to maximize glucogenic reserves (but we will discuss this aspect in more
depth later).

To optimize the adequate supply of nutrients and their proportion, tests must be performed on the triathlete
to measure different physiological indices, such as oxygen consumption and respiratory quotient. Means are
being used to calculate energy expenditure quite accurately, including approximating the proportion of
nutrients, based on the relationship that exists between Heart Rate and oxygen consumption.

Morphological optimization in triathletes

In this section we are going to see what the triathlete's body composition should be like in general terms to
obtain optimal performance.

The set of requirements that a triathlete must have in terms of their body proportions is different from
those characteristics possessed by athletes who compete in any of the events that make up the triathlon
individually. For example, they have a percentage of lean mass like swimmers and cyclists but not as much as
long-distance runners. The weight is between runners and elite swimmers. On the other hand, triathletes seem
to have similar characteristics to cyclists and runners, but they are smaller and have more lean mass than
swimmers.

The type of training and nutrition specific to this sport are the two factors that influence the achievement of
a specific morphology of the triathlete through the shaping of adipose mass and muscle mass.

The fact that triathletes have low body fat is a fundamental aspect to improve from a physical and
mechanical point of view due to the increase in the relationship between body mass and power, and the
reduction of dead weight that athletes are forced to carry for long periods of time. distances. It is also a
disadvantage to have excessive muscle mass.

Hydration in the triathlete

As a general rule, applicable to triathlon as an endurance sport, it is recommended to drink water in the 15
minutes before exercise so that the high gastric volume facilitates emptying. The amount consumed in this
case could be about 0.8 mL/Kg.

During training and in competition, as a general rule, it is recommended to drink small volumes of water,
around 150/250 mL every 20 minutes approximately, with the aim of maintaining gastric volume and
facilitating emptying. The amounts could be varied depending on climatic factors and exercise intensity. If the
duration of the training lasts more than an hour (the competition always far exceeds this time), the
consumption of drinks designed for rehydration that contain 4 to 8% of carbohydrates and 40 to 50 mg of
sodium is recommended, with the aim of increase blood osmolarity and create the sensation of thirst in the
triathlete. After training or competition, the ingestion of fluids helps to replace fluid losses through sweat
(already carried out in part during hydration during training or competition) and to attenuate body
temperature. In the case of prolonged training, electrolyte rebalancing will be carried out with the post-
exercise meal. It is not necessary to do it with drinks containing minerals during training or competition, which
for the Olympic triathlon will in no case exceed three hours.

Another factor that can influence gastric emptying is water temperature. It seems that the ideal
temperature is between 8 and 13 ºC.
Standard training diet

The objective of this type of diet is to contribute to recovery between training sessions. It is necessary to
eat a sufficient amount of carbohydrates so that glycogen reserves are not compromised as the training days
pass. Otherwise our performance would be compromised and glycogen reserves would become increasingly
smaller, entering a state of chronic fatigue (see graphs).
 After training you must start refueling as soon as possible since there is little time available to replenish
glycogen amounts effectively (hour, hour and a half)

Meals should be divided so that there are 4 - 5 meals a day. Just as important as nutrition is respecting our
days or rest periods.

Vegetables, potatoes, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, whole grains, pasta, rice or muesli and legumes should be
consumed in large quantities. These are all foods rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

The foods consumed must have long chain carbohydrates, that is, starch. Bread should be an important
part of the diet and especially bread made with whole wheat flour. On the other hand, lean meats (chicken or
turkey) should be eaten. At the same time, the consumption of meat products must be encouraged because
they are accompanied by a large amount of fat (sausages, pâté...)

As for preparation, cooked, grilled, or steamed foods are preferable. Therefore, fried foods should be
avoided.
 Make sure your fluid intake is high by drinking water or fruit juice. You must avoid being dehydrated before
or during training sessions. Alcohol should not be consumed because it provides empty calories and inhibits the
action of various macro and micronutrients, while dehydrating.

Preparation and justification of training diet

Before starting, we must have the typical triathlete for whom we are going to prepare the diet. This would
be a high-level athlete weighing 70 kg.

The first step would be to determine the Kcal needed in the training period for a triathlete. In this case and
as an average of the Kcal of the articles consulted, we are starting from 3,400 Kcal/day, from a diet that we
are going to adjust below.

For triathletes, the amounts of protein are usually adjusted to an average of 1.6 g/kg/day and in this case
they mean (being a 70 kg triathlete) about 112 g. This amount of protein would provide our diet with about
448 kcal/day (each g. of Protein is 4 Kcal). Looking at the percentage of energy that proteins represent in the
total, we see that it is 13.18%, which is within the appropriate margins for this sport.

As a general rule for this diet we are going to include high quality proteins, ensuring that those of animal
origin are twice as much as those of plant origin. These proteins of animal origin, it is preferable that they
come mostly from fish because this way we control the intake of fats more and ensures the consumption of
essential lipids. The meats eaten will be as lean as possible (also taking into account the tastes of the
triathlete). When taking proteins of plant origin we will combine legumes with cereals in order to obtain the
reference protein (it already contains methionine and lysine, which favor the synthesis of carnitine).

Secondly, we are going to adjust the carbohydrates, which amount to 8.5 g/kg/day, which in our 70 kg
triathlete is 595 g. up to date. This represents a caloric intake of 2380 Kcal/day. This represents exactly 70%
of the total caloric intake.

In this case, the carbohydrates should be mostly complex carbohydrates with low and high glycemic indexes
depending on whether it is taken before or after training and its intensity; and the simple ones cannot be more
than 10 - 12%.

What is left over would correspond to fats. In this case, the calories they would provide would be 572
Kcal/day and since each gram of fat provides 9 Kcal, the fat intake should be 63.6 g. These calories will
represent 16.82% of the total caloric intake.

Of these lipids, those of animal origin must be twice as much as those of plant origin. Of these, half must
be monounsaturated and of the rest, half saturated and the other polyunsaturated. Fats can present an
ergogenic benefit, it involves increasing the proportion of use of this fat (intramuscular triglycerides that come
from plasma triglycerides) to save glycogen.

NUTRIENTS GRAMS KCAL % INTAKE

CARBOHYDRATES 595g. 2380 Kcal.
70 %
PROTEINS 112g.
448 Kcal. 13,12 %
LIPIDS 63.6g 572 Kcal. 16,82 %
TOTALS —
3400 Kcal. 100 %
Summary values of the composition of the training diet in Triathletes.
 Next, taking into account all this data and using the Dietsource 1.2 computer program. At Novartis we will
adjust a Standard Training Diet that adapts to the characteristics and schedule of the training sessions.

Standard training diet

Schedule planning of intakes and training sessions
8:30 -9:00 Breakfast
10:30 - 12:00 Extensive training
12:15 - 12:30 Mid-morning meal
14:00 - 14:45 Lunch
17:15 - 19:00 Intensive training
19:15 - 19:30 Intake after training
21:45 - 22:30 Dinner

List of foods in each of the feedings

Breakfast

• Skimmed cow's milk, 200 ml.

• Corn flakes, "Cornflakes", 100 gr.
• Orange juice, 300gr.
• Gerblé jams, 3 teaspoons (10 gr.), 30 gr.
• Toasted bread, "Bizcote" type 60gr.

Mid-morning meal

• Natural yogurt with fruit, 175 gr.

• Isostar Energy energy bar, 50 gr.
• Fruit juice, 250 gr.

Lunch

• Pasta with vegetables, 175 gr.

• Fresh salad with tuna, 125 gr.
• Baked hake slice 100 gr.

• Whole wheat bread, 2 servings of 60 gr, 120 gr.

• Water, 2 glasses of 200 ml, 400ml.
• Strawberries, 125 gr.

Intake after training

• Molded whole wheat bread, 4 units of 30 gr, 120gr.

• York ham, 1 slice of 40gr.
 • Skimmed cow's milk, 200 ml.
• Natural tomato, 125 gr.

Dinner

• Cooked pasta, 126 gr.

• olive oil, 1 tablespoon 10 gr tureen
• Catalonian spinach, 125 gr.
• Banana, 165 gr.
• Whole wheat bread, 2 servings of 60 gr, 120 gr.

Once the Diet that we have prepared has been entered and adjusted in the computer program,
we have obtained the Kcal proposed as optimal and the percentages of each of the nutrients.

Below will appear more data on other aspects of the Standard Training Diet such as Minerals,
Vitamins, Balance of fatty acids and amino acids:
 MINERALS
4225.0 585.2
Phosphorus (mg) 2098.3 Sodium (mg) Fluorine (ug)
Magnesium (mg) 658.1 Potassium (mg) 4935.3
Chlorine (mg) 0.0

1384.7 36.6 0.0

Calcium (mg) Iodine (ug) Manganese (mg)

Iron (mg) 27.9 Selenium(ug) 209.6 Chromium (ug) 0.0

Zinc (mg)
Lci2i4m2hüim2ü'ünrmür
40.3 Copper 2415.5 Molybdenum (ug) 0.0

(ug)

VITAMINS
Ascorbic Acid (mg) 389.7 Pyridoxine (mg) 5.2 Total folic acid (ug) 587.8
..
Ti amine (mg) 5.1 Vitamin A (ug) 657 1.2 Cyanocobalamin (ug) 4.4
Aümdlis
Riboflavin (mg) 4,4 Vitamin D (ug) 7.0
Biotin (ug) 0.0

Nicotinic acid (mg) 49.3 Vitamin E (ms') 27.5

ACIDOGRAM
Saturated (g) 12.2 Monounsaturated (g) 22 1 Poly unsaturated (g) 10.0 EPA(8) 0.2

C 14:0^1 c 16:1(2) 0.9 C 18:2(e) 7.3 DHA(g) 0.3

1.
C 16:0 (g) 7.8 C 18:1 (g) 20.3 C 18:3 (g) 0.8 Cholesterol (mg) 114.0
2.4
C 18:0 (g) -—. ---- II IH. . • 2 • AV manus-
■

AMINOGRAM
Serine (mg) 0.0
Tryptophan (mg) 1094.0 Cystine (mg) 916.9

Threonine (mg) 3349.7 Phenylalanine (mg) 4232.5 Proline (mg) 00

Isoleucine (mg) 4262.5 Tyrosine (mg) 2353.6 Glycine (mg) 0.0
:L22—..L
Leucine(mg) 7462.8 Valine (mg) 4788.9 A lanin (mg) 00
Lysine (mg) 4509.4 Arginine (mg) 2654.2 Aspanic acid (mg) 0.0
Methionine 1794.4 Histidine (mg) 2250.7 Glutamic acid (mg) ().()
(mg) ■■■

OTHERS
Dietary Fiber (g) 57.4

Ethanol (g) oo

From these data on minerals we have to pay attention to the fact that our diet does not provide, among the
important minerals for triathletes and athletes in general, Chromium. We must keep in mind that this is a diet
for one day and what we would do is include it in the diet for the next day.

The specific vitamin needs for athletes are covered with this day's diet.

The balance of fatty acids is also correct in the proportions, which are indicated as optimal at the beginning
of this section of the Standard Training Diet.

Regarding essential amino acids, they are all found in sufficient quantities.

Standard competition diet

The objective of this diet is to ensure that you arrive at the competition fully recovered from
training loads and with glycogen reserves at high levels.

You have to have high glycogen levels because what is clear is that low levels will always be a
disadvantage. This is achieved by reducing the intensity of the training (the volume to a greater
extent and the intensity must be decreased during the week prior to the competition and at the
same time the diet must be normal), that is, by decreasing the speed at which glycogen is used and
On the other hand, increase carbohydrate intake.

Do not eat large meals, that is, space your meals throughout the day.

Increase fluid consumption during the week to ensure total hydration during the competition.

On the morning of the competition day itself, it is necessary to eat some food so as not to have
depleted liver glycogen reserves. You should eat 2 or 3 hours before the competition, although this
time varies depending on the characteristics of the subject.

For the best nutrition, competition stress must be avoided because it slows down gastric
emptying. There are triathletes who, faced with this competitive stress, are unable to eat solid
foods, so they can be replaced with some type of carbohydrate-based drink, although we must
avoid consuming these drinks just before the competition so as not to start it with high levels. of
blood glucose since it can cause a sudden drop in it (sudden drop in performance due to the action
of insulin).

During the competition, simple sugars should be used, ingested in small quantities and
accompanied with plenty of liquid (specific drinks).

After the competition it is very important to replenish glycogen reserves immediately (in the first
and second hour). This is most effectively achieved by ingesting high glycemic index carbohydrates.
This ingestion must be accompanied by plenty of liquid to compensate for water losses.

Preparation and justification of competition diet

In the case of our triathlete who has followed a standard diet during the training period that
reaches 69% of the energy supplied by carbohydrates, it is not necessary to carry out a glycogen
overload diet a week before the competition because the levels In this case they are already high in
themselves.

From the point of view of training, we consider that it is much better to eat a diet high in
carbohydrates during training that allows you to have high glycogen reserves throughout this time
and consequently be able to train at greater volume and intensity (thus reaching a peak in a
greater way), than training on a lower carbohydrate diet that will not allow you to reach the
intensities and volumes of the previous case at the expense of obtaining a final recharge with a
dissociated diet the last week before the competition ( without such a high peak).

Once we have clarified the position we have adopted for the diet for the week before the
competition, maintaining the training one, we are going to prepare and justify the Pre Diet.
Competition on the same day of the triathlon. For this sport at its Olympic distance, this ration is
best consumed 2 to 4 hours before the race, depending on the triathlete.

About 200 g should be consumed. of carbohydrates, fats must be limited and proteins must be
ingested in moderation. Therefore these 200 g. which will represent 800 Kcal in this ration, will be
provided through carbohydrates with a medium glycemic index because the muscle glycogen stores
are full due to the diet followed up to this point. Proteins and fats will have the same characteristics
as in the training diet. Proteins should not exceed 10% because their thermogenesis is very high.
The rest will be fats. On the other hand, the fiber content will be low to avoid digestive problems,
and water should be abundant.

In this case, the Competition is at 11 in the morning and the pre-competition meal must be at 8
in the morning to guarantee correct digestion of nutrients and that performance is not
compromised. Next we are going to prepare this Pre-competition Meal with the Dietsource 1.2
program. respecting the characteristics that we have determined.

Pre-competition meal

• Skimmed cow's milk, 300 ml

• Sugar-free breakfast cereals, 60 gr.
• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons, 20 gr.
• White wheat bread, 60 gr.
• Fruit juice, 200 ml.
• Banana, 165 gr.
• Isostar Actifood Energy in a bottle, 90 gr.
• At least 300 ml of water.

Once the Pre-Competition Meal that we have prepared has been entered and adjusted in the
computer program, we have obtained approximately the Kcal proposed as optimal and the
percentages of each of the nutrients.

The dietary fiber values are 8.2 grams, which if our triathlete has digestibility problems, it would
be necessary to reduce it somewhat to 4 - 5 grams. In any case, we don't think it will present any
problems.
 Before the Competition, that is, within 30 - 60 minutes before , it would only be justified to
give the triathlete who is nervous solutions of fructose, which do not raise blood insulin which
would cause hypoglycemia and a decrease in performance at the beginning of the competition.
competition. The intake of water for optimal hydration would also be justified if the triathlete
considers it appropriate based on their experience.

Within the warm-up, glucose solutions could be administered since there is no danger of insulin
release due to the action of catecholamines.

During the competition , the objective is to cover any water and carbohydrate losses that
may occur. To achieve this in triathlon, due to its characteristics, you must take advantage of the
cycling segment to rehydrate and compensate for carbohydrate losses and thus delay the onset of
fatigue due to glycogen depletion (a delay that can reach 15 - 30 minutes). In this sport, the
volumes of liquid needed will depend on the characteristics of the triathlete and the environmental
conditions, but some average data can be given. Carbohydrate drinks should have a concentration
of 4 to 8%. Sodium amounts can range from 500 to 700 mg/Liter. The relationship between
carbohydrates and volume of water should be the following: 30 - 60 g. in 600/1200 ml of water per
hour. It is best to start drinking in the transition between swimming and cycling and drink at regular
intervals during cycling and running. In practice it is much easier to drink on the bike section.
During the running race, the most common thing is to drink the drink that is at the stations, with
the possibility of placing personalized drinks at these stations according to the needs of our
triathlete.

Recovery diet

In this case we are going to divide it into 3:

A. Immediate recovery after the competition : The objective is to recover the

triathlete from thirst, hypoglycemia and fatigue. - Mineral water (500 ml. followed
by small shots). - Add 1g to this liquid. of salt and 0.5 g. of potassium gluconate in
cases in which sweat losses are high. - In the shower you can give the triathlete
water with sugar cubes and fruit juice.
B. Recovery 2 hours after the competition : The objective is to recover from
fatigue, lack of desire to eat and thirst. It should be a nutritious, not abundant
meal, such as:
or Pasta soup, 150 gr.
or Beef with mushrooms, 170 gr.
o Orange juice, 200 ml.
either Whole wheat bread, 2 slices, 40 gr.
either Water, 400 ml.

These foods will provide the following nutritional values, according to the
computer program:
C. Recovery between 24 and 48 hours after the competition : The objectives
of these shots are the restoration of energy balance, increased appetite... In this
case we are going to prepare a diet for the day after the competition:

Breakfast

o Orange juice, 200 ml.

o Skimmed cow's milk, 200 gr serving.
or Cupcakes, 3 units of 33gr.
o Whole wheat bread, 40 gr.
or Jam with sugar, 10 gr.
or Burgos cheese, 40 gr.

Mid-morning meal

either Apple, 175 gr.

either Natural yogurt with fruit, 125 gr.

Lunch

o Lentils with rice, 240 gr.

or Monkfish with ham, 160 gr.
o Whole wheat bread, 120 gr.
o Peach in syrup, 100 gr.
o Carbonated soft drinks, 200 gr.

Snack

or Petit Suisse, 60 gr.

or Strawberries, 75 gr.
Dinner

o Cabbage and steamed potatoes, 250 gr.

either Whole wheat bread, 70 gr.
either Hard boiled egg, 50gr.
o Fruit juice, 200 ml.
or Melon, 250 gr.
 61% CARBON
HYDRATES

Com sign up Amount Percentage

Proteins (g) 101.6 14%
Lipids (g) 77.6 25%
Carbohydrates (g) 426.7 61%
Energy (kcal) 2812-11754 Kj

Supplements in triathlon

In addition to the nutrition plan, if necessary, there are triathletes who need the use of
supplements. The potential of these supplements as part of the nutrition of triathletes is the
following:

1. Supplement the diet in cases where it is needed to meet daily needs. In most cases
it is liquid food as a supplement to meet daily energy needs, which can be very
high.
2. Using a sports drink during training or during a race is effective in preventing
energy loss and dehydration. Another example is the use of iron and vitamin C
supplements when training at altitude.
3. To treat a specific nutritional deficiency. When suffering from iron deficiency using a
high dose of iron supplementation along with an iron rich diet can be beneficial.
4. There are many substances used in sports seeking ergogenic benefits, but very few
have yet proven these benefits. The only substance that has been proven to be
beneficial is caffeine in endurance sports, such as triathlon.

Bibliographic references

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