Eating for Triathlon: The Three-Sport Balancing Act

🥗 The Foundation:

Triathletes Need More Than the Basics

Let’s start with a fact: Triathlon training burns serious energy. And it’s not just about calories—it's about the right kinds of fuel, at the right time, in the right combinations.

The Big Three Macronutrients:

• Carbohydrates: Your main energy source. You burn through carbs like a kid in a candy store. Without them, you’re “bonking” by mile 3.

• Protein: Repairs muscle, supports immune health, and keeps you from falling apart (literally).

• Fats: For long-distance energy and hormone function—plus, they make food taste amazing.

Now let’s talk about what happens when we try to balance all three sports on one plate.

🏊‍♀️ Eating for Swimming

Swimming may be the first leg of a triathlon, but from a nutrition standpoint, it often gets neglected. Don’t be fooled—swimming is energy-intensive, especially in cold water. It taxes your upper body and core and can even mask early signs of dehydration.

Fueling Tips for Swimmers:

• Pre-swim (light meal/snack 60–90 minutes before):
  A banana with peanut butter or oats with berries works great.

• Post-swim recovery:
  Rehydrate first! Then go for carbs + protein like a smoothie with whey, banana, and oats.

💡 Triathlete Truth: Swimming on an empty stomach is like driving with no gas. Sure, you’ll float but not fast.

🚴‍♀️ Eating for Cycling

Cycling is your mid-tri leg, and arguably the most strategic. Why? Because it’s the best time to eat while moving. You’re less jostled than running, and you can carry a bento box of goodness (or gels, if you’re more minimalist).

Key Nutrition Strategy:

• During longer rides (1.5+ hours): Aim for 30–60g of carbs/hour, gradually increasing to 90g/hr for Ironman-level efforts.

• Hydration: Electrolyte-rich drinks are gold. Sodium matters here—don't skimp!

🚴‍♂️ Iola’s Pro Tip: If it sticks to your teeth like gummy glue, maybe skip it mid-ride. Choose options you can chew, swallow, and digest on the go dates, chews, or rice bars.

🏃‍♂️ Eating for Running

Running is where your nutrition (or lack thereof) gets real. If you’ve under-fueled earlier in the race, this is where your body files a formal complaint cramps, fatigue, or the dreaded porta-potty sprint.

Strategy for Runners:

• Pre-run (especially for bricks): Keep it simple—something low-fiber and carb-rich. Try toast and jam or an energy gel 15 mins before.

• During long runs: Practice your race nutrition in training. Gels every 30 minutes + sips of water or sports drink = happy legs.

• Post-run: Prioritize recovery with a 3:1 carb-to-protein meal—think chicken wrap with a fruit smoothie.

👟 Runner Reality Check: If it’s not tested in training, don’t trust it on race day. Nutrition mistakes hurt more than blisters.

🔁 Bridging the Sports:

Meal Timing, Transitions & Gut Training

Triathlon nutrition isn’t just about what you eat it’s about when. Timing is the key to surviving transitions and avoiding mid-race nausea or the infamous “gut bomb.”

Practice Gut Training:

Train your digestive system to handle carbs during exertion. Start with 30g/hour and build up tolerance over time.

Use Bricks to Simulate Race Day:

Bricks (bike-run sessions) are the best place to test your nutrition. Practice eating on the bike and transitioning to running without regretting that peanut butter wrap.

🍌 Funny but True: Your stomach doesn’t care about your race goals it only cares about what you threw into it an hour ago. Be nice.

💧 Hydration:

Your Fourth Discipline

Hydration isn’t a one-size-fits-all water bottle. Triathletes lose fluid through sweat, breathing, and peeing behind bushes (hey, it happens). You need more than water you need electrolytes, volume, and strategy.

Signs of Underhydration:

• Headache

• Dark urine

• Sluggishness

• Muscle cramps

• Mood swings that scare even your coach

🧪 Quick Tip: Weigh yourself before and after a long training session. For every 1 kg lost, drink 1.5 L of fluid to replace it.

🥑 Sample Triathlete Meal Plan

(for a 70kg athlete on a training day)

Breakfast (Pre-swim):

• Oatmeal with chia seeds, banana, honey

• Boiled egg

• Green tea

Mid-Morning Snack (Post-swim):

• Smoothie: Greek yogurt, berries, protein powder, oats

• Handful of almonds

Lunch (Before cycling):

• Grilled chicken wrap with hummus and greens

• Sweet potato

• Electrolyte drink

During Ride (90 min):

• 1 sports drink bottle

• 1 energy gel

• 1 banana

Post-Ride Recovery Snack:

• Chocolate milk

• Rice cakes with almond butter

Dinner (Post-brick run):

• Baked salmon

• Quinoa salad with olive oil and veggies

• Mixed fruit bowl

Evening Snack (Optional):

• Cottage cheese with berries

• Herbal (Bush) tea

🧠 Mind Over Menu:

Psychology of Triathlon Eating

Triathletes often fall into food traps: “I trained hard I deserve three burgers” or “I skipped lunch guess I’ll train fasted.” Neither supports long-term performance. Developing a healthy relationship with food is part of training.

🥄 Mental Tip: Think of food as a performance partner, not a reward or punishment.

🎯 Final Takeaway:

You’re a Triathlete—Eat Like One

Eating for triathlon is like training for it multilayered, strategic, and a little messy sometimes. But when done right, nutrition becomes your fourth discipline and your biggest performance enhancer (legal ones, of course!).

Don’t overthink, don’t under-fuel, and don’t skip the fun. You’re not just fueling a body—you’re fueling a dream.

🔥 StayMoving Takeaway:

Swim smart. Ride fueled. Run strong.
And above all: Stay Moving… or they’ll throw dirt on you.