The BIGGEST nutrition mistake triathletes are making (and how to avoid it)

When it comes to nutrition, triathlon is different to any other sport because you're training and fuelling for 3 sports not 1!

When you have that dialled in – you will have more energy, get to your ideal body composition, recover faster, perform better in the second/third session for the day and not be stuck on the couch after long rides – SUPERCHARGED!

The BIGGEST mistake triathletes make when it comes to their nutrition? To be honest, there are MANY! But I think the top three biggest mistakes triathletes make are:

Recovery nutrition

• Most triathletes suck at recovery (no offence)
• You need to understand how to receive properly for you
• You might think you do alright, but once you understand what you need for you, it’s often not dialled in.

Not fuelling properly during training

• Different strategies for different types of sessions, seasons and goals
• Triathletes often under fuel thinking this will help with fat loss. Wrong!
• Often triathletes wing it – no plan, not organised
• Must respect their body, the distance and the training

Eating the same thing every day

• You have a routine for work – Monday to Friday and may usually eat the same
• When the training load varies you must adjust your energy intake or you will flatline
• Commonly see triathletes undereating carbohydrates on big days and playing catch up later on lighter days
• Weekends can become a free for all 

Tell tale signs this could be you:

• Wrecked by the end of the week 
• Struggle to drop body fat
• Starving
• Not performing (as well as you could)
• Not reaching goals

So if you keep doing what you're doing right now, what does that look like in a year's time? or three years' time? or five years' time?

Nutrition can be complicated! But that doesn’t mean you need to struggle to try to figure it out yourself. You don't need to fumble around on Dr. Google, researching stuff, asking your training buddies, or getting nutrition advice from the wrong places. It really is a quick and easy fix but you need the right information from the right people.

And that’s why we have the Triathlon Nutrition Academy.

• I get my athletes to know, understand and learn to eat differently on a rest day, double/triple hard day, long weekend day – periodisation.
• They learn how to scale up on big training days and scale back on lighter/rest days.

You can’t out train a bad diet.

It’s worth going through your program with an experienced sports dietitian who specialises in triathlon – get an understanding on what your fuel needs are on different training days.

You’ll feel so much better for it! More energy, decreased risk of injury or illness, not playing catch up.  Make some tweaks here and benefit from more energy, less tiredness and fatigue, decreased risk of injury and illness and better bang for your buck out of training!

Take a listen to this week's podcast as I delve into the top 3 biggest mistakes and what to do about them! 

To dive deeper, listen to the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Podcast, EP 58 - The BIGGEST nutrition mistake triathletes are making (and how to avoid it)

If you are interested in learning more about the Triathlon Nutrition Academy Program and what it can do for you, head HERE to join. DOORS OPEN TOMORROW!!