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Dumb Mistakes By Smart Triathletes...

Sunday, 04 October 2015 00:10

By Laura Antonucci (triathlon.competitor.com)

You are a smart triathlete: You wake up at 5 a.m., routinely decline a second round of drinks, watch what you eat and are aware of the latest trends in sports nutrition and bike technology. But even the most well-meaning, self-sacrificing, smart triathletes can make nutrition mistakes that prevent them from reaching their body composition and performance goals. Avoid the following nutrition traps and your 2014 season will be better than you imagined.

Mistake #1: Not knowing your sweat rate.
You know you should be conducting periodic “sweat tests” in training, right? Studies consistently show that even small (less than 2 percent) decreases in body weight due to fluid loss adversely affect performance. Don’t let dehydration slow you down! ...

At least 2–3 times per training climate change (winter, spring, summer, fall), weigh yourself nude before and after a one-hour training session. Drink as usual and note intake. Multiply fluid weight loss by 16 (ounces/pound), and aim to drink that total number of fluid ounces/hour during future training sessions.

Sweat rate example: If you weigh 160 pounds pre-workout and 158.5 pounds post-workout, you lost 1.5 pounds from sweat. Multiply 1.5 by 16 to get 24 ounces lost. Add, say, 10 ounces for fluid intake during your training session and you get 34 ounces/hour sweat rate.

Mistake #2: Inadequate calorie intake during training.

I see triathletes make this mistake repeatedly, either to “save calories in an attempt to drop a few pounds,” or to “practice going on empty.” Studies show both mind-sets are completely backward. Take in 30–60 grams of carbs/hour (up to 80–90 grams/hour for Ironman athletes) to fuel your hardworking muscles and maximize your workout effort. Want to practice mental toughness? Do one of your 100-mile rides solo or train in less-than-ideal weather—don’t train on empty. Bonus: Adequately fueling during training will also curb your hunger later, which translates to calories saved at the end of your day—a much smarter way to drop a body fat percentage point or two! READ MORE