Recovery Nutrition Triathletes

We spend so much time in the pool, on the bike & belting the pavement; yet our recovery nutrition is often not matched to the effort that goes into training – especially for those of us that don’t have the luxury of being a professional athlete!

Many triathlete’s train TWICE a day. When you do this, your recovery nutrition becomes even more crucial, as your muscle’s energy stores (glycogen) have less time to re-gather themselves.

If you don’t start your refuelling process within 30 minutes of finishing training, chances are you won’t feel so hot in the afternoon session. Same goes for evening nutrition – if you need to back up the next morning, the 30minute rule applies to your dinner/post-training snack too.

Lucky for many triathlon club members – coaches often provide fruit, lollies, sports drink (and even water!) post-training. While this is undeniably useful, it doesn’t account for your entire recovery nutrition – YOU still have some work to do!
For optimal recovery, the major nutrients you need (in order of priority) are:

  1. Carbohydrate 1g of CARB for every kilo of your body weight. If you are a featherweight 50kg triathlete, you will only need 50g of carb in this recovery meal or snack. Bulkier athletes need more – 70kg athlete needs 70g carb post-training. Carbohydrates are of PARAMOUNT importance in recovery for endurance athletes, and this is why you get fruit & lollies immediately post-training, rather than a BBQ.
  2. Protein regardless of your weight, research tells us we need 10-20g of protein to assist with muscle repair.
  3. BONUS POINTS for antioxidants & ‘healthy fats’ – these will aid muscle recovery & reduce muscle inflammation/soreness. Caffeine is also useful for restoring muscle glycogen – particularly if you need to back up in training.

MAKE IT EASY FOR ME…You can read food labels, and check on websites such as www.calorieking.com.au for the amounts of carbs & proteins in various foods, but here are some easy options you can choose – chances are, many meals you eat are already ticking the box.

  • Cafe Recovery – with carb + protein
  • Large latte + 2 slices inch-thick fruit toast
  • Poached eggs (1 or 2) on grainy toast
  • Muesli, yoghurt, berry combo (the ones you get in a cup ‘to-go’)
  • Smoked salmon & avocado on Turkish bread

Home recovery – with carb + protein

  • 4 VitaBrits, milk & fruit
  • Peanut butter on 2-3 slices grainy toast
  • Avocado on 2-3 slices grainy toast
  • Most ‘healthy’ dinner & lunch meals will also fit the bill (e.g. Egg & lettuce roll, or fish with mashed potato & veggies)

Smaller snacks to kick off recovery til you can get something more substantial – giving mostly carbohydrate (± protein)

  • Large banana or other fruit
  • Sports drink or juice
  • Yoghurt (200g)
  • Fruit smoothie (300+mL) or flavoured milk
  • Large cafe-style coffee (e.g. latte, cappuccino etc)
  • Trail mix (a few good handfuls)
  • Many sports bars – check the label – your #1 priority is carbs, protein is secondary

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE

THE ‘ONE-SESSION-A-DAY’ TRIATHLETE: Lucky you…there is no need to worry about the 30minute window. Happily take your time leaving the pool and worry about your breakfast meal when you feel hungry for it. So long as you eat well over the day, your muscles will be amped for the next day’s training session.


THE ‘ENERGY-RESTRICTED’ TRIATHLETE: trying to achieve a race weight? Recovery nutrition is still important, but you may not have the ‘calorie budget’ to be getting in the optimal 1gcarb/kg body weight & 10-20g protein as a post-training meal/snack.

If you fall into this category; I would suggest you see a Sports Dietitian so they can nut-out a plan that will see you achieve your race weight, while still getting your recovery nutrition as good as it possibly can be.

Real foods are better than processed/formulated foods or supplements when it comes to getting the nutrients you need. This goes for carbs, protein, and even the bonus point additions of antioxidants & healthy fats.

If you want assistance ensuring your diet is complete, Brisbane athletes are welcome to book a session with me by calling one of my 2 clinics:

Gabba clinic www.qsmc.net.au: 3891 2000 West End clinic www.pondera.com.au: 3846 1488
Interstate athletes can locate a sports dietitian here: http://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/findasportsdietitian

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