Fuel Up Right: Eat Like a Triathlete

You can have the perfect training plan, the best gear, and iron discipline—but if your nutrition is off, you're leaving serious performance on the table. The good news? Triathlon nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. Let's break down exactly what to eat, when to eat it, and how to fuel like the athlete you're becoming.

🍎 What You'll Learn in This Guide

• The 3 phases of triathlon nutrition (before, during, after)
• How to calculate your personal fuel needs
• Race day nutrition strategies that actually work
• Common nutrition mistakes and how to avoid them

The Foundation: Your Daily Nutrition

Before we talk about race-day gels and sports drinks, let's nail the basics. Your everyday nutrition sets the foundation for everything else.

The Triathlete's Plate:

🥗 Pro Tip: Focus on whole foods 80% of the time. Save the processed sports nutrition for training and racing.

Phase 1: Pre-Training & Pre-Race Nutrition

The Goal: Top off energy stores without causing digestive distress.

Daily Training Sessions

3-4 hours before:

• Large meal with familiar foods
• High carbs, moderate protein, low fat/fiber
• Example: Oatmeal with banana and honey

1-2 hours before:

• Small snack if needed
• Easy-to-digest carbs
• Example: Toast with jam or a banana

Race Day Fueling

3-4 hours before race:

• 300-400g carbohydrates
• Familiar foods only (never try anything new!)
• Moderate caffeine if you normally use it

Example race morning meal:

• 2 cups oatmeal with banana and maple syrup
• 1 slice toast with honey
• Coffee (if you normally drink it)

⚠️ Golden Rule: Nothing new on race day—including that energy bar that looks amazing in your race bag.

Phase 2: During Training & Racing

The Goal: Maintain energy and prevent depletion without overwhelming your gut.

Training Sessions Under 60 Minutes

• Water is usually sufficient
• Maybe a sports drink for intense sessions

Training Sessions 60-90 Minutes

• 30-60g carbohydrates per hour
• Sports drink or diluted juice works well
• Start fueling early (15-20 minutes in)

Training/Racing Over 90 Minutes

• 60-90g carbohydrates per hour
• Mix of liquids and solids
• Multiple carb sources (glucose + fructose)

Sample Long-Course Racing Strategy:

🧪 Science Note: Your gut can absorb about 60g glucose per hour, but adding fructose can boost this to 90g+.

Phase 3: Post-Training & Post-Race Recovery

The Goal: Kickstart recovery and prepare for your next session.

The 30-Minute Window

• 3:1 or 4:1 carb-to-protein ratio
• 20-25g high-quality protein
• Easy-to-digest options

Quick recovery options:

• Chocolate milk (classic for a reason!)
• Greek yogurt with berries and granola
• Recovery smoothie: banana, protein powder, oats

The Full Recovery Meal (2-3 hours post)

• Balanced meal with all macronutrients
• Focus on anti-inflammatory foods
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Hydration: The Often-Forgotten Fuel

Daily hydration baseline:

• Half your body weight in ounces of water
• More if training in hot/humid conditions
• Monitor urine color (pale yellow = good)

Training hydration:

• 16-20 oz fluid 2-3 hours before
• 6-8 oz every 15-20 minutes during
• 150% of fluid lost through sweat post-training

💧 Sweat Test: Weigh yourself before and after a 1-hour training session. Every pound lost = 16 oz of fluid.

Common Nutrition Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake #1: Not Practicing Race Nutrition

Fix: Use long training sessions to test your race-day fuel strategy.

Mistake #2: Too Much Fiber Before Training

Fix: Save the kale salad for post-workout. Stick to simple carbs pre-session.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Electrolytes

Fix: Hot, sweaty sessions need sodium replacement (200-500mg per hour).

Mistake #4: Under-fueling Long Sessions

Fix: If it's over 90 minutes, you need external fuel. Period.

Mistake #5: Forgetting Recovery Nutrition

Fix: The work isn't done when training ends. Fuel recovery immediately.

Advanced Strategies for Serious Athletes

Periodized Nutrition

Match your nutrition to your training phase:

• Base phase: Higher fat, moderate carb
• Build phase: Moderate fat, higher carb
• Peak phase: Lower fat, highest carb

Train Low, Compete High

Occasional training sessions in a glycogen-depleted state can improve fat oxidation—but race fully fueled.

🎯 Advanced Tip: Work with a sports nutritionist to dial in your personal strategy.

Your Nutrition Action Plan

✅ Week 1: Track your current intake—what are you actually eating?
✅ Week 2: Dial in your daily nutrition foundation
✅ Week 3: Practice pre-training fueling strategies
✅ Week 4: Test during-training nutrition on long sessions
✅ Ongoing: Fine-tune based on how you feel and perform

🔗 Ready to Fuel Your Performance?

Great nutrition doesn't happen by accident—it happens by design. Whether you're training for your first sprint or your tenth Ironman, dialing in your fuel strategy can unlock performance you didn't know you had.

👉 Get personalized training that includes nutrition guidance →

Next up:
📖 Are You Hydrating Enough? Hydration Strategies for Triathletes →

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

Your body is your most important piece of equipment. Fuel it like the high-performance machine it is.