NRG Xpress Gym & Studios, Unit 503/504 Euro Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
CORK WAR NUTRITION GUIDE
Your diet can make or break your training goals. What you eat while you train is just
as important as how you’re training. Nutrition should be considered the fourth leg
of any triathlon!
6 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE RACE

Eat Real, Not Processed: Focus on eating foods with a variety of colours.
The colours of fruits and vegetables are clues as to what vitamins and
phytochemicals they hold. Eat them all and you are guaranteeing yourself
a wide range of antioxidants and nutrients to lessen the oxidative damage and inflammation caused by your
training. Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are also great sources of healthy carbs, which should be
any triathlete’s best friend. Endurance athletes primarily run on stored energy—called glycogen—that’s
converted from carbohydrates. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that endurance athletes
consume 2.7 to 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight each day.

Protein: Your need for protein does increase while training (it’s a great source of amino acids that can help
rebuild muscles after a workout). As such a triathlete requires about 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of
bodyweight, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE RACE

Fuel your Workouts: As your workouts peak in intensity, you need even more carbohydrates to ensure proper
glycogen storage and energy. Before any workout, fuel up with some whole food carbohydrates and follow your
cool down with some more carbs and a bit of protein. However, if your workout lasts more than two hours, you
shouldn’t wait until your workout is over to replenish your energy reserves in order to maintain intensity. Your
body only has so many calories saved up inside. You’ve got to replace them while you are exercising. During
moderate- to high-level exercise, you are burning between 500 to 1,000 calories per hour. And your body
typically only stores about two hours’ or exercise worth of carbohydrates. Try consuming sports gels mid
workout.

Feed Your Immune System: When your workouts peak in intensity, so does the oxidative damage in your body
and your need to protect yourself from illness. If your diet contains all of the colours of the rainbow you will
acquire which should prevent your body becoming run down. However If you find yourself still feeling run down
or sick frequently, up your barriers with a multivitamin that includes Coenzyme Q10, which can be especially
helpful in speeding recovery. And no matter how busy your schedule is with long endurance workouts, you still
need at least eight hours of sleep a night. Sleep gives your body needed time to recuperate from your workouts.

Rehearse Race Day: Plan a few extra-long workouts so that you can experiment with different day-of nutrition
options. You should focus on carbohydrates for before, during, and after your workout. Last but not least, before
you begin your rehearsal workouts, you should weigh yourself. Then, once you complete your workouts, weigh
yourself again. You should have sweat out no more than 2 to 3 percent of your total body weight. If you lose
any more fluids, you’ll experience a significant drop in performance. Adjust your day-of hydration plan
accordingly. Write down whatever nutrition and hydration choices work for you in your training log so you’ll
remember what to do come race day.
[email protected]
021-4976060
www.nrgxpress.com
NRG Xpress Gym & Studios, Unit 503/504 Euro Business Park, Little Island, Cork.
1 WEEK BEFORE THE RACE

Hydrate: The morning of the race is too late to start thinking about your hydration strategy. Start putting back
between 2 and 3 litres of water a day based on your activity level. Keep water with you at all times and you’ll
easily sip through your allotment in 24 hours. Another word to the wise: Lay off drinks that contain caffeine or
alcohol, as they can actually cause dehydration.

Carbload: A time-honoured tradition of endurance athletes, carbloading allows your body to be packed full of
glycogen on race-day so you’ll avoid running out of reserves and hitting the proverbial wall. Starting about
three days before the race, start consuming about 3.5 to 4.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. So if
you weigh 150 pounds, consume between 525 and 675 grams of carbohydrates each day leading up to your
race. Since you won’t be working out much—if at all—you can increase your glycogen concentration big time
in a matter of days.
RACE DAY

Fill Up Your Engine: Eat lower fiber carbohydrates and a small amount of protein to help stabilize your blood
sugar. A slice of plain toast with peanut butter, smoothie, pulp-free juice, yogurt, or mango can all be part of a
great pre-race breakfast. Don’t eat less than two hours before race time to prevent your digestive system
from competing with the rest of your body for oxygen; it takes at least one hour to process every 200 to 300
calories you consume.

Stay Focused on Your Plan: Now is not the time to change things up. Execute everything—from your breakfast
to your mid-race gel packs—just as you wrote them down in your training log . And no matter how eager you
are to cross the finish line, don’t skip water pit stops. Not drinking enough water is the biggest nutritional
mistake that triathletes make. Dehydration can lead to cramping, headaches, dizziness, and nausea, all of
which can slow you down more than grabbing a cup from the sidelines.

Refuel and Replenish: Despite the urge to head straight for the beer garden, your first line of liquid nutrition
should be alcohol free. While the American College of Sports Medicine recommends consuming 0.5 to 0.75
grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight immediately after the race, it’s best to get the bulk of those
carbs from a smoothie or sports drink so that you also replenish fluids. No matter how much water you drink
during the race, you will be slightly dehydrated when you cross the finish line. They can also help to replenish
sodium that you’ve sweated out.
[email protected]
021-4976060
www.nrgxpress.com