10 practical tips for your triathlon competition nutrition

The article contains product recommendations from Xenofit

Tip 1: Determine your nutritional strategy – test products beforehand during training
The topic of competition nutrition begins long before the start of the skin competition. What competition catering is officially offered by the organizer? It is advisable to test the products for compatibility in advance during training. It is also important to determine what type of self-catering will be used. The various Xenofit products are available in one practical test box…

Testing competition nutrition: Xenofit offers a test box of its products – © Xenofit

Tip 2: Carboloading

In the days before the race, the glycogen stores depleted by the final training load must be replenished. This works best with classic carbohydrate sources such as pasta, rice and potatoes. Important: When carboloading, you also have to drink enough, as every gram of glycogen also stores a good 3 grams of water. The final fighting weight is therefore slightly higher than during the last hard training phase.

Tip 3: Bring mineral balance into balance
The tapering phase is also the last opportunity to compensate for slight mineral deficits. Xenofit offers well-tolerated dietary supplements and…

Tip 4: Light last meal

The race day should then begin with a light “last meal” that keeps the sugar level up and does not put strain on the stomach and digestive tract. Fiber should therefore be avoided. Here too, tolerance can be tested in advance during a long training session, with competition nervousness then added to the mix on race day.

Tip 5: Keep blood sugar levels constant

In the last 90 minutes before the start you should not feel hungry and your blood sugar level should be kept constant. Here you can with a suitable one Carbohydrate drink (approx. 250 ml) can be refueled in sips. The combination of water and gel or a few bites of an energy bar works just as well.

Tip 6: Refuel early
During the race, it is important to start replenishing energy as early as possible so that the glycogen stores that have been created do not empty too quickly. The best time to do this is when you get out of the tangle of changes after the T1 (beware of the risk of falling) and have sorted yourself out a bit.

© tri2b.com

Tip 7: Eat regularly and in small portions
It is now important to always supply energy regularly in “small portions”. On long competition distances, 50 – 60 g of carbohydrates per hour are the upper limit in order not to overload the digestive tract. An even higher carbohydrate intake rate should definitely be tested in advance during training at a competition-like intensity.
The external conditions must also be taken into account. Cool => higher energy requirements, hot => higher fluid requirements. Every 15 – 20 minutes is considered a good interval for energy intake.

At high levels of intensity, liquid energy in the form of carbohydrate drinks and gels, with the highest possible maltodextrin content, is particularly suitable so that the “sugar rush” is not too extreme. For example, a 0.7 l drinking bottle is included Xenofit competition in the recommended dosage just under 60 g of carbohydrates. Two Xenofit Energy Hydrogels Provide a good 50g of carbohydrates. With these two variants, the recommended hourly dose of carbohydrates is largely guaranteed.

Xenofit Competition: With a 0.7 l drinking bottle in the specified dosage you can absorb almost 60 g of carbohydrates and are therefore in the recommended range for the long-term carbohydrate intake rate for long endurance exercise – © Xenofit

Tip 8: Offer your stomach variety
Pay attention to variety. In a long-distance triathlon, the energy requirement can be over 10,000 kcal. That’s why it’s important to offer the stomach and digestive tract some “variety”. In other words, it is important to consciously alternate between energy bars, energy gels and carbohydrate drinks and, for example, bananas. Athletes who are running at a lower intensity and whose sports day will last significantly longer than 10 hours can definitely resort to solid food, such as snaffles, cheese rolls, etc., in the first few hours of racing.

Tip 9: Solid food on the bike – liquid food when running
When cycling, it is much easier to absorb energy without losing a lot of time. In addition, you should give preference to solid food when possible on the bike so that you still have an appetite for liquid energy sources such as gels and cola while running.

The optimal nutritional strategy often varies greatly from person to person: it can therefore make sense to exchange ideas with each other – © tri2b.com

Tip 10: Cola, yes, but don’t overdo it
Once a Coke, always a Coke. Many triathletes swear by the quick cola sugar push, which is why the brown sugar bomb is also offered at the refreshment stations for many long distances from the end of the bike ride. The principle here is not to eat too much at once, otherwise the blood sugar level will quickly go on a roller coaster. It is therefore advisable not to start drinking cola too early in the race and, if your stomach allows it, to also consume long-chain carbohydrates in between.