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Ironman Fueling Q & A


Whether you’re new to the sport of triathlon or a veteran looking to dial in your nutrition plan, now is the time to establish your fueling protocol. Coach Jason answered a few questions provided by Ironman's Strava Club. Do you have a question? Comment below and we will answer!

Jana M.: I have so many! I'm training for IMTX and don't feel like I'm eating enough protein for recovery. How much protein should I be getting on both light and heavy training days?

Aim for 20g of protein containing 8-10 grams of essential amino acids within 20 minutes of finishing your session. It’s very important that this drink has quality carbohydrates to stabilize blood sugar levels and replace glycogen stores following your session as soon as possible. If you don’t have time to create a proper meal or smoothie, a recovery drink should replace about half of the calorie deficit created during exercise. Typically this will equate to about 75-125 grams of carbs and 20-30 grams of protein.

Clearly, protein is important for recovery, but don’t neglect carbohydrates and rehydration, as they are just as vital. According to Dr. Stuart Phillips, rehydrating and refueling (with carbohydrates) should take a higher priority over protein. Remember the 3 R’s of Recovery: rehydrate, refuel and repair. This doesn’t mean that you don’t need protein to repair and build muscle; you just probably don’t need as much as you think.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter? YES

On heavy training days, get in a regenerative meal within 15-20 minutes of completing your training. Your body is particularly responsive to carbohydrates (replenish glycogen stores) and protein (repair muscle trauma) during this 15-20 minute window, so it’s imperative to have your post workout meal timely. It’s especially important if you have another session on the same day. I also recommend consuming at least half of your body weight in ounces of water daily in addition to what you sweat out during your session. For every pound of water weight lost (16 oz of sweat), drink 2-3 cups of water.

Tanner Gervais: What is your take on carbohydrate vs. fat-based fueling for full-distance triathlon events?

In my opinion, athletes shouldn’t take an “extreme” approach to fueling for Ironman or Ironman 70.3 event. Is carbohydrate fueling better than fat-based fueling? That answer will be dictated by the individual’s genetic makeup, the goals of the athlete and the specific targets of his or her workout. Why choose just one source of fueling over the other? If you’re training in a carbohydrate depleted state to ensure fat metabolism is optimized, you will have a difficult time holding high intensity, but you will be challenging your fat metabolism. On the contrary, during a high intensity session, your body will be craving carbohydrates as a source of fuel so you need to keep the gels and sports drink coming in. If you want to keep the intensity aerobic, stick to fat-adapted. But as a coach, I can assure you, you won’t see consistent improvement by training at the same intensity week after week. Periodize your nutrition as you periodize your training.

William Dowling: My health teacher says that fruit, even in small amounts, makes you fat. This can't be right, is it?