U EL IN G THE BUILD PHASE
You’ve laid your aerobic foundations and refined your swim, bike and run technique. Now it’s time to add speed, and that comes from raising the intensity of your sessions. To fuel that extra effort, you need to tap into more instant fuel reserves – which means an increase in carbs.
“During the build phase, carb intake should rise to 8-12g per kg,” says sports nutritionist Drew Price. “Protein intake also increases to around 1.5g-2g per kg. Fat remains around the 1g per kg mark.”
Warning: for those who haven’t reached their goal tri weight, don’t fall into the trap of keeping carbs low, as per the base phase. As chef and athlete Alan Murchison says, increasing intensity on a diet based on few carbs “leads to lethargy, feeling heavy and potential illness”.
The increase in carbohydrates should derive from three key areas: general meals (including more pasta and rice), an increase in healthy snacking (to keep your glycogen levels topped up) and a focus on sports foods (helping you to maintain high levels through the session). You should also look at a variety of protein drinks for recovery.
DON’T FORGET THE PROTEIN
“We used to think protein was just for muscle-heads, but it’s not,” says professor John Hawley. “We did a study last year and these guys are right: it’s far better to take your protein in small 20g doses. However, it’s also beneficial to front-load protein early in the day, as it’ll help repair muscle damage from the previous day’s hard training.”
You should also think about increasing protein intake after running because of the greater physical impact, which causes delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Finally, don’t ignore sodium requirements. “Think about salt tablets,” says coach Bob Seebohar. “Depending on the race environment and distance – definitely for long-course triathlon – these could be of benefit.”
You also need to remain hydrated, which can be achieved by not only drinks but foods, too.