Background
Athletes should follow current sports nutrition standards to construct a practical, periodized, and individualized feeding plan that allows them to train harder, adapt and recover optimally. They are also advised to avoid injury and illness and perform at their top during the most important races. The triathlete in this study is a competitive triathlete, and he undertakes a very heavy training program. This is to prepare for more than three different sports while having races that have varying times from 20 minutes to 10 hours. The daily diet should be rich in energy availability. When correctly administered, it should give CHO in amounts that vary and timings around the exercise according to the advantages of the workouts with high or low CHO availability (Bruke et al., 2021). Therefore, a good dietary plan should spread high-quality protein during the day to increase the response on adaptability in every session.
In order to sustain hydration and fueling goals during a race, a well-planned and tailored nutrition strategy is required. Sports foods and supplements may contribute to a sports nutrition plan. Supplement sports foods offer a convenient source of nutrients as it is impossible to take the foods as a whole (Van Gastelen, Dijkstra and Bannink, 2019). Medicinal supplements can be used to treat or prevent vitamin D and iron deficiencies if they are delivered under proper physician supervision. In addition, a few evidence-based supplements may contribute to optimal race performance. This is only achievable if the triathlete’s objectives and responsiveness are met by following the best practice procedures.
Dietary Strategies
Every macronutrient (Fats and Proteins) serves an essential purpose in the triathlete’s diet. There is no specific rule on the exact amount of macronutrients the body should take (Moatt et al., 2019, p. e12868). It all depends on the genetics, medical conditions and the training regime that the triathlete has. Triathletes may enhance their training adaptations and recuperation by concentrating on their whole daily diet. Carbohydrates in the body are the source of energy. On the other hand, protein supports the healing and repairing of the muscles, while fat improves satiety and promotes health overall.
Carbohydrates
Typically, the athlete should consume calories that add up to around 45% to 65%. Since he is a triathlete, he should be consuming 8 to 12 grams of carbs for every kilogram of weight for a day. As the duration and intensity of training increase, he should be consuming almost 12 grams for every kilogram of weight. He should consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates in a fluid mix, including electrolytes every hour during long training sessions (Jeukendrup, 2017). It is recommended that he takes simple carbohydrates such as bananas at least half an hour before the training session. During rigorous training sessions that run longer than 60 minutes, he should consume carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed, such as gels, in order to restore his electrolytes.
Protein
The triathlete should reduce 2 grams for every kilogram of body weight when he is training. Since his body or an average human body cannot store protein, he should consume proteins every 3 to 4 hours daily within two hours after training for recovery (Smith and Ludlow, 2021). During the evenings, he is recommended to consume around 30 to 40 grams of protein from casein.
Fat
The athlete should aim for around 20% to 35% of calories. Fat is essential for nerve functioning and the protection of the organs. It is also a good supply of fatty acids, but if performance and setting a new personal greatest time is important to him, a high-fat diet may cause him to progress (Benardot, 2020) sluggishly. The calories that are left over after protein and carbohydrate meals must be stored as fat during workouts.
Practical Considerations
The primary purpose of the training is to achieve optimum achievement on the competition day via paradigms or processes. Training hard is a prerequisite for getting the needed training stimulus. It mainly fine-tunes the physiology or behaviors required for the competition strategies and increases adaptations to the training stimulus. The dietary plan should focus on the factor that would cause fatigue when the event is happening, promoting performance enhancement by delaying or reducing the onset of these factors. Basic nutrition is essential for an athlete to achieve excellent health, educational achievement, and energy provision. Being an ironman training triathlete, he will also need a lot of vitamins for a performance that is optimum through daily intakes (Medina-Vera et al., 2021, p. 225). His diet should be well-balanced and should contain slow-release carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein at least 80 percent of the time if he wants to be a wonderful ironman trainer.
Nutritional Supplements
Protein
Protein has always been a vital nutrient for athletes to boost their performance. Powdered protein supplements are the most common type of protein supplementation. Protein powders are primarily from egg whites, soy or whey, and each has pros and cons (Burke, 2021). Whey is an excellent protein source for muscle growth because of its quick digestion rate, which is essential in the development of lean muscle mass. Most firms are more concerned with producing tasty protein powders than nutrient-dense protein powders (Kårlund et al., 2019, p. 829). Some of their goods contain large amounts of sugar and other flavoring ingredients that are detrimental to the development of lean muscle.
Creatine
Scientifically, creatine has been tested and proved to be a nutrition substance that can be used to enhance the athlete’s performance during activities and workout sessions. The notion that creatine is a naturally occurring chemical in the human body has persisted for a long time (Andres et al., 2017, p. 1600772). The most common usage of synthetic creatine is as a performance supplement, and it is always powdered and mixed in water. As a result of using this supplement, athletes report an increase in energy and an increase in muscle mass.
For some people, creatine may not provide the energy boost that is commonly associated with the substance. Creatine overuse can harm renal and bladder health, as well as cause other side effects. Creatine has another benefit over other supplements in that it is a substance with low hazards and is reasonably inexpensive. Because every athlete is different, not every athlete metabolizes creatine in the same way.
Vitamin Supplements
Athletes’ poor dietary choices may be compensated for in part by vitamin supplementation. An athlete’s body needs vitamins to perform most of the important functions in the body, such as eyesight, heart function, digesting food, and regulating the nerve system. With rigorous training schedules, it always seems a good idea for athletes to take some vitamin supplements, but it is not always necessary for them. Vitamins A, B-6, C and D may cause serious poisoning if eaten in large quantities (Gkikas et al., 2020, p. 2018). For instance, more than 10 mg of supplement vitamins in a day of vitamin B-6 may cause a loss of feeling in the legs and arms.
As the triathlete is interested in heavy exercise, he can use some nutritional supplements and help him in his training. Nutritional supplements, when utilized appropriately, can give an ergogenic benefit that is significant and at a cost that is smaller than most triathletes’ products (Getzin, Milner and Harkins, 2017). When used in conjunction with intense exercise, creatine can further improve lactate tolerance. The triathlete should use this supplement because he is seeking lean mass and gaining strength and is committed to the training sessions to achieve that.
Protein and carbohydrate recovery aids increase gluconeogenesis in exhausted muscles, improve resistance, and promote lean muscle growth. It can additionally create an environment that is anabolic for muscle recovery (Gkikas et al., 2020, p. 2018). Caffeine can be used by athletes since it has been shown to greatly boost endurance and performance when supplied in small amounts. Caffeine is said to improve an athlete’s capacity to handle high-intensity training as well as race day outcomes by leaving the athlete extra indefatigable and alert on the day of the race. The use of carbohydrate-containing drinks, snacks, and gels by athletes boosts their endurance, improves their hydration, and shortens their recovery time (Daher et al., 2020, p. 00034894211069437). The moment that the athlete starts his training, carbohydrates in his body get used as drugs. Natural carbohydrates sources can also be used as supplements, such as dried fruit. Carbohydrate-based nutrients are easier to absorb and provide more than what is provided in nature’s supply.
Reference List
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