You’ve spent weeks and months training your heart, lungs and muscles, but not training your gut could be leaving you short on race day. Why? Because getting your fuelling right is absolutely crucial in triathlon.
We often hear nutrition referred to as the fourth discipline, and with very good reason. With the ever-increasing evidence supporting the need to fuel well during racing, how we train our gut to tolerate what we eat and drink during races has now become crucial in optimising our individual performances and making sure that we have a great race.
We’ve all been there, halfway through a race and we start to feel symptoms like heartburn, uncomfortable bloating and really, really, needing the toilet! These are the most common symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) distress during races, and research has shown that in an average race at least 40% of people get GI issues.
There are a whole host of reasons why this can happen and unfortunately they can be quite individual. Evidence suggests it’s dependent on factors such as genetics, biomechanics, anatomy, age and training status, with each individual response often being circumstantial. Hot conditions, intensity and potentially dehydration or poor nutrition can all lead to GI issues during races.
So yes, training your gut is an essential part of the training process. Here we look at some practical ways to train our gastrointestinal systems to be race-day ready and to make sure you avoid that portable toilet…
8 WAYS TO TRAIN YOUR GUT
01 Know your gut mechanics
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
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Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.
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