Women's Health Magazine - Fitness: Eat Like a Triathlete

Women's Health Magazine - Fitness

Eat Like a Triathlete Nov 27th 2012, 20:45 Hands up if you've been here before: You're starving after spin class, so you eat a bag of pita chips as you wait for dinner to cook. "The biggest mistake I see is women saying, 'I can eat whatever I want because I'm active,'" says Jenna Bell, Ph.D., R.D., a nutrition consultant and Ironman triathlete. "When you're exercising nearly every day or training for an event like a triathlon, your calorie needs aren't as great as you think. If you're not careful, you can eat double what you burned during your workout." Use Bell's nutrition tips to prevent overdoing it. Count calories. There's no such thing as "I'm burning this off, so it doesn't count." Everything you eat counts toward your daily calorie total—no matter if you eat it during a meal or during your workout. Sip smart. Swig a sports drink only if you're exercising for more than an hour or it's very hot and humid. Otherwise, your body doesn't really need the electrolytes (or calories). Feed your muscles. After a strength session like boot camp, eat 10 to 20 grams of protein and 30 to 60 grams of carbs. Protein builds muscle and helps repair muscle damage, while carbs speed up the rebuilding process. Don't force down breakfast. If you exercise right after rolling out of bed, you don't absolutely have to eat breakfast first. But if you feel as if you can't push as hard as you'd like, try eating 100 to 200 calories before (like a piece of toast). RELATED: New Multisport Combos to Try Awesome New Fitness Gear Media files: preview (image/jpeg, 0 MB)

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