Nutrition and Fuelling Part 3
This a four part blog on both day-to-day nutrition and fuelling for the age group triathlete
Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at daily nutrition as well as fuelling around exercise and training habits.
Fuelling for recovery!
Recovery is integral to our health, fitness and performance. It is during recovery that our body absorbs and adapts to our training loads.
Fuelling is a big part of this recovery process as it is when we can help repair muscle damage and replace fuel stores. Again, for specific advice adapted for you and your needs see a professional, but here is some general advice:
– Generally speaking, the first 30mins post training is a key window for refuelling – use it well by aiming to consume a mixture of carbohydrate and protein.
– A liquid form is good for this as often, especially after hard sessions, we don’t necessarily feel like eating.
– Try a two-part refuelling strategy… i.e. Small, simple easy meal within 30mins, and then use your next main meal to add to this.
– Hydration should also be considered during recovery – did you sweat a lot?
Recovery fuelling should be coupled with other recovery techniques such as sleep, leg elevation, compression and hydrotherapy if possible.