Dietary Status of Male and Female Triathletes During A Competitive Season

Abstract

PURPOSE: Optimal nutrition is important for all athletes and especially for long endurance athletes such as triathletes. A standard triathlon includes a 1.5-kilometer (0.93 mile) swim, 40-kilometer (25-mile) bike, and 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) of run and typically takes more than three hours to complete. Given the exhaustive nature of triathlon training and competition dietary intake, composition and proportional macronutrient intake are critical training and maintenance considerations. Increasing carbohydrate intake is a common recommendation for endurance athletes, however, there has been a recent emphasis on increasing intake of protein. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the nutritional intake of competitive triathletes during a competitive season with particular attention to the proportional contributions of macronutrient to total energy intake. METHODS: Participants were 19 male (36.9 ±10.36 years old) and 19 female triathletes (32 ±6.93 years old). Body composition was determined through dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A seven-day dietary recall was used to assess total energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intake. RESULTS: Body fat percent for male and female triathletes was 11.24% (±4.03%) and 21.3% (±5.0%) respectively. Average daily energy intake for males was 2614 (±780) kcal and 1709 (±464) kcal for females. Relative contribution to total energy intake of fat was 25.4% for males and 24.8% for females, protein was 19% for males and 17.8% for females, and carbohydrates was 53% for both males and females. CONCLUSION: Macronutrient intake was within general health recommendations, but was contrary to common recommendations for endurance athletes. Recognizing the importance and contribution of sufficient calorie and macronutrient intake in long endurance competition it was surprising that nutrient intake in triathletes in this study did not exceed general recommendations. Further studies are required in order to better understand the effect such practices may have on athletic performance.