Veteran triathlete fuels body by eating more, in moderation

This year’s 34th Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Kailua-Kona showcased more than 2,000 of the world’s fittest athletes. They spent a long day completing a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. The fastest athletes took more than eight hours to complete the event. All official finishers had to complete the triathlon within 17 hours when the event closed at midnight.

Such a strenuous event takes extensive training, good nutrition and lots of fortitude. Some athletes at the event have a long history in the sport. We interviewed David McCormack from Australia, who has competed in 34 Ironman triathlons, 11 of them at Kona. This year Dave entered the 60-64 age group and completed the triathlon in just over 11 hours, placing him as fifth best in the world in his age group.

Clearly, staying at this level of fitness requires the right nutrition, an extensive training program and a high level of motivation. McCormack shared with us what he does to get ready for such a demanding event. The secret to his success includes an eating philosophy that is not often heard in the United States: “Eat more! And eat most everything in moderation.” His typical breakfast includes oatmeal with milk and fruit, toast, coffee and more milk — whole milk. Lunch is usually a monster salad topped with nuts, avocado, olives, smoked trout and cheese.

Dinner is usually built around an entree of fish, chicken or pork cutlet. When prep time is running short, a curried tuna dish is a common favorite. The entree is accompanied by curried vegetables, chickpeas or lentils, and a pile of steamed vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower. Red wine is a common dinner beverage. Dessert is generally fruit or chocolate. Tea and chocolate are always enjoyed later in the evening.

Snacks throughout the day are mainly fresh fruit, almonds and, again, chocolate. With a rigorous daily training regimen, the concentrated calories in chocolate help McCormack meet his extensive calorie needs. A post-workout snack is often milk, including chocolate milk.

QUESTION: Are the Ironman triathletes using new cutting-edge products?

ANSWER: There were some interesting nutrition products at the Ironman Partners Expo that focused on fueling the athlete for exercise, refueling for recovery after hard workouts and protecting the athlete from the stresses of long, hard workouts.

Endurance athletes often are challenged to consume adequate carbohydrates, so several products focused on providing carbs in novel forms such as concentrated gels and gummy chews. Endurance exercise also places a good deal of oxidative stress on the athlete, so some products claim to protect against oxidative damage. One product, called Reboot, uses innovative packaging to separate a mixture of antioxidant-rich plant extracts from the liquid until it is consumed.

A local Kona product called BioAstin also was promoted to triathletes. This dietary supplement is produced from a type of algae rich in a widely researched antioxidant compound called astaxanthin.

Chocolate milk was promoted as a recovery product. Compared with other products, this may seem low tech on the surface, but its use is supported by research and it certainly fits in with McCormack’s regimen.

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Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.