92 | AustrAliAn triAthlete
MEDICAL SUPPLEMENTS:
These supplements are really dependent
on nutritional deficiencies. In the triathlete
population, they tend to be primarily iron,
calcium and vitamin D. There is no need to
take these supplements as a ‘just in case’
policy though, they are only needed if a
deficiency is diagnosed. If concerned, a visit
to your GP or Sports Physician may be a
good place to start to undergo screening.
Triathletes are at increased risk of iron
deficiency due to a number of factors. In
both the male and female athletes,
reduced energy availability can contribute.
Some iron is also lost due to the impact of
running – called foot strike haemolysis.Now, this article hasn’t even scratched
the surface of supplements but does
prioritise the ones that you may want to
consider including at specific points of
your season. To ensure that supplements
are being as effectively as possible and
integrated into your daily training, an
Accredited Sports Dietitian can provide
you a ‘run-sheet’ (pun intended) of what
food to consume, when to consume it
and what supplements may compliment
that intake.ALICIA EDGE
Alicia is an Advanced Sports
dietitian with an online sports
nutrition business, Compeat
Nutrition. She is also a mum and
triathlete, so advice extends
beyond the basics and is instead
focused on providing effective
and achievable nutrition for both
training and racing.nuTriTion
Training TOOLBOX
CAFFEINE:
Caffeine is one of the most widely used
supplements in the endurance world.
Caffeine is a great brain stimulator, so its
benefit lies in reducing the perception of
fatigue during tough events, particularly in
endurance events. However, high doses of
caffeine aren’t for everyone so be mindful
that if you struggle to sleep or suffer from
performance anxiety, taking additional
stimulants may be counterproductive.
Also, almost 10 per cent of the popul-
ation actually have a negative response to
caffeine rather than positive – it is all to do
with the enzyme responsible for breaking
down caffeine. If you feel like caffeine
doesn’t work for you, you may be right!
NITRATE:
You may not have heard of nitrates but you
most certainly would have heard of beetroot
juice! Beets are rich in nitrates and are,
therefore, used to supplement for nitrates.
Nitrate enhances performance in endurance
sports, such as triathlon, by reducing the
oxygen cost of exercise. This then allows you
to prolong your time to exhaustion through
that improved efficiency.
You will be unlikely to see any
improvements in actual power through
nitrate supplementation. It is really the
reduced fatigue, which provides the
benefit. The key thing of note here though,
is that nitrate supplementation is less
effective in the highly trained. The benefits
are also not as pronounced as when seen
in intermittent sports or activities less than
10minutes where the anaerobic system is
relied upon.CREATINE:
Creatine is an interesting one – originally
accepted for its benefits in power-based
sports, creatine is gaining traction in the
endurance world as well. With races often
decided by pivotal high-intensity bursts,
creatine is currently being re-hashed as a
potential endurance supplement.
However, lots more research needs to take
place before these recommendations can
be confirmed.
Its use for enhanced muscle carbo-
hydrate storage is also being researched.
However, it needs to be noted that there
are some negatives to creatine use
particularly in endurance events, as it will
lead to a significant weight gain.