What is the Best Diet for Athletes?

Okay, this post might be counterintuitive to the title. At Triple Victor, we believe there is no actual “best” diet for our athletes. Instead we teach a nutritional framework of best practices to help athletes achieve their desired outcomes based on things like their sport and body type. We understand that most people want a simple answer of eat this… avoid that… or even just a meal plan. This approach though does not set the stage for continued success, growth, and performance for the athlete without the constant intervention of the nutrition coach.

One such principle we teach for eating is taking a moment to be mindful of what we are consuming; in fact this is one of our core values for overall wellness and racing. In a recent meta data study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a research team looked at twenty-four studies and found that evidence indicated that eating when distracted produced a moderate increase in immediate intake with an even greater increase of later intake due to lack of intake memory (Robinson, et al., 2013). The researchers concluded that incorporation of attentive- eating principles could aid in weight loss and maintenance without the need for conscious calorie counting. This doesn’t mean you can meditate with a large pizza and think it is like eating a salad though. This study and or experience at Triple Victor is showing that when athletes think about what they are eating, they tend to make better decisions and consume appropriate amounts.

There are many ways to be mindful when eating. A great practice that pays dividends to training as well are keeping notes in a food journal or your training log. This isn’t as detailed as food calorie counting, but allows you to take a moment to assess what you are eating, the timing, and why. For immediate change you can try removing any distractions during your next meal or changing your environment, such as not eating at your desk during the work day.

To learn more about Triple Victor nutritional practices and guidance sign up for our nutrition webinar - Nutritional Rules for Optimal Performance or sign up for our Nutrition and Wellness Coaching program!

Remember that we limit spots for these services to make sure we offer the best coaching to you. Sign up early to guarantee your spot and begin the next step in a healthier you!

Citations:

Robinson, E., Aveyard, P., Daley, A., Jolly, K., Lewis, A., Lycett, D., & Higgs, S. (2013). Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,97(4), 728-742. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.045245

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About the Author

Coach Dave is a USAT, USAC, HRV Performance, and IRONMAN Certified Coach who has been coaching triathletes since 2016. Coach Dave believes an athlete centric coaching process backed by science and data is the best way to achieve overall wellness and performance. Coach Dave is the head coach of Triple Victor Racing and under his guidance these athletes worked throughout the season to reach a top team ranking with IRONMAN of 7th in the world for 2016. Coach Dave is a 9x time 70.3 and 6x IRONMAN finisher to include qualifying for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Coach Dave is a 4x IRONMAN All-World Athlete, 2x USAT All-American, 2x Team USA member, and finished 2016 ranked #1 in his state for Age Group 30-34. Coach Dave's athletes have raced around the world at every distance and he takes great pride in helping his athletes achieve their wellness and endurance athletic goals. You can learn more about Triple Victor Coaching here.

*The purpose of this article is not to be a general review that is applicable to the endurance athlete and is not meant to take the place of professional coaching or training.

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