Most triathlete women with a reasonable level of triathlon training behind them know about the fantastic health boost that comes from correct diet and training. Whether it is a reduction in stress or even from weight loss, the byproducts of regular swimming, cycling and running are what get us out of bed early to do a scheduled workout, or train after working all day, even if we do not feel like it.
Although there is much positive reaction within the body to these daily workout actions, there are also some more negative ones that everyone should be aware of and know what to do to go about reducing them.
The strain of high aerobic activity causes oxidization, or body cell stress, which is why you may often become tired and experience muscle soreness after a hard workout. To train at a high level requires that your body uses a large amount of oxygen, the result of which is free radicals that cause cell damage. Add to that training in the heat and pollution of a big city, and also the stress hormone release caused by exercising and there is a lot of free radical damage going on in the average triathlete’s body.
So is there anything that can be done to combat the internal damage caused by exercising?
You will probably not be surprised to hear that antioxidants are what we need to essentially “clean up” the free radicals and also stop them from forming in the first place. As a busy triathlete you need to constantly replenish your antioxidant levels so that there are always more of them than there are free radicals, but this requires constantly consuming enough of the right nutrients.
Like everything to do with nutritional research, the best way to do something often has many different points of view, and they all believe that they are right. It seems that many triathlon coaches and nutritionists currently believe that a combination of whole foods and additional nutritional supplements are what a hard training triathlete needs to properly fight free radicals. The levels recommended for regular people who do not train hard is much lower than the amounts a triathlete needs.
It always comes back to this one thing, and it is very basic, our Mothers told us so and scientific study bears it out, eat your fruits and vegetables!
These foods are packed with antioxidants, and so every triathlete needs to make sure that they are getting enough to help fight off disease and recover from those long hard workouts.
As a rough guide I have listed some foods that are full of antioxidants to give you an idea of what you should be eating on a regular basis to help boost your levels and fight the free radicals in your system.
As with any health, food or supplement advice, you should always consult with your Doctor before trying anything new.
Spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, green peppers, berries, citrus fruits, raw cabbage, mixed nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, fish liver oils, raw wheat germ, whole grain cereals, chicken, milk, seafood, eggs, beans, peas.
This is not an exhaustive list, but enough to give you an idea so you can see if you are falling short in the antioxidant department. Get out to your local supermarket and stock up now, and keep away from processed foods or anything that does not come directly from mother nature.
