Is Fast Food Good for Your Recovery?

Good morning everyone,

This time next week, I’ll be delivering the newsletter from West Palm Beach, Florida. My wife and I have been invited to participate in the inaugural Bill Bone Olympic Triathlon weekend, and we’re both super excited to get on the ground and meet a new community of athletes!

Big thanks to Bill Bone for bringing us out to his event! He’s a successful trial lawyer who also specializes in bicycle law 🙌 and is also what I would call an endurance patron. Along with the Olympic Tri, Bill also sponsors a sprint tri, cycling fondos, and gravel races!

• The sport is built on grassroots events like his, and having folks like him invest in the sport is critical to the overall triathlon ecosystem.

We'd love to see you if you’re racing or in the area. On Friday, March 4th Bill is hosting a pre-race party (details here). And on Saturday March 5th, Kirsten and I will be doing a free Open Water stroke and skills clinic (respond for details if you want to attend!)

In today’s edition:

• 🍟 Is fast food good for your recovery?

• 🤧 What are the secrets to avoiding allergies this season?

• 💪 And how strong is your core?

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

TRAINING THOUGHT

Is Fast Food Good for Your Recovery?

As athletes we always want to do our best to train hard and recover well. The “Instagram” version of recovery looks like the perfectly timed post-run smoothie - probably green - with the optimized amount of micro, macro, and nano nutrients.

• But reality can often look like the drive-thru in your sweaty bike gear…We've all been there.

• Thankfully, those bags of fries may be just as effective as a highly refined sports nutrition product!

According to a study in the Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, the findings suggest there is no difference between fast food and sports nutrition products for post-training glycogen recovery and overall exercise performance.

The study 👇

• 👉 11 male athletes completed two experimental trials.

• 🚲 They completed a 90-minute glycogen depletion ride followed by a 4-hour recovery period.

• 🍟 The athletes were given similar carb/protein/fats as either sports nutrition or fast food after the depletion.

• 🩸 Blood samples showed no difference in blood glucose or insulin responses. And there was no difference in glycogen recovery across the diets.

Essentially, the results found that if you need to recover quickly from racing/training, and fast food is your only option, then don't feel bad about taking down those quick calories!

• A caveat is that this study was only conducted on men. Hopefully future research includes female athletes!

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Is There One Supplement You NEED to be Taking?

What does “futureproofing” triathlon mean for you.

And will the T100 be able to capitalize on IRONMAN’s broadcast boondoggle?

All this and more in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks podcast. 

Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,

• Training tips to make you faster,

• And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!

Don’t miss a moment; listen Tempo Talks on Apple, Spotify, and more! 

FAVORITES

🍝 New rules of carbo loading: “A massive plate of pasta the night before the race should do the job!” Yes, if this was 1985. But with our better understanding of sports nutrition now, it time for the new rules of carbo loading. But what are they? And do they apply differently to men and women? Find out here! [Triathlete]

💪 Core strength test: Having a strong core is the foundation of performance and moving well. But how do you know if your core is strong? Or if it needs specific work? This article breaks down three core strength tests that help determine if your core is ready to rumble! [Dynamic Sports Therapy]

🤧 Allergies upon us: For many athletes, winter is making a steady transition towards allergy season! So how can you avoid the worst of the spring sniffles? This article has a Dr.’s key advice on how to navigate allergy season, and get the most out of your training! [Run Street]

😩 Back pain relief: If you’ve suffered from back pain you know just frustrating it can be for your training and overall quality of life. So what treatments can actually help your back feel better? Sadly, according to this article, there aren’t many effective options- except for this one! [New York Times]

REEL TIME

We’ve all had this feeling at some point on the park path right?!? ✈️🎯😆

all_run_and_games

43K followers

View more on Instagram

RACE WEEKEND

IRONMAN South Africa

The second race of the IRONMAN Pro Series is the first full distance, which means maximum points are on offer and the winners will automatically lead the Pro Series.

• And after last weekend’s broadcast boondoggle, IRONMAN will be looking for a broadcast win!

The women’s race features blue chip full-distance athletes like Marta Sanchez (ESP), Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN), and Anna Bergsten who could battle all the way to the final miles!

• And the men’s race sees long course stalwarts like Magnus Ditlev (DEN), Leon Chevalier (FRA), and Matt Hanson (USA) clash with short course stars Martin Van Riel (BEL) and Jamie Riddle (ZAF).

Watch live: Sunday Mar 30 6am SAST/ 4am GMT / 12am EST. Watch live and free at proseries.ironman.com, YouTube, Outside TV, DAZN, & more.

Full start lists here 

QUICK NEWS

Supertri x Canada: Supertri has acquired yet another North America race, this time in Canada! This summer the long-running Toronto Triathlon Festival will now be under the By Supertri umbrella! [Supertri]

ON academy: The Swiss shoe juggernaught ON has co-launched a triathlon academy with the goal of developing the next generation of athletes, allowing them to chase their dreams! [ON]

Incredible mum: A World Champion? This mother of six from Portsmouth is aiming to do just that. And her motto? “You don’t know what you’re capable of till you do it!” [Portsmouth.co]

Rudisio revelation: For the next three years the town of Rudisio, New Mexico will host the XTERRA World Championships. And troubling times filled with fires and devastation, the town is ready for it! [KRQE]

Fast footballer: Portugal and Real Madrid legend Luis Figo will be taking on a triathlon with a twist this summer, and he’ll have a few other famous footballers join him! [Daily Mail]

TEMPO EXCLUSIVE ARCHIVE

• Are you making the four most-common nutrition mistakes?

• Is Tart Cherry Juice really your next (legal) performance enhancer?

• After recent high-profile deaths, how safe are triathlons?

LATEST EDITIONS

• IRONMAN’s broadcast boondoggle, and key swimming muscles! 

• How to properly fuel your long runs!

• A CEO’s incredible story, Plus: is FTP dead?