As a triathlete, it often feels like there's never enough time in the day to juggle training, work, family, and social life. It's easy to get overwhelmed and neglect other aspects of life, such as your nutrition. It’s often the first ball that gets dropped when we’re busy and stressed.

To help you, here are 6 simple nutrition hacks that can help you reclaim your time without compromising on your nutrition. Pick one and implement it RIGHT AWAY to save at least 2 hours each week.

1. Set Aside Dedicated Meal Planning Time

One of the most effective ways to save time during your busy week is by setting aside dedicated meal planning time. Make it a priority to carve out a specific time each week, put it in your calendar or diary, and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment that you must stick to.

Meal planning helps you stay organised and eliminates the need to think about what to cook on the fly.

If you're unsure where to start, you can download our free meal...

Why You’re a Tired Triathlete All the Time and How to Find More Energy

Do you feel tired and fatigued constantly as a triathlete?

Of course you do - you’re training for three sports! But you shouldn't be completely wiped out all the time.

Let’s explore the common reasons of constant tiredness and fatigue experienced by many triathletes. Specifically, we'll discuss why you're feeling tired all the time and, more importantly, how to find that much-needed energy boost to power through your training sessions. 

Understanding Normal Tiredness

While feeling tired due to triathlon training is expected due to the physical demands of three sports, it is important to recognise when exhaustion goes beyond normal limits. 

Pushing yourself to the point of complete exhaustion is not sustainable or healthy. You should not be completely wiped out all the time, even during full distance or Ironman training. 

By evaluating your current state of tiredness, you can...

Having a smooth and efficient transition is crucial in a triathlon to save time and maintain momentum. 

Practice and preparation are key to a faster transition. By implementing these tips and refining your routine, you can improve your efficiency and save valuable time during a triathlon transition.

1. Organise your gear

Lay out your equipment in a logical order so that everything is easily accessible. Arrange your items in a sequence that matches the order in which you will need them during the transition.

• It’s bike then run, so don’t have your shoes sitting in your helmet. 
• Put your helmet on your bike, top down, straps out, ready to chuck on your head.
• Where is it best to put your sunnies?  Inside your helmet to put on first or tucked into the outside to put on while you’re riding?
• When to put your race number on? When is it needed?  Do you clip it on your race belt for when you start to run? Or under your wetsuit (if needed for the...

Liz Blatchford is one of the world's most successful triathletes of all time.

Blatchford’s 18 year racing career began in the ITU circuit in 2000 and transitioned to long course racing in 2012, winning her first Ironman at Cairns in 2013. Her career boasts victories in various 70.3 races, Ironman Cairns, and the Ironman World Championships in Kona. To top off an epic career, she was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2022. 

Blatchford attributes her success in triathlon to her nutrition, gut training, and trust in the professionals around her. Her approach challenges the current trend in triathlon of carbohydrate restriction and emphasises the importance of individualised training and nutrition strategies.

Blatchford recalls working with her sports dietitian, Greg Cox, to dial up her carbohydrate intake to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per hour on the bike, a level that Taryn notes is considered "way up there" for most athletes. Blatchford says...

Blood Tests for Triathletes - What, When & How Often Should You Get Checked for Optimal Performance?

As an endurance athlete, it's important to maintain optimal health and performance levels. One way to check that you’re doing that is to get regular blood tests.

I was asked recently by one of the triathletes in our Dietitian Approved Crew Facebook group my thoughts on the value of blood tests, as there are a lot of companies spruiking these across many platforms at the moment.  While we go into this in depth in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, I thought it was important enough to share with everyone.

Blood tests can help detect any potential problems early on and allow you to make necessary changes to your diet and training regimen. However, it's important to know which blood tests are necessary and why and, equally as important, how to interpret the results.

First and foremost, the purpose of getting blood tests is prevention. By catching any potential health...

Lessons from Ultraman Australia with Denise Wilson

Are you wondering what kind of challenge or adventure can push your limits? Ultraman Australia is a triathlon in its longest form, that can take you on a crazy and intense adventure. 

ULTRAMAN AUSTRALIA -  Is a 3 day, 515km/ 320 miles, ultra-endurance event

• 10km swim (6.2 miles)
• 421.1km bike (261.4 miles)
• 84.3km run (52.4miles)

In a recent podcast, Taryn interviewed one of the Academy's athletes, Denise Wilson, who has taken up the challenge of Ultraman Australia, a triathlon that involves a 10km swim and a 140 km ride with 1500m of climbing on Day One. Day Two is a 283 km ride with similar climbing and Day Three tops it all off with a double marathon (with hills)!

Denise, who is 59 years old this year, ran her first marathon in 2007 and took up triathlon in 2012. In order to do Ultraman, you need to qualify and do an Ironman in a timeframe of 14 1/2 half hours. So Denise gave up all the running and learned...

Life of an Elite Australian Triathlete with Emma Jeffcoat

Australian elite triathlete Emma Jeffcoat shares her journey into triathlon, what it's like being an elite triathlete and her insights into how nutrition played (and still plays) a crucial role in her success.

Emma has achieved amazing feats, including competing in Tokyo 2020, being named the Australian Elite National Champion in 2021, the Australian Elite Super Sprint Champion in 2021, taking gold in the Tizzy World Cup, the Abu Dhabi mixed team relay, the Mooloolaba World Cup, bronze in the Hamburg WTS mixed team relay World Championships in 2019, and winning numerous other races.

She came from a strong swim-focused background, having competed in Surf Life Saving and swimming at the national level. Emma's first triathlon was in Year 12, and she enjoyed it but was fully invested in Surf Life Saving. It wasn't until later, when her coach asked her what she really wanted to do, that she considered triathlon...

The Secrets to a Successful Short-Course Race Season with Triathlete Leigh Yong

Leigh Yong, a triathlete and clinical physiotherapist based in Victoria, Australia, was recently featured on the Triathlon Nutrition  Academy podcast hosted by Taryn Richardson. 

Leigh shared her triathlon journey, starting from a mini triathlon in Barwon Heads to completing a full Ironman race after three years of training (thanks COVID!). She mentioned that although the Ironman race was a great achievement, she realised that she enjoyed short-course triathlons better, which led her to focus on sprint and Olympic distance events in the 2XU Tri Series. Leigh's endurance base, along with a focus on nutrition, helped her achieve faster times and better results in her age group, with three 5th places and two 3rd place podiums, and a 4th overall ranking in the series.

She shared how, after joining the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, learning how to be nutrition wise and changing her...

Athlete Case Study: From Cyclist to Triathlete with Steve Duquette

Being a cyclist before getting into triathlon, Steve has valuable insights to share about the nutritional challenges that come with training for three sports instead of one.

Recent podcast guest, Steve Duquette, is a Canadian triathlete from Ontario. Steve has been participating in triathlon for a couple of years and is now preparing to take on his first 70.3 this year. 

When asked about how he fell in love with triathlon, Steve revealed that he was intrigued by the challenge of doing three sports. He was introduced to the sport through his cycling friends who were also participating in triathlons. Steve completed three events last year, including a sprint, a half Ironman, and an Olympic distance. He said he was proud of himself for finishing all three events, but he knew he needed help because he had difficulty completing the runs. Steve sought the help of the Academy program and has been a member...

Can Chocolate Improve Endurance Sports Performance?

It's the Easter long weekend and what better time to talk about chocolate and sports performance.

But before we dive into the topic, let me introduce myself. My name is Taryn, and I am an Advanced Sports Dietitian with a passion for endurance sports. I have been helping athletes of all levels achieve their nutrition goals for over a decade now. If you're interested in improving your triathlon nutrition, I invite you to grab my Triathlon Nutrition Checklist, which is available for free at dietitianapproved.com/checklist. It's a 50-step checklist that covers everything from pre-workout meals to post-race recovery.

Now, let's talk about chocolate. I know it's not something you would typically associate with triathlon nutrition, but hear me out. In 2015, a paper was published exploring the idea of chocolate and performance, and I think it's worth discussing again. While chocolate is high in calories and sugar,...