4 Easy Tips On How to Recover Quicker After a Long-Distance Triathlon
Wondering how to recover quicker after that long distance triathlon you’ve got coming up so that you can soak up the post-race atmosphere?
No worries, I’ve got you!
In this article, I’ll provide an easy-to-follow recovery framework that will help you plan your recovery nutrition and feel better right after the race and in the following days.
I'll also share my favourite recovery option, which is simple and easy to create but will make a huge difference.
As a Registered Sports Nutritionist, this is one of my favourite topics to discuss. It’s helped my clients change their view of the post-race period from something to dread to something to look forward to and enjoy those feel-good times.
The importance of recovery nutrition
I’ve worked with clients who have emphasized recovery nutrition as they build up their miles for the biggest race of the year.
It’s made a huge impact on their ability to go again, ready for the next session. Their muscles are constantly battered, and we’re using nutrition to keep them feeling strong and having lots of energy.
The exact same approach works after racing, too, so let’s review the framework that I use with my clients to help them recover from triathlons.
How to recover quicker after a long-distance triathlon
Refuel
Imagine your body as a campfire that’s been burning brightly throughout your long-distance triathlon, however long that has taken you.
By the time you cross the finish line, the fire has dwindled to just glowing embers.
Actually let’s be honest, this metaphorical fire has almost completely burned out and it’s feeling a bit beaten up and sad.
To keep that fire alive and get it blazing again, you need to add the right fuel—quick-burning kindling in the form of nutrients.
Just as a fire needs kindling to reignite and restore it, your body needs the right kind of fuel immediately after the race.
That’s why the first part of our triathlon recovery framework is “refuel”.
When you do a long distance tri, your body's glycogen stores, which are its carbohydrate reserves here’s more about glycogen metabolism, are heavily depleted. Refilling these glycogen stores as soon as possible is vital.
The best time to do this is immediately after the race, so having your post-race meal or snack prepared in advance is a good move.
Much like carb-loading before a race, your body will digest and absorb simple carbohydrates more efficiently than complex ones after a race. This means you should choose sports drinks, fruit, or sweets and avoid whole-grain carbohydrates.
It might sound counterintuitive, but it makes a big difference. The optimal amount of carbohydrates in that immediate post-race meal is 1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
It’s worth noting at this point that you might have sweet fatigue, so trying to dial down the sweetness might help.
Liquids are generally well tolerated, and if you use a carbohydrate like maltodextrin and add a good amount of salt, as we’ll discuss later in this article, you can help reduce the sweet factor.
Repair
Carbohydrates play a crucial role in triathlon recovery, but another key nutrient helps repair muscles after a hard workout.
This brings us to the second part of our framework: repair.
After a big day of racing, you need to consume protein, which provides the building blocks for recovery. Protein is an essential part of recovery nutrition—not just for bodybuilders looking to build muscle but also for triathletes wanting to recover well and feel good the next day.
I recommend consuming at least 25 grams of protein, up to about 40 grams, immediately after the race. This range will set you up for optimal recovery.
Think realistically about what you're likely to want to eat post-race. Whether it's a protein shake, some yoghurt, or another source of protein, the key is to consume something that you can enjoy and tolerate after a significant, prolonged effort.
Lots of solid food is generally not practical. I’m encouraging my clients to have this as soon as possible, so we’re talking within the first 30 minutes at minimum, and most triathletes aren’t going to want to eat a load of chicken or fish (the classic protein sources) at that point.
I mean, if that works for you, fair enough, but just consider what is realistic and doable here.
Rehydrate
During a long distance triathlon you are going to sweat, probably a heck of a lot (Understatement? Ha).
The truth is that over an Ironman distance, you can’t replace as much fluid as you lose, so you will finish the race dehydrated.
The third part of our recovery framework is rehydration.
You'll lose water and sodium when you sweat, so your focus post-race should be on replenishing both.
Another triathlon recovery tip I always advise is to consume at least 500ml of fluid per hour for at least 4 hours, with at least 250mg of sodium per 500ml of fluid.
Depending on your sweat rate, you might benefit from consuming more sodium than this, but this is a solid benchmark for most people.
If you follow this, you'll set yourself up well to rehydrate properly and feel much better.
You should aim to start peeing regularly in the hours after your race, with your urine colour transitioning from straw-coloured to clear, which shows you’re rehydrating well.
Rest
The final part of this triathlon recovery framework is rest. Although it's not strictly nutrition-based, rest is incredibly important.
When you’re done with that triathlon, your body is like an empty battery, completely drained of energy. A quick nap or light snack won’t do.
You need proper rest to allow your body to recover fully.
Rest helps repair the muscle tissue damage and mental strain from the race. I've seen too many triathletes try to return to training too soon, which can be really harmful physically and psychologically.
Instead, it's better to have some proper rest time. While I'm not against light movement or easy training, it should be truly light—think about staying at 50% of your maximum heart rate, so easy that your breathing doesn't even change.
Anything more than that is too much, in my opinion. While this depends on your fitness levels, you shouldn’t be trying anything harder than that for a week or at least two.
It’s also worth highlighting that it’s really normal to feel a bit down after the triathlon, and I’ve frequently seen this with my clients.
So much time and effort goes into triathlon training, and life often revolves around it, that once you do this epic challenge, things afterwards feel a bit strange.
That’s okay and normal, but try to remember how good the finish line feels and focus on all your amazing achievements. Give your body the time to mentally and physically recover, be proud of yourself, and give yourself the rest you deserve.
When you’ve properly rested and are mentally ready, you can start training again and consider your next one if you decide you’re up for more pain and suffering!
My Favourite Recovery Setup
My favourite triathlon recovery setup is to prepare my own recovery shake and have it ready immediately after a race.
There are two options for recovery shakes. You could use a supplement like protein powder mixed with maltodextrin, adding 1g of table salt to it.
Or, you could make your own shake with a recipe that provides around 25 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs per kilogram of body weight—those magic numbers that really help with recovery.
This is the shake I recommend to my clients, and it has made a world of difference:
- 30g of oats
- 2 tbsp honey/30g sugar/one banana
- 300ml semi-skimmed milk
- 100-200ml water to preference
- 20g nut butter
- 1g table salt
I also recommend carrying sodium or sport-specific electrolyte tablets with you so that if you’re out and about and not heading straight home, you can just drop them into plain water to stay on top of your sodium intake.
You know, like when you go to the pub afterwards to celebrate 😉
Conclusion
Now you know how to recover properly after an Ironman, and that’s fantastic. But, first, you’ve got to make sure you know how to gear yourself up in the first place to race as well as possible.
You can watch this video on how to fuel an Ironman and take a look at this carb loading plan to learn the ins and outs of long-distance race nutrition and make sure you smash your next race!
