Triathlon
How I fuel: Lucy Charles-Barclay
Ever wondered what a top triathlete eats? Lucy Charles-Barclay reveals her nutrition strategy.
For an Ironman triathlete like Lucy Charles-Barclay, knowing how to fuel your body can be the difference between victory and failure.
When she’s not competing in the gruelling event – which involves a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a (literal) marathon 26.22-mile run – she’s training for it. Staying on top of her nutrition game is therefore vital. Here she reveals just how she does it...
What do you eat on a typical training day? Take us through your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
My go-to breakfast is a bowl of porridge. It provides slow-release energy and I know my body responds well to it. For lunch, I aim to eat food with a high fat content. I usually go for something like eggs and avocado with chicken and rice. At dinner, my husband Reece and I like to cook in big batches. We often include sweet potato or will make a large portion of spag bol or a curry.
I love snacks! My favourite is the Fresh Fitness protein bars – they taste like Snickers but are made with dates and nuts.
Lucy has a can of Red Bull in her pre-race strategy to provide focus
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
How many calories do you aim to consume daily?
I don’t count calories. As long as I feel as though I have enough energy, I go with that. I really love food, so it’s probably a good thing that I do an endurance sport!
What do you eat for breakfast on the morning of an event?
I stick to my usual bowl of porridge, as I know that works for me and I’ve tested it. Sometimes I’ll add plain white toast with peanut butter. I like caffeine, so I’ll drink a cup of tea and coffee, too. It’s important to keep your diet as normal as possible for an event.
Before the event, while I’m getting ready to race, I’ll have my first Red Bull of the day. It switches my focus on. I’ll also have a gel around 15 minutes before the start of the race. I know then that when the gun goes, I’m ready to go.
Lucy starts her day with trusty porridge and coffee before an event
© James Mitchell / Red Bull Content Pool
Lucy needs a careful strategy to stay energised for Ironman's
© Graeme Murray / Red Bull Content Pool
How do you fuel during an Ironman event? What do you eat between (and during) your swim, cycle and run?
It’s important to start getting hydrated after 50 minutes in the water. So after the swim [in the first transition], I have a quick swig of an electrolyte drink. I can carry up to two litres of fluid on my bike in one go – I drink a sugary mix of water and electrolytes from a straw attached to a special in-built bottle at the back of my bike. I also carry water in the front of my bike, and make sure I drink anything the race organisers give out on the course.
I drink Red Bull near the end of the bike section when I’m starting to flag and need a boost
While I’m cycling, I eat solid food, like a bite of a Snickers bar or jelly cubes. It feels good to chew something, rather than just drink. I set a timer and drink something every 15 minutes and eat every 30 minutes. I drink Red Bull near the end of the bike section when I’m starting to flag and need a boost. It’s hard to carry cans on the bike, so I pour my Red Bull into vials and drink from these.
In the second transition [between the bike and the run], I take on plenty of water. Then, during the marathon, I’ll eat six gels, spaced out along the run. You’re limited by what you can carry during the run, so I make sure I take everything I can from aid stations.
She drinks water every 15 minutes and eats every 30 when on the bike
© Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool
What do you eat after an event as a recovery meal? Do you treat yourself?
I’ll have a shake pretty much straight away after crossing the finish line. I almost never want it but it’s important to get some fuel back in. After the race, I usually crave pizza but I can never stomach it so close to the end of the race.
It’s really difficult to eat after putting yourself through that level of exertion so I usually just go to bed! But the next day, I have a huge appetite. I’ll usually polish off scrambled eggs on toast… then anything else I can get my hands on. Normally, I refuel on protein and carbs, but I also crave fresh fruit because I have to reduce my fibre intake – including fresh fruit – before racing to avoid potential stomach issues. A juicy orange is my absolute favourite.
What’s your all-time favourite meal?
It’s got to be a chicken curry. I love going to an Indian restaurant and getting poppadoms, naan bread and all the trimmings. I like to experiment with spice but I don’t like it too hot. If you rated my spice tolerance on the Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce scale, I’d be a medium.
If we were coming over for a fancy dinner, what would you cook for us?
Spaghetti bolognese. But not just any old spag bol. I make mine with coconut oil, which works really well and makes the mince taste extra good. That’s my secret ingredient.