Kunle Odetoyinbo is the official Herbalife Triathlon Academy Nutrition Advisor and has worked with Herbalife as an independent consultant for nearly three years. He has the following advice:

Fatigue can be defined as ‘an inability to perform a required work task’. In endurance events the prevention of the premature onset of fatigue is the most important reason for including an appropriate training and nutritional program into your routine. From a nutritional perspective there are clear priorities in this regard.

The type of food you consume will significantly affect your training and adaptation to training. In addition the type of food consumed will influence your capacity to function in training and competition. The most important substrate to help your muscle convert food energy into mechanical energy is carbohydrate.

Your body stores carbohydrate in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen is the body’s preferred fuel source during endurance activity, unfortunately if this source of energy is depleted your body cannot rely on other sources during physical activity without significant compromise to the activity. It is therefore still the most important aspect of your dietary practice in preparation for this challenge. The following diagram shows how carbohydrates should form the basis of your overall intake in favor of other nutrients.

The amount of carbohydrate consumed will vary between individuals and the following guide maybe useful if using servings as indicated above is a problem for you. The consumption of 6-10g/kg/body weight of carbohydrate is appropriate depending on the amount of training performed. For example if you weigh 70 kg your intake can vary between 420 and 700 grams of carbohydrate per day. This is a guide, the more training you do the more you will require, and the more you consume the better hydrated you will be because the body will store more water when larger amounts of carbohydrate are consumed.

Including a variety of fruits and carbohydrate drinks will also provide you with an ample source of carbohydrate. There are of course different types of carbohydrates which can be taken at different times, we will address this issue when we meet next. At this stage it remains imperative that you make appropriate carbohydrate intake your main priority. Both fat and protein tend to take care of themselves when carbohydrate consumption is appropriate. Achieving the correct balance is not always easy due to lifestyles, circumstance and tolerances, however there are a number of areas where herbalife products can provide an appropriate support mechanism.

Kunle Odetoyinbo is also Director of SPARC (Sports Performance Assessment and Research Consultancy) which provides a service to professional sport governing bodies and individuals and is currently working with three professional football clubs, two rugby clubs and two sport governing bodies.