Author and graduation date: Erin O'BRIEN, December, 2001

Committee members: Mark Kern (Chair), Michael Buono, Judy Price

Thesis title: Training Habits and Dietary Intake of Triathletes

The uniqueness of the triathlon event has prompted investigations on the nutritional and physiological demands of its participants. The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the training, dietary and supplementation habits of elite and non-elite male and female triathletes. as well as to provide descriptive information on these triathletes using a comprehensive questionnaire. The reliability of the training, dietary and supplementation questions was assessed and deemed reliable for 27 subjects who completed the questionnaire twice over a 1-month period. Furthermore, the dietary intake data was validated using a 4-day diet record in 19 participants. Additionally, the 4-day diet records were used to determine nutrient intake. Results indicated that men and women had similar training practices. Females consumed more vegetables than males. Men reported consuming more liquid supplements than women. Trends indicated elite subjects trained more, consumed more food and supplemented more than non-elite athletes. Although daily food group servings did not vary with training volume, subjects who trained more used more gel and liquid supplements than those who trained less frequently. The 4-day food records suggest that the average diet of the triathletes consisted of 17% protein, 60% carbohydrate, and 22 % fat. Men consumed significantly more fat than the females (73 + 16 and 38 + 14 grams/day, respectively), however. Subjects met the RDA of all but four vitamins and minerals, and micronutrient intakes were similar between the genders. The dietary intake data obtained suggest that this population is consuming foods in general accord with current recommendations. Additionally, as expected, elite triathletes utilize a greater volume of training and dietary supplements than non-elite triathletes.

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