From Pizza to Nutella: The Surprising Pre-Race Foods That Fuel Elite Triathletes
While many age-group triathletes fret over finding the "perfect" pre-race meal, elite athletes at the 70.3 World Championship are proving that unconventional choices like pizza, Nutella, and even plain baguettes with ham can lead to victory.
Pre-race nutrition anxiety is common among triathletes of all levels. However, the varied approaches of professional athletes reveal that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As 26-time 70.3 champion Ellie Salthouse notes, discovering your optimal pre-race routine comes from "years of trial and error."
This exploration into the pre-race nutrition strategies of six elite triathletes will help you understand the principles behind effective race fueling and inspire you to experiment with your own approach. Based on exclusive interviews with current world champions, Olympians, and multiple 70.3 winners, these insights challenge conventional wisdom while revealing the surprising simplicity behind elite performance.
The Myth of Perfect Pre-Race Nutrition
The traditional "pasta night" has become a staple in triathlon circles, but elite athletes show that this rule isn't universal. What matters more than following prescribed formulas is understanding your individual needs and sticking with what works consistently.
The key insight from professional triathletes is that consistency trumps perfection. Rather than obsessing over the theoretically optimal meal, these athletes have discovered through extensive trial and error what their bodies respond to best—and they stick with it religiously.
This approach challenges the perfectionist mindset that plagues many age-group athletes. Instead of seeking the ideal food combination, focus on finding reliable options that you can execute consistently, regardless of travel constraints or venue limitations.
Six Elite Athletes, Six Completely Different Approaches
Simple and Flexible: Solveig Løvseth's Carb-Forward Strategy
The 2025 Ironman World Champion and Paris Olympian keeps her pre-race nutrition refreshingly uncomplicated. "My eating in race week is very simple," Løvseth explains. "As long as it's something with a lot of carbs, I am good."
- Night before: Pasta, pizza, fried rice, or any carb-rich meal
- Race morning: White bread with Nutella, coffee, banana, sometimes a fuel bar
- Timing: 3-4 hours before start
- Key principle: Simplicity and global availability
Løvseth's flexibility extends to her accommodation strategy—restaurants when staying in hotels, cooking when she has kitchen access. This adaptability is crucial for international athletes who can't control every variable.
Her race morning choice of white bread with Nutella demonstrates practical wisdom: "I think this is a chill breakfast because it's a lot of carbs, and you find this food everywhere."
The Predictable Route: Matt Hanson's Scientific Consistency
As a former exercise science professor turned professional triathlete, Hanson applies academic rigor to his nutrition approach. His strategy centers on predictability and ease of execution.
- Strategy: Plain chicken and rice, with broccoli when full kitchen available
- Race morning: Oatmeal with banana (travels with own oats)
- Philosophy: "Really easy and predictable"
- Unique element: Higher fiber approach that works for his individual physiology
Hanson's commitment to consistency extends to avoiding restaurants during race week, preferring to cook his own meals when possible. This control-focused approach reflects his scientific background and demonstrates that what works varies dramatically between athletes—his higher-fiber breakfast would cause problems for many competitors.
Flavor with Function: Marc Dubrick's Enhanced Approach
Eight-time 70.3 podium finisher Marc Dubrick elevates the basic chicken-and-rice formula with strategic additions that serve multiple purposes.
- Strategy: Chicken and rice with low-fiber vegetables (typically zucchini)
- Secret weapon: Soy or teriyaki sauce for sodium and flavor enhancement
- Completion ritual: Bowl of cereal for dessert
- Team advantage: Real Tri Squad cooking rotation system
- Flexibility: Pizza when dining out
Dubrick's sauce addition is particularly clever—the higher sodium content provides electrolyte loading while making the carb-heavy meal more palatable. His dessert ritual with cereal adds additional carbohydrates in an enjoyable format.
"Not that chicken and rice is hard," he jokes about sharing cooking duties with teammates, but the social aspect of team meal preparation can reduce race week stress.
The Pizza Pioneer: Ellie Salthouse's Restaurant Strategy
Perhaps the most unconventional approach comes from the sport's most successful 70.3 athlete. Salthouse deliberately chooses to eat out before races, but her strategy is far from careless.
- Research phase: "Suss out" pizza places during race week
- Criteria: Basic pizza (Hawaiian or BBQ chicken), not too saucy or spicy
- Timing: 6:30 p.m. the night before
- Race morning precision: Toast with Nutella, banana, coffee, and precisely timed gels
Salthouse's race morning protocol demonstrates the importance of exact timing: three pieces of toast with Nutella 2.5 hours before start, banana and gel one hour prior, caffeinated gel 15 minutes before racing.
"A lot of trial and error has landed me on this eating schedule," she emphasizes, highlighting how her current system evolved over nine years of racing at the highest level.
Minimalist Mastery: Jonas Schomburg's Baguette Philosophy
The most surprising strategy comes from two-time Olympian Jonas Schomburg, whose results speak louder than his unconventional food choices.
- Daily routine: Baguette with ham (and sometimes honey) six times per week
- Race approach: Same meal night before and race morning
- Results validation: 6th at Ironman World Championship, T100 podium
- Philosophy: "I'm not much of a chef"—simplicity by necessity
Schomburg's approach might seem too simple, but his breakthrough season proves that execution matters more than variety. His consistency eliminates decision fatigue and ensures he never encounters unexpected digestive issues.
Vegetarian Innovation: Lizzie Rayner's Coca-Cola Integration
Two-time 70.3 champion Lizzie Rayner faces unique challenges as a vegetarian athlete, leading to creative solutions including strategic Coca-Cola integration.
- Professional guidance: Works with nutrition coach James LeBaigue
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Day before strategy:
- Breakfast: Peanut butter and jelly bagels
- Lunch: Tofu pasta with Coca-Cola
- Dinner: Rice and tofu with Coca-Cola
- Innovation: Cola provides fast carbs without digestive load
- Race morning: Cold rice with agave syrup for quick carbohydrate absorption
Rayner's Coca-Cola strategy emerged from practical necessity: "After my first race of the season, I felt like I wanted to eat less the day before (quantity-wise) as I was struggling with it." The liquid carbohydrates provide energy without the digestive burden of additional solid food.
Key Principles from Pro Strategies
Consistency Over Perfection
Every athlete emphasizes sticking with tested approaches rather than seeking optimization. This principle reduces anxiety and eliminates race-day variables that could cause problems.
Individual Experimentation Requirement
The dramatic differences between these six approaches prove that successful pre-race nutrition is highly individual. What works for one elite athlete may be disastrous for another. Consider working with a professional coach or nutrition specialist to develop your personalized strategy.
Strategic Timing
Most athletes eat their main meal 3-4 hours before race start, allowing sufficient digestion time while maintaining energy availability. Race morning meals typically occur 2-3 hours prior to competition.
Simplicity Wins
Complex meal preparations create opportunities for errors and stress. The most successful athletes choose foods that are easy to find, easy to prepare, and easy to digest.
Backup Planning
Successful athletes consider accommodation types, travel constraints, and local food availability when developing their strategies. Flexibility within structure prevents race week panic.
Common Threads Among Elite Approaches
Despite their surface-level differences, several patterns emerge across all six athletes:
- High carbohydrate emphasis: Every strategy prioritizes carbohydrate intake, though sources vary widely from pizza to rice to baguettes.
- Familiar food focus: Athletes choose foods they've tested extensively rather than experimenting with new options during race week.
- Caffeine timing: Most athletes integrate caffeine strategically, typically on race morning rather than the night before.
- Electrolyte consideration: Whether through sauces, sports drinks, or specific food choices, athletes ensure adequate sodium and electrolyte intake.
- Mental comfort priority: The psychological aspect of nutrition appears as important as the physiological benefits.
- Race morning precision: While night-before meals allow flexibility, race morning protocols are executed with exact timing.
How to Apply Pro Strategies to Your Racing
Start Experimenting During Training
Never test new approaches during race week. Use long training sessions to trial different foods, timing, and combinations.
Consider Your Accommodation Strategy
Plan your nutrition approach based on typical race venue accommodations. If you usually stay in hotels, practice restaurant-based strategies. If you prefer Airbnb rentals, develop cooking-based approaches.
Test Different Timing Windows
Experiment with eating 2-4 hours before long training sessions to find your optimal timing. Some athletes need more digestion time, others perform better with food closer to start time.
Build in Flexibility
Develop primary and backup plans for different scenarios. Know what you'll do if your preferred restaurant is closed or your usual foods aren't available.
Focus on Control
Identify what elements you can control versus those you cannot. Spend energy optimizing controllable factors rather than stressing about perfect optimization.
Document Everything
Keep detailed records of what works and what doesn't. Track not just foods but timing, portions, and how you felt during subsequent training or racing.
Key Takeaways for Your Next Race
The elite triathlon community's approach to pre-race nutrition reveals several crucial insights that challenge conventional wisdom:
- There’s no universal "best" pre-race meal—individual testing and consistency matter more than following prescribed formulas.
- Simplicity often trumps complexity—the most successful athletes choose easy, reliable options over theoretically optimal combinations.
- Mental comfort equals physical preparation—confidence in your food choices reduces anxiety and improves performance.
- Timing and familiarity matter more than specific foods—when and how consistently you eat may be more important than exactly what you eat.
- Elite athletes prioritize what works over what's perfect—results come from execution, not optimization.
