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What do Canada’s Olympic-hopefuls eat in a day?

Have you ever wondered how Canada’s top triathletes fuel in a day? TMC Blogger and pro triathlete Antoine Jolicoeur Desroches interviews our Olympic-hopefuls about their daily diets and favourite cheat meals.

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The road to Rio is a long a tedious process. It requires dedication, hard work in training and of course, proper nutrition. Our Canadian Olympian hopefuls have only had to pay attention to the details when it comes to swimming, biking and running, but also when it comes to fuelling properly and adequately to be healthy and fit for big races. So what do those athletes eat? I asked some of our top short course athletes about their diets and here’s how they responded.

What is your favorite source of carbohydrate?

Tyler Mislawchuk: Bread, preferably French-style baguettes.

Andrew Yorke: Whole wheat Bread

Sarah-Anne Brault: I’d usually go for rice at dinner, but I also love oatmeal!

Amélie Kretz: Quinoa

What is your favorite source of protein?

Tyler Mislawchuk: Favourite is a medium-rare BBQ steak, but most-used is eggs.

Andrew Yorke: Whey protein isolate

Sarah-Anne Brault: Lamb roast. But I can go for eggs most days as well…

Amélie Kretz: Meat, Chicken

Top three foods you must have during a training camp?

Tyler Mislawchuk: Apples, Peanut butter and Coffee

Andrew Yorke: Whey protein isolate, whole grain bread, any kind of meat

Sarah-Anne Brault: Oatmeal, eggs and peanut butter. Not necessary together…

Amélie Kretz: 1. Cereals 2. Peanut butter 3. Greek yogurt

Do you take any food supplements?

Tyler Mislawchuk: I take vitamins when needed to supplement my diet.

Andrew Yorke: Whey protein isolate, iron pills, vitamin B12

Sarah-Anne Brault: I take some iron to make sure I’m not deficient, everything else I like to try to get through normal foods.

Amélie Kretz: I take iron pills, calcium and vitamin D during the winter.

Best smoothie recipe?

Tyler Mislawchuk: Frozen mixed berries, banana, spinach, tablespoon of peanut butter/Nutella, yogurt or when a treat is in order a scoop of ice cream and water to thin.

Andrew Yorke: 1 scoop of whey protein, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, water, splash of milk, 1 banana

Sarah-Anne Brault: I’ve never gotten on the smoothie train…

Amélie Kretz: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana, orange juice.

What do you eat and drink during a long training such as a long bike ride?

Tyler Mislawchuk: I drink mainly water, but take in calories through just about anything — baguette with honey, Eload gels and bars.

Andrew Yorke: Water, banana, any kind of gel.

Sarah-Anne Brault: I’ll usually take a banana with me (nature’s prepackaged food) and some fruit/nut/granola bar. Sometimes Clif Bars (when I’m in the states).

Amélie Kretz: Water with electrolytes and fruits bars.

What is your favourite pre-race meal?

Tyler Mislawchuk: You can never go wrong with a good quality pizza! My favourite would be a mix of chicken, tomatoes, bacon and barbecue sauce.

Andrew Yorke: Water, banana, any kind of gel.

Sarah-Anne Brault: My typical go-to is chicken with rice and vegetables (salad if it’s safe) since it’s easy to make myself or get in a restaurant, has a little bit of everything I need and is easy on the stomach.

Amélie Kretz: Chicken with homemade peanut sauce, sweet potatoes and a bit of salad.

What do you eat the morning of a race?

Andrew Yorke: Cereal, preferably Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk, meal replacement shake, two gels, coffee.

Sarah-Anne Brault: I’m a big oatmeal girl… I usually have it with banana and peanut butter and I’m good to go!

Amélie Kretz: Oatmeal, toasts with Nutella and a coffee.

What do you eat during a race?

Andrew Yorke: Two to three gels, one to two bottles with a sports carb solution.

Sarah-Anne Brault: Some type of sports drink with electrolytes (brand varies) and 2 Gu gels (Just Plain is my best friend)

Amélie Kretz: Eload in my bottle as well as one or two Eload gels.

What do you eat after a race to recover?

Tyler Mislawchuk: Anything I can get my hands on. Typically a good quality hamburger will do the trick.

Andrew Yorke: Whatever I can stomach. My stomach normally hurts after a race and I struggle to get anything down.

Sarah-Anne Brault: Usually the first thing I can get my hands on, or whatever sounds good when my stomach recovers a little bit.

Amélie Kretz: Depends of where I am and what time it is but I always try to have a source of carbohydrates like a fruit and source of protein like greek yogurt.

What do you eat to treat yourself after a race and in the off-season?

Tyler Mislawchuk: The off season usually involves eating anything I crave, ranging from fruit and veggies to fast food and maybe even a few late night raids of the candy cupboard.

Sarah-Anne Brault: I love muffins and slightly sweet baked goods like banana bread or cookies. I also enjoy getting ice cream after races also because everybody loves ice cream. After a race we’ll often go for burgers and fries which is a nice treat.

Amélie Kretz: Self-serve frozen yogurt with some chocolate toppings