Ashleigh Gentle
IRONMAN 70.3® Andorra
Andorra la Vella1stAshleigh's headline numbers
Ashleigh's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy levels felt consistent throughout the race, but I know I can push for more. "
Ash knew that there was a very hilly bike course in Andorra, with 2100m / 6890ft of elevation, and that she would therefore need to consume some extra carbs on the bike to fuel her over the longer duration she’d be on the bike compared to her previous races. She did this by adding an additional PF 30 Gel into her carb-rich bottle, making a ~150g carb solution mixed with a small volume of water - a common strategy she adopts to efficiently carry her race fuel. Overall, Ash still fell short of the recommendations for a race of this intensity and duration, so increasing her intake through gut training remains a key goal for her.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
Ashleigh921mg/L
Ashleigh has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Ashleigh's losses are on the moderate side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as her higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I had to work it out on the fly, as a result of the bottles not fitting on my bike, so I picked up and drank as much as I could at aid stations. "
On the bike, Ash decided not to carry her additional bottle of plain water as the course was hilly and she didn’t want the extra weight. Instead, she was going to pick up a bottle of water at an aid station when she needed it and keep it with her. Unfortunately, the water bottles at the bike aid stations ended up being too big for her bottle cage, so she had to drink what she could and then get rid of the bottles. Despite the seemingly low fluid intake for a middle distance race, Ashleigh has a low sweat rate, meaning she doesn't have to replace as much compared to other athletes. For example, she drank only ~186ml/h at IM 70.3® Oceanside and ~419ml/h in hotter conditions at the European Champs. We would encourage Ash to include at least *some* sodium in her strategy on the run, as this will help replenish some of her losses and better retain the fluid she’s drinking.
Caffeine
Beyond the Three Levers of Performance (carb, sodium and fluid), caffeine is one of only a few substances that is proven to improve performance for most endurance athletes as it can help stave off mental and physical fatigue.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
It may be worth Ash adding another PF 30 Caffeine Gel to her strategy, possibly during or when coming out of T2, as this would put her within the [recommended dosage range]() for caffeine consumption during exercise, helping her to maximise the benefits of the stimulant (such as reduced levels of fatigue and increased alertness).
How Ashleigh hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ashleigh ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I was really happy to take the win here and recover well after last weekend's race. ”
“Ash took the win on this physically and mentally demanding course just a week after finishing second at the European Championships in Denmark. She used a well constructed fueling and hydration plan to proactively replace her low fluid and sodium losses in the heat, despite having to adjust on the fly during the bike leg. ”
PF&HAshleigh's full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
There is some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.