• The Precision Fuel & Hydration Sports Science team attended the inaugural PTO Canadian Open to analyse the fueling strategies of some of the best triathletes in the world and we were stoked to see Ashleigh Gentle come out on top to win the ladies’ pro race
• Ash had what she described as a “career best” swim followed by a solid technical bike leg, before clocking the fastest run split of the day to top the podium ahead of home favourite Paula Findlay and USA’s Chelsea Sodaro
• We’ve been working with Ash to refine her fuel and hydration plan for middle-distance racing during the 2022 season and she executed her personalised strategy with great success in Edmonton

Hydration

• With forecast hot temperatures for the race, Ash knew preloading to ensure she was properly hydrated ahead of the race would be very important. So, she drank our strongest electrolyte drink - PH 1500 - in 500ml/16oz of water on the morning of the race. This will have maximised her blood plasma volume and made sure that she was well hydrated by the time she got to the swim start
• After a fantastic swim performance (27:50), Ash got onto the bike with a gel mix containing ~300ml/10oz of water and a ~750ml/24oz bottle of PH 1000 (Drink Mix). Over the course of the two hour bike leg, she finished the whole gel mix and had ~600ml/20oz of the PH 1000 bottle
• On the four-lap run, Ash took most opportunities to cool herself down in the ~26℃/79°F heat and high humidity (79%) by pouring plain water from aid stations over herself. On a few occasions, Ash took a sip of water, drinking ~150ml/5oz in total over the 18km run - which she completed in a blistering time of 1:03:17!
• This meant Ash drank ~1.05L/36oz overall during the race which equates to an average of ~300ml/10oz per hour. Although this seems like a low intake in hot and humid conditions, particularly on the run (~143ml/3oz per hour compared to ~458ml/15oz per hour on the bike), we know Ash has a low sweat rate and can therefore cope well in the heat while taking on very little fluid. We’ve seen her do this at a number of hot races, most recently when she won IM 70.3 Andorra in ~27℃/80°F while taking on an average of ~319ml/h (~11oz/h)
• In terms of sodium, Ash replaced her moderate sweat sodium losses (~921mg/L) by drinking PH 1000 from her ~750ml/24oz bottle on the bike. With the additional plain water she took on board on the run, the relative sodium concentration of her intake was ~571mg/L, similar to what we’ve seen her achieve at Oceanside, Elsinore and Andorra after recommending she increase her sodium following Clash Miami
• This hydration strategy worked well for Ash on race day and helped her avoid any hydration-related issues during a race weekend that saw several athletes struggle with cramp
• Reflecting on the race, Ash told us that she was happy with her fluid and sodium intake and wouldn’t have changed a thing

Fueling

Conclusions

• Ash produced a superb performance at the first ever PTO Canadian Open and said “it’s going to take a while to sink in” but that she is “really proud of this result and the way I raced”
• She nailed her hydration and fueling over the 100km course, hitting her best ever carbohydrate per hour intake
• It’s fantastic to see Ash’s hard work paying off and we can’t wait to see her go again in the other PTO Tour races later this year!