Ashleigh Gentle
IRONMAN 70.3® European Championships
Elsinore2ndAshleigh'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 were mostly good, but there was a slight drop towards the back end of the bike. "
We have seen Ash increase her carb intake throughout the season so far, impressively hitting ~15g more per hour here than at Clash Miami. This is great to see, and given the relative intensity Ash is racing at, we would advise that she continues to push even higher towards the top end of the fueling guidelines, 90g/h. To do this, Ash will require some gut training in race-intensity training sessions to build up her gut’s tolerance to this higher volume of carbs.
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
"The fact that I didn’t pee during the race, but felt like I could’ve, makes me think that I hydrated enough. "
**Pre-race hydration:** Taking on board our recommendations from her previous races at Clash Miami and IRONMAN 70.3® Oceanside, Ash preloaded the morning of the race with a strong electrolyte drink. Her preload involved drinking half a bottle of PH 1000; before future races, we would recommend preloading with PH 1500 mixed with ~500ml (16oz) of water as the extra sodium would help her absorb and retain more fluid to start optimally hydrated.
**Race hydration:** Ash drank PH 1000 on the bike, before taking no sodium on board during the run. Although this equated to a relative sodium concentration much lower than that of her sweat sodium concentration, Ash has increased her sodium intake to replace a greater proportion of her losses compared to her intake during her previous two races. Nevertheless, we would still recommend she continue this trend to replace more of her losses.
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
Ash may want to consider increasing her caffeine intake during races, to reach the recommended dosage and reap the benefits of the stimulant. Practically, she could achieve this by adding one more PF 30 Caffeine Gel to her race strategy.
How Ashleigh hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ashleigh ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I’m really happy with the improvements in my carb, sodium and fluid numbers, and I can feel them helping my performance. ”
“Ash had a fantastic result at the European Championships in Elsinore. We’ve seen a positive increasing trend in her carbohydrate intake and sodium replacement so far this season, and we’re looking forward to seeing further refinements in her fueling, hydration and caffeine strategy. ”
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 good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).