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Chadley James

IRONMAN 70.3® World Championship

18th September, 2021
USA
St George, Utah
Other, M35-39
Triathlon, Middle distance - 113.1km
25°C
, Hot
5hrs 7mins
more race details

Chadley's headline numbers

?
?
?
~59
g
Carb per hour
Recommended 90g/h+
~498
ml
Fluid per hour
Recommended 250-750ml/h
~373
mg
Sodium per litre
Recommended 800-1200mg/L
0
mg
Total caffeine

Chadley's strategy

Fueling

Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.

Carb-rich meal
?
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
pre-fueled
?
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
Carb per hour
Recommended 90g/h+
~59
g
Chadley's Energy Rating
8
/10
"Although it was lower than ideal, I believed my intake was enough as I felt strong."
Our thoughts

Despite his perception, Chadley’s average carb intake of 59g/h was below the scientific recommendations for a race of this distance and duration. There’s clear scientific evidence suggesting a strong relationship between higher carb intakes and enhanced performance and recovery, if it can be achieved whilst avoiding GI issues. So, it’s worth Chadley working on training his gut to tolerate more carbs to see if he can reap the benefits on race day.

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.

Pre-loaded electrolytes
?
T - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
Fluid per hour
Recommended 250-750ml/h
~498
ml
Sodium per litre
Recommended 800-1200mg/L
~373
mg
Chadley's Hydration Rating
7
/10
"I think I hydrated well in this race. "
Our thoughts

Given that Chadley reports being a very salty sweater, his intake of ~373mg of sodium per litre of fluid during this race, was likely insufficient. He may want to consider getting a Sweat Test to help him dial in his numbers, and we’d recommend increasing his sodium intake in future races, especially those in hotter conditions where his sweat losses will be amplified. Given that the stormy conditions meant he wanted to focus on safety and his bike handling, Chadley didn’t finish his bottle of PH 1500 during the bike leg, contributing to the lower than ideal sodium intake. He could also consider using Electrolyte Capsules on the run to supplement the water he picks up to better support his sweat sodium losses and increase his sodium intake, and potentially reduce the likelihood of suffering from cramping in future races, like he did here.

How Chadley hit his numbers

Here's everything that Chadley ate and drank on the day...

Chadley's weapons of choice

Final thoughts

Chadley's Satisfaction Rating
10
/10
I’m disappointed I couldn’t go as hard as I’d have wanted, but the beautiful location, crowd and volunteers meant I have nothing to complain about.
Chadley
It’s great to hear Chadley really enjoyed his race at the IRONMAN 70.3® World Championships and that he was able to compete even though he picked up a slight injury in the week prior to the race. His carb intake could be increased further to help support his performance and Chadley could also look to increase his sodium intake, especially when racing conditions are hot.
PF&H

Chadley's full stats

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?
?
Overall
301g total carb
59g per hour
2,550ml total fluid
498ml per hour
950mg total sodium
186mg per hour
373mg
Sodium per litre
Bike and Run
Bike
Run

Data Confidence
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We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
1
2
3
4
5

There is an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.

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