Chadley James' scorecard

IM 70.3® World Championship

Saturday 18th September, 2021

Within recommended ranges

Just outside recommended ranges

Significantly outside recommended ranges

59g

Carb per hour

186mg

Sodium per hour

498ml

Fluid per hour

373mg/L

Relative sodium concentration

0mg

Total caffeine

How Chadley hit those numbers

How Chadley's hydration and fueling went...

After straining his hip abductor in the week before the race, Chadley said he was “disappointed he couldn’t go as hard as he would have wanted”. However, he understandably didn’t want to pull out of the World Champs and pushed through, finishing in a time of 5 hours and 7 minutes

Hydration

The relative sodium concentration of Chadley’s intake on race day was ~373mg/L. We don’t know Chadley’s exact sweat sodium concentration as he is yet to have a Sweat Test but he has completed an online Sweat Test which indicated that he is a very 'salty sweater'
Therefore, ~373mg/L is a low concentration for a 'salty sweater' and we would recommend he increases his sodium intake up from the 186mg per hour he managed in this race, especially in hotter conditions. One reason for his low sodium intake was because he didn’t finish his PH 1500 drink as a result of the stormy conditions on the bike leg and he understandably prioritised safety
However, he didn’t take any sodium during the run and so he could consider using Electrolyte Capsules to take in, alongside the water he picks up at aid stations, to help increase his sodium intake
Despite the poor weather conditions during the bike leg, Chadley was able to drink ~2.55L (~86oz) in total. He peed twice during the race, once on the bike and once on the run, suggesting he hydrated adequately
He did experience some cramping early on when exiting the water which led him to stop and stretch but we don’t attribute this to his fueling or hydration status given the timing and his good pre-race practices

Fueling

Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation

30g

carb 30 mins before

60-90g

carb per hour during

Chadley enjoyed an excellent pre-race breakfast consisting of oats with granola, honey and banana, a black coffee and a PH 1500 tablet in 500ml (16oz) water (textbook per our preloading protocols). He also took a PF 30 gel just prior to the race start; alongside his carb rich breakfast this will have made sure his fuel stores were well topped up before the starting gun went off
For a race of this duration and intensity, the Quick Carb Calculator recommended that Chadley consume between 60-90g of carb per hour. Chadley consumed ~59g/hr - just below the recommended range but still a decent amount which he believed was “enough”, saying he “felt strong”
This was made up of a higher ~67g/hr on the bike and ~54g/hr on the run; this slight tapering in consumption is common in races of this length as triathletes often prefer to ‘front load’ their carb intake when it’s easier to get fuel on board during the bike leg
Having said that, Chadley could consider undergoing some gut training in order to increase his carb intake towards the higher end of the range as evidence suggests this to be beneficial for performance and recovery, as long as this can be achieved without any gastrointestinal issues
Chadley experienced no GI issues during this race, rating his GI comfort as 10 out of 10, where 10 is no discomfort all day. He also mentioned that his energy levels were ‘pretty good’ at around an 8 or 9 out of 10 (10 being great energy all day)

Conclusions

Overall, Chadley enjoyed his race at the World Champs despite the slight injury he picked up in the week prior to the race. His pre-race nutrition was excellent, fueling well and preloading to make sure he started the race well hydrated
His carb intake was decent but could be increased further to push towards the higher end of our recommended range to aid performance, if this can be sustained while avoiding GI issues. Chadley could also look to increase his sodium intake especially when race conditions are hot, especially as evidence would suggest he is likely to be a 'salty sweater'

Key info

Chadley James

Male

Result

Position

130th

Overall Time

5:07:43

Swim Time

0:35:35

Bike Time

2:43:09

Run Time

1:40:28

Event information

Sport

Triathlon

Discipline

Middle distance

Event

IM 70.3® World Championship

Location

St George, Utah, USA

Date

18th September, 2021

Website

Show me

Swim Distance

1.9km / 1.2mi

Bike Distance

90.1km / 56.0mi

Run Distance

21.1km / 13.1mi

Total Distance

113.1km / 70.3mi

Bike Elevation

835m / 2,740ft

Run Elevation

833m / 2,733ft

Total Elevation

1,668m / 5,472ft

Race conditions

Weather Conditions

Hot

Precipitation

Rain

Min Temp

20°C / 68°F

Max Temp

30°C / 86°F

Avg Temp

25°C / 77°F

Humidity

45%

Athlete feedback

Race Satisfaction

10/10

Hydration rating

7/10

Energy levels

8/10

Toilet stops

Yes

Twice, once on the bike and once on the run

GI comfort

10/10

Cramping

Severe cramps that caused me to stop before I could continue

Chadley's Thoughts

Disappointed I couldn’t go as hard as he would have wanted but beautiful location, crowd and volunteers. Nothing to complain about

Chadley's full stats

	Carbohydrate (g)	Sodium (mg)	Fluid (ml)	Caffeine (mg)	Relative sodium concentration (mg/L)
Overall
Total intake	301	950	2,550	0	Relative sodium concentration (mg/L)	373
Per hour	59	186	498	0		373
Bike and Run
Total intake	271	950	2,550	0	373
Per hour	62	217	582	0	373
Bike
Total intake	181	950	1,550	0	613
Per hour	67	350	571	0	613
Run
Total intake	90	0	1,000	0	0
Per hour	54	0	600	0	0

Data Confidence

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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