• One of the Precision Fuel & Hydration Sports Science team, Chris AKA ‘Minty’, had a solid race at the Swashbuckler 70.3, securing his first overall race win in a middle-distance triathlon
• The weather forecast predicted hot temperatures, so Chris knew a robust hydration and fueling strategy was essential to ensure he raced to his full potential
• Chris nailed his strategy and finished the race saying “I probably could have carried on a fair bit longer, I had so much energy”. In contrast, he saw several athletes who didn’t get it quite right, with the run course being “littered with people cramping and generally struggling with the heat”
• Chris wore a Continuous Glucose Monitor from Supersapiens which together with the Supersapiens energy band that he carried with him, allowed him to to collect live glucose readings throughout the race

Hydration

• Chris made sure he started the race optimally hydrated by preloading with ~500ml/16oz PH 1500 (Tablet) the night before and the morning of the race. This will have ensured his sodium levels were optimally topped up, meaning his fluid retention and blood plasma volume were maximised, reducing the strain on his cardiovascular system during the race
• During the bike, Chris consumed ~1.25L (42oz) of fluid, which contained ~2,850mg of sodium, giving him an average relative sodium concentration of ~2,280mg/L
• Considering Chris’s sweat sodium concentration is 1,433mg/L, this concentration of drinks may appear a little high, but Chris knew there weren’t many drinks stations on the run course, so treated the bike as an opportunity to preload for the run. In future, Chris could consider reducing his relative sodium concentration on the bike and taking some Electrolyte Capsules with him on the run to keep his sodium intake more stable
• Unfortunately, as Chris neared the end of his first lap on the bike he dropped a 750ml/24oz bottle containing one PH 1500 (Tablet), and as he had just finished his other bottle, this meant he rode the second lap without any fluid. Luckily, he spotted his bottle on the ground as he neared the end of the bike so stopped to pick it up, knowing how crucial hydrating was going to be before starting the run
• Once onto the run, Chris picked up cups of water from the aid stations to drink, and also poured several over his head to keep himself cool as temperatures rose to ~29℃/ 84℉
• In total, Chris drank ~2.62L/92oz of fluid throughout the entire race, averaging ~605ml/20oz per hour. This was split into ~536ml/16oz per hour on the bike and ~913ml/30oz per hour on the run. Usually we’d expect Chris’s fluid intake to be lower on the run compared to the bike, but as the temperatures rose throughout the race, Chris stopped at all six aid stations to ensure he got enough fluid on board
• Chris rated his hydration strategy 7/10, saying “if I had executed my plan it would have been 10/10, but riding for an hour with nothing to drink was sub-optimal”

Fueling

Conclusions

• Chris raced hard from the gun, leading out of the swim and never looking back as he battled solo for the remaining ~4 hours
• This is the highest amount of carbs Chris has hit during a race. Positively, he rated his GI comfort 10/10 which suggests he was comfortably tolerating these carb quantities
• Racing well in the heat is something Chris was always worried about in previous years, as he has a high sweat sodium concentration and a high sweat rate, but having an appropriate and calculated fluid and fuel plan has enabled him to reap the rewards of his training, regardless of the weather conditions