Cortney Weintz
IRONMAN® World Championships
Kailua-KonaTop 50, M18-24Cortney's headline numbers
Cortney's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I started to fatigue a bit at the end of the bike, but other than that my energy levels felt great throughout. "
Cortney’s carb intake surpassed the 90g/h recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity, which included him consuming ten PF 30 Gels when on the bike. In recent years there has been an upward trend in the amount of carbs being consumed by professional endurance athletes, far exceeding 90 grams per hour, and the scientific evidence in support of it has identified possible benefits to endurance performance and recovery. Cortney also chose to have some exogenous ketones throughout the race, though there is still some debate on whether this is *actually* beneficial to performance, with mixed results so far and more research required.
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.
Cortney839mg/L
Cortney has been Sweat Tested to dial in his 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 Cortney's losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as his 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
"I don’t know what could have gone better with my hydration. "
The relative sodium concentration of Cortney’s drinks during this race was significantly higher than his personal sweat sodium concentration. It’s likely he would have been replacing most, if not all, of his sweat sodium losses, as the warm conditions exacerbated his sweat *rate*. It’s well established that consuming a greater quantity of sodium can help with fluid retention and increase the thirst response. In hot weather, this can help athletes stay on top of their hydration strategy and consume enough fluid to offset the negative effects of dehydration. We would, however, recommend reducing the number of Electrolyte Capsules he takes in future races, particularly in cooler conditions where more closely matching his sweat sodium concentration would be appropriate.
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
Cortney may be able to use caffeine more tactfully during his next IRONMAN®, as a minimum effective dose is well established in the literature in order to boost endurance performance. Adding a pre-race Caffeine Gel would get the stimulant flowing in his bloodstream, then 2-3 ‘top ups’ during the race would put him within the 3-6 milligrams per kg of bodyweight recommendations. The known benefits of caffeine could significantly improve his perception of fatigue that he felt coming into T2.
How Cortney hit his numbers
Here's everything that Cortney ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“This race was unique with its adversity, but very rewarding as a spectacle. ”
“Cortney had a great race at the IRONMAN® World Championships, finishing with a strong time well under 10 hours. His fuel and hydration strategy has some room for improvement, including reducing the amount of sodium he takes, especially when picking up electrolyte drinks from aid stations, and strategically increasing his caffeine intake. These tweaks would help Cortney push his performances to the next level. ”
PF&HCortney'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).