Danielle Lewis
IRONMAN 70.3® Chattanooga
Chattanooga4th, FPRODanielle's headline numbers
Danielle's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"When I first got onto the run I felt a little low on energy, and it took a bit of time to come up to where I’d like it to be. But my GI comfort was actually pretty good!"
One of the biggest hurdles for Danielle since she started working with PF&H has been stomach upset during races, so rating her GI comfort an 8 out of 10 in Chattanooga was a big step in the right direction! Although her high carbohydrate ‘super bottle’ (160g carb) on the bike remained consistent, she replaced more of her sodium losses which positively impacted her ability to digest and absorb the fuel she consumed. This helped her reap the energy benefits of taking in over 90g of carb per hour, ranging from ~112g/h on the bike to ~92g/h on the run. Since it was a hot and humid race, she separated her fuel and hydration on the run by taking PF 30 Gels instead of mixing them into her electrolytes, in an attempt to ease the load on her digestive system. Her lack of stomach issues suggests this worked well, and is something she can apply to future hot races.
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.
Danielle1310mg/L
Danielle 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.
Given Danielle's losses are High (1,310mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I didn’t take much water on the run since I had a full flask, and I was trying to keep my electrolytes level, so I only took a little bit of water here and there. I just really wanted cold things."
As a pretty salty sweater, it’s important for Danielle to take in enough sodium to match her fluid intake. It’s been tricky for her to carry everything she needs, especially in hot races when her fluid intake increases to match a higher sweat rate. This time, Danielle managed to add another tablet of PH 1500 to her bottle whenever she refilled it with water, enabling a consistent sodium intake on the bike. She also carried a Soft Flask with PH 1500 for the first part of the run and picked up a moderate amount of extra fluid from aid stations. Her sodium and fluid numbers were right in the target range, and she didn’t experience any cramping or a sloshing stomach like she has previously.
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
Danielle’s caffeine strategy has stayed consistent throughout the 2024 season, and it continues to work well for her. After starting her day with a cup of coffee, she took a PF 30 Caffeine Gel right before the swim, followed by another approximately 10 minutes before getting off the bike. Her caffeine intake fell within the recommendations, and even though it’s on the lower end of the range, she’s found that this amount strikes the right balance between boosting her energy levels and keeping her from getting too jittery.
How Danielle hit her numbers
Here's everything that Danielle ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I’m happy with the race overall. I lose a lot of sodium in my sweat, and I think that’s what’s caused some of the GI issues in the past but today was a real turning point. So, I might just have to get used to carrying stuff with me and keep separating out the carbs and electrolytes.”
“Danielle’s first few races of the season provide a great example of the value of fine tuning a race nutrition strategy. It’s evolved through small tweaks race-to-race, and she’s diligently implemented the adjustments each time. With carb, sodium and fluid numbers right on target in Chattanooga, clearly the plan is moving in the right direction. Going forward, she can continue to assess the conditions and duration of each race and make sure her strategy is tailored accordingly. Fantastic work, Danielle!”
PF&HDanielle'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 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.