Ellie Salthouse
PTO US Open
Milwaukee6th, FPROEllie's headline numbers
Ellie's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy levels were better than expected for an afternoon race, and I think doing some race-specific sessions in the evenings helped me prepare for this. "
Despite the later than usual start time at the US Open (4:15pm), Ellie stuck to her usual pre-race fueling routine replicating meals she'd usually have for breakfast to help avoid any stomach issues. During the race she, again, stuck to her usual super-concentrated fuel bottle of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, diluting with water throughout the race. Taking in an extra couple of gels alongside the bottle meant that Ellie was able to average a high carb intake of ~87g/h across the race, with no gastrointestinal discomfort. This suggests that Ellie has done sufficient gut training to allow her to be comfortable with this high intake.
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.
Ellie655mg/L
Ellie 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.
Whilst Ellie's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as her 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
"It wasn’t too hot for me, so I think I managed my hydration well. The splash-and-dash tactic on the run worked well too and I never really felt thirsty."
With the weather forecast predicting scorching temperatures for the US Open, Ellie attempted to preload prior to her race using a PH 500 tablet in 500ml (16oz) and sipping on ½ a serving of Carb and Electrolyte Drink Mix. To prepare her body optimally for long periods of sweating, Ellie should consider swapping out this PH 500 for a stronger PH 1500 to stimulate an increase in her blood plasma volume and reduce the strain on her cardiovascular system in the early parts of the race. Ellie used predominantly Carb and Electrolyte Drink Mix during the race in a super concentrated bottle, diluting with water throughout. Along with grabbing cups of water and sports drinks on the run course, Ellie was able to average a relative sodium concentration very similar to her sweat losses, which will have effectively replaced a good proportion of her losses.
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
Ellie utilised the benefits of caffeine by steadily taking some before and during her race. To ensure she had some caffeine circulating in her blood before the race began, Ellie had two coffees during the hours before the race. She then topped this up with a PF 30 Caffeine Gel ahead of the race, along with having a further 300 milligrams during the race. Despite Ellie averaging ~7mg of caffeine per kg of her bodyweight, which is slightly higher than the general scientific guidelines, Ellie is someone who has a high tolerance for caffeine, and didn’t experience any negative side effects.
How Ellie hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ellie ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“That was one of the best races I’ve ever done. I could push hard until the very end, and I got one of my best bike-run splits as a result. I couldn’t be much happier!”
“Ellie executed a superb fuel and hydration strategy, using this to her advantage to beat some high-calibre opposition on her way to 6th place. Ellie’s next race will be the PTO Asian Open in Singapore, where she plans to adapt her hydration strategy to account for the typically high temperatures and humidity. ”
PF&HEllie'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).