Ellie Salthouse
IRONMAN 70.3® World Championships
Taupo7th, 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
"Never felt hungry which is a testament to my planned strategy. "
Ellie executed a well-structured fueling plan, closely aligning with the recommended 90g of carbs per hour for an event of this duration and intensity, and only slightly below her intake at the Melbourne IRONMAN 70.3® a few weeks earlier where she took the victory. Over years of racing, she has refined her strategy and now consistently follows a similar approach, consuming ~100g/h on the bike and ~70g/h during the run. This ‘front-loading’ strategy is common among triathletes, as it’s generally easier to take on higher carb doses while cycling compared to running. Ellie’s plan paid off, seeing her race her way to the finish line as the top 10 fastest women across the 70.3® distance in the world.
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 moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Ellie start optimally hydrated
"I think I nailed it today!"
Ellie has previously found it challenging to consume large volumes of fluid, but here she managed to accomplish her goal effectively. She consumed ~300ml more per hour than in the Melbourne IRONMAN 70.3®, showing marked improvement in her gut’s tolerance to more fluid. While her sodium intake was slightly below her sweat sodium concentration, the lack of dehydration-related symptoms suggests this intake was well-suited to the race day conditions, however Ellie should look to increase her sodium intake to better support her hydration status and recovery in future events.
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 stuck to the same caffeine intake as in her previous races, once again capitalising on the ergogenic benefits of the stimulant. Although her dosage slightly exceeded the recommended amount for her body weight, she has consistently demonstrated that she can tolerate this level of caffeine without any negative symptoms.
How Ellie hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ellie ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I did a few things wrong, particularly in the swim, so there’s room for improvement but overall I am super happy with this performance. ”
“Ellie had a great race using her tried and tested fuel and hydration plan to smash a top 10 at the World Championships. We look forward to seeing how she gets on in 2025!”
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 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.