Emma Pallant-Browne
IRONMAN 70.3® Oceanside
California2nd, FPROEmma's headline numbers
Emma'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’m happy with the numbers I hit. I was able to consume more than normal on the bike because of a bad elbow affecting my ability to get into the aero position."
Emma's carbohydrate intake averaged ~101g/h on the bike and tapered to ~46g/h during the run. This drop off from bike to run is common in triathlon case studies we see, particularly when athletes have adequately fuelled on the bike as Emma did this time out. She consumed significantly more carb on the bike than at previous races in 2021, having planned well for the longer duration by taking additional chews with her and then consuming two PF 30 Gels on the run. Fortunately, she experienced no GI issues alongside this higher intake and was able to maintain good energy levels throughout the race.
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.
Emma716mg/L
Emma 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 Emma's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Emma start optimally hydrated
"Everything went to plan in terms of hydration. I didn’t feel dehydrated at all."
We’ve been working with Emma for some time now and are aware of her high sweat rate, so consuming over ~800ml/h on the bike is standard practice to offset her significant sweat fluid losses. Given the warm conditions, her fluid intake was appropriately higher than at both Boulder and The Collins Cup. However, the average relative sodium concentration in her drinks (~406mg/L) was notably lower than her sweat sodium concentration of 716mg/L. Moving forward, we’d recommend increasing her sodium intake to better account for these losses, perhaps by using PH 1000 in her bike bottles and Electrolyte Capsules on the run. This would help prevent any potential symptoms of excessive dehydration, especially in warmer and longer races.
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.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
In terms of caffeine, Emma opted not to have her usual pre-race coffee, but she did consume caffeine strategically during the race. She had a total caffeine intake of ~210mg which equates to roughly ~3.56mg per kilogram of body weight, a moderate dose of caffeine which falls within the recommended range for endurance performance. With this dose, she would likely reaped at least some of the stimulant’s ergogenic benefits but has room to increase within the range for a possible stronger benefit.
How Emma hit her numbers
Here's everything that Emma ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I am pretty happy with how this one went fueling wise. It’s great to end the season with a good result!”
Emma“Overall, Emma had a great performance in California using a similar strategy to previous races, with a few adjustments to suit the course and conditions. All in all an excellent performance supported by some solid numbers, and we are looking forward to seeing her continue to implement this strategy with minor tweaks to perform well again next season.”
PF&HEmma'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.