3rd
India Lee's scorecard
IRONMAN 70.3 European Championships
Sunday 26th June, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
67g
Carb per hour
46mg
Sodium per hour
120ml
Fluid per hour
382mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
0mg
Total caffeine
How India hit those numbers
How India's hydration and fueling went...
- Professional triathlete and PF&H Ambassador, India Lee, had a brilliant performance at the IM 70.3 European Championships, finishing third place in a time of 4 hours and 10 minutes
- She exited the swim as part of the lead group and held position on the bike, eventually topping off her day with a strong run to complete the podium behind Emma Pallant-Browne and Ashleigh Gentle
- Whilst India struggled to manage her hydration needs, she did a great job of dialing up her carbohydrate intake in this race compared to IM 70.3 Nice last year, and this was reflected in her high energy level rating (9 out of 10)
Hydration
- The area where India has the most room for improvement is hydration as she only drank ~500ml/16oz during the entirety of the four hour race. Reflecting on the race, India knew this, commenting “I didn’t take enough fluid on during the race, but I was well hydrated before so that meant I got away with it”
- Aware that the race was to be warmer (average temperature ~25℃/77°F), India preloaded by drinking 500ml/16oz of PH 1500 alongside her breakfast which ensured she started with acutely greater sodium and fluid levels on board
- During the race, India didn’t prepare any fluids for the bike, other than the small amount of water (~100ml/3oz) that was mixed into her concentrated bottle of gels. Given the warm conditions, this was perhaps an oversight from India who commented “my hydration was poor on the bike”, rating it just 4 (out of 10)
- Towards the end of the bike, India grabbed a bottle of water from an aid station and drank ~200ml/6oz, making her total fluid consumption for the bike ~300ml/9oz (~129ml/4oz per hour)
- Out on the run course, India did pick up water at every aid station but estimated that it was, again, only ~200ml/6oz in total
- On top of the limited fluids India drank, she didn’t consume much sodium either, averaging a relative sodium concentration of ~382mg/L - a concentration higher than expected but only as a result of how little fluid she drank, skewing the perception of her sodium intake (just ~46mg/h)
- Despite underdoing her hydration during the race, India’s performance didn’t appear to suffer on this occasion. It’s important to mention that India has had an Advanced Sweat Test and loses 635mg/L, making her a ‘low salty sweater’. If coupled with a low-to-moderate sweat rate then India’s net sodium and fluid losses in a race of this duration are unlikely to be substantial and, as she mentioned, her efforts to pre-hydrate will have helped minimise the adverse effects of her suboptimal hydration
- That all said, should India race in hotter or more humid conditions, or step up in distance (which would elicit greater fluid/sodium losses) then she should plan for better fluid and sodium availability and consumption
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Harry preloaded the night before and the morning of the race with ~500ml/16oz of PH 1500 to ensure his sodium levels were high, and his body’s ability to retain fluid was optimal before the race began
- During the bike Harry took a 1L/32oz bottle with two PH 1500 (Tablets), and two 500ml/16oz bottles each with gels topped up with water. This gave him a total fluid intake of ~1.65L/56oz on the bike with a relative sodium concentration of ~909mg/L. Given Harry’s sweat sodium concentration of 929mg/L, as measured by our Sweat Test, and the mild temperatures (average ~14℃/57℉), this intake will have adequately replaced his losses
- On the run, Harry picked up two cups at each aid station, one of which he poured over his head to keep cool, and he drank the other. This gave him a total fluid intake of ~240ml/8oz during the run at a rate of ~197ml/h (7oz/h)
- Harry didn’t take any sodium during the run but felt his preloading strategy and solid sodium intake on the bike would put him in good stead to run well and not suffer consequently. He also mentioned that if the temperatures were higher, he’d sensibly have taken a couple of Electrolyte Capsules with him to top off his sodium levels
- Harry rated his hydration strategy 9/10, saying he felt well hydrated all day and that his strategy was appropriate for the weather conditions
Conclusions
- India was happy with her race at the 70.3 European Championships, taking home a bronze medal, and commenting that she was “really pleased to put out a performance that I’m proud of”
- Regarding her fueling and hydration strategy, the biggest improvement has been the increase in India’s consumption of carbohydrate; increasing her average intake from ~44g/h at Nice last year to ~67g/h in this race. A substantial increase which would pay dividends in her performance - well done India!
- Going forwards, India will be aiming to implement a similar improvement in her hydration strategy, particularly in hotter conditions
Key info
India Lee
Female
Sweat sodium concentration
635mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Low
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
3rd
Overall Time
4:10:33
Swim Time
0:24:34
Bike Time
2:20:53
Run Time
1:19:29
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Middle distance
Event
IRONMAN 70.3 European Championships
Location
Elsinore, Denmark
Date
26th June, 2022
Website
Swim Distance
1.9km / 1.2mi
Bike Distance
90.1km / 56.0mi
Run Distance
21.1km / 13.1mi
Total Distance
113.1km / 70.3mi
Bike Elevation
600m / 1,969ft
Run Elevation
100m / 328ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
24°C / 75°F
Max Temp
26°C / 79°F
Avg Temp
25°C / 77°F
Humidity
65%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
4/10
I know I didn't take enough fluid on during the race, but because I was well-hydrated before I think I got away with it
Energy levels
9/10
Toilet stops
Yes
Twice during the run
GI comfort
9/10
Cramping
No cramping
India's Thoughts
Carb-wise I took on more than I have in a race before (due to lots of practice in training!)
India's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 281 | 191 | 500 | 0 | 382 |
Per hour | 67 | 46 | 120 | 0 | |
Bike and Run | |||||
Total intake | 251 | 191 | 500 | 0 | 382 |
Per hour | 69 | 52 | 137 | 0 | |
Bike | |||||
Total intake | 161 | 191 | 300 | 0 | 637 |
Per hour | 69 | 82 | 129 | 0 | |
Run | |||||
Total intake | 90 | 0 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
Per hour | 68 | 0 | 152 | 0 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
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.