Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3® World Championship

Jelle executed a well-planned, high-carbohydrate fueling strategy designed to support the elevated energy demands of a hilly and prolonged bike course. He anticipated that his ride time would be 10 to 15 minutes longer than a typical IRONMAN 70.3® race, and so to compensate for the additional duration and sustained climbing efforts, he proactively increased the total fuel in his bottles to ensure that he maintained high carb availability throughout.

His primary carb source on the bike came from two 1 litre bottles, each containing 130g of carbohydrate using a prototype carb-only drink mix that Jelle has been testing. He strategically underwent gut training in the months prior to enable his gut to tolerate high carb doses without negative GI effects. He has occasionally experienced mild indigestion or cramping at the start of the run during previous races when taking in similar carb volumes, but fortunately, no such symptoms developed during this event. This suggests that both the product formulation and his preparation were effective in supporting digestion under race stress.

On the run, Jelle continued to stick to his fueling plan, consuming three PF 30 Gels to deliver energy in the latter stages of the race. This consistent approach to carbohydrate intake, paired with careful preparation and practice, likely played a key role in supporting his successful defence of the IRONMAN 70.3Ⓡ World Championship title.

Jelle followed a proactive hydration plan calibrated to the anticipated environmental conditions and his known sweat sodium profile. During the bike leg, he consumed ~2 litres of fluid, delivered via two 1 litre bottles. Each bottle contained four Electrolyte Capsules emptied into the fluid, providing a total of ~1,000 mg of sodium per bottle.

On the run, Jelle relied primarily on water for fluid replacement. He collected water at most aid stations and also picked up his personal bottles from the professional aid station on each lap. While he did not consume additional sodium during the run, his relative sodium intake during the race remained well aligned with his expected losses, thanks to his intake on the bike, enabling him to avoid any symptoms of dehydration or electrolyte imbalances.

Although Jelle consumed his usual PF 30 Caffeine Gel in the final moments before the swim start, his overall caffeine intake fell below the recommended levels. This was primarily due to dropping a second caffeine gel in T2, which if consumed, would have put his caffeine intake in the 3-6 mg/kg range known to enhance performance.