Lars Wichert
IRONMAN® World Championships
Lars' headline numbers
Lars' strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
Lars had five PF 90 Gels in his integrated hydration system that he sipped regularly, but without being able to see how much he was drinking with each sip, it's likely he over-consumed carbohydrates early in the race. After ~90 minutes on the bike, he began feeling unwell and had to pull over to be sick. He spent 15 minutes deciding whether to continue, and thankfully started feeling better and got back on course. Lars allowed his stomach to settle, gradually restarting his fueling plan, and was back to normal by the final quarter of the bike. His average carb intake during this section was a massive ~147g per hour, reflecting the earlier overconsumption. On the run, Lars was able to maintain this high intake, consuming two further PF 90 Gels and some energy drink, but experienced further severe stomach cramps toward the end, likely from the excess carb consumption his gut was struggling to process. Although we’re seeing some elite endurance athletes push beyond 90g/h toward 120g/h, it's crucial to weigh the pros and cons when high intake causes stomach issues.
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.
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 Lars’s losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it’s hot and/or humid as his higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreDuring the bike leg, Lars' sickness hindered his ability to hydrate properly. He managed to get back on top of his hydration, consuming ~2.3L of PH 1500 (Drink Mix) and ~2.65L of water before starting the run. In an effort to make up for lost time, he skipped the special needs aid station and relied on the on-course electrolyte drink, supplementing with nine Electrolyte Capsules to replace his sweat sodium losses. On the run, Lars continued with a high fluid intake, averaging just over 1L per hour for the entire race. He took on a relative sodium concentration higher than his losses, though this came to no detriment to him as he avoided any negative symptoms of dehydration.
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.
Lars consumed one PF 30 Caffeine Gel during both the bike and run, and picked up some caffeinated energy drink and an on-course caffeine gel, to ensure his intake sat within the scientific recommendations of 3-6mg/kg. He could consider swapping his regular PF 30 Gel for a PF 30 Caffeine Gel ahead of the race to give him a mental boost during the swim.
How Lars hit his numbers
Here's everything that Lars ate and drank on the day...
Lars' weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HLars' full stats
Data Confidence?
There is some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.