1st
Leon Chevalier's scorecard
IRONMAN South Africa
Sunday 5th March, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
108g
Carb per hour
776mg
Sodium per hour
846ml
Fluid per hour
917mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
319mg
Total caffeine
How Leon hit those numbers
How Leon's hydration and fueling went...
- Leon kicked off his 2023 campaign with a stunning victory at IRONMAN South Africa, clocking the second fastest bike and run splits on the day
- The win ensured he qualified for the 2023 IRONMAN World Championships later this year and he should be full of confidence for that race in his home country of France after he executed his fuel and hydration plan perfectly in South Africa
Hydration
- Leon refined his pre-race hydration strategy during his races in 2022 and he used the same strategy for his first race of 2023 as he preloaded his sodium levels with ~300ml (12oz) of PH 1500 with his breakfast. He also had ~300ml (12oz) of black tea as he usually does, which helps to start increasing his caffeine levels
- Then during the race it was business as usual for Leon from a hydration standpoint, as he carried all of his electrolytes in his pre-mixed bottles, and diluted the concentration with ~800ml (29oz) of plain water from the on-course aid stations
- His bottles were all highly concentrated, with his two PF&H Litre Bottles on the bike containing two and three PH 1500 (Drink Mix) packets respectively, and a PF 90 Gel in each. He also carried a 500ml (16oz) bottle which had a further two PH 1500 Sachets and another PF 90
- This is something Leon’s practised a LOT, meaning his stomach is comfortable tolerating this rich beverage, and he waters down the concentration throughout the bike with the plain water from aid stations
- Onto the run, and as the stormy weather cleared, it left a very humid climate (~75%), which meant Leon started to feel the heat as his sweat wasn’t evaporating like it normally would
- Thankfully, Leon remained composed and began pouring large amounts of water over his head in an attempt to keep himself cool by reducing his perception of the heat
- He also managed to drink a little over 1,100ml (38oz) per hour via the on-course ‘water pouches’ on offer at aid stations, which he said “made it much easier to drink larger amounts than the usual cups of water”
- Leon’s sodium intake fell significantly on the run compared to the bike, as he only took one Electrolyte Capsule on his way to the 2:47 marathon split. Overall though, as his intake was so high on the bike, he still averaged ~917mg of sodium per litre of fluid for the entire race, which is only slightly below his sweat sodium concentration (measured by our Sweat Test) of 1,392mg/L (mg/32oz)
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- Leon practises his race fueling strategy repeatedly in training and it’s become a very consistent part of his strategy on race day, and IRONMAN South Africa was no exception
- With his usual carb-rich breakfast of ~300g (10oz) of banana bread, Leon topped off his glycogen stores. He then attempted to take a PF 30 Caffeine Gel around 10 minutes before the swim start, but as the swim was delayed this ended up being ~40 minutes before he dived into the water
- Whilst this timing is not thought to be optimal for peaking his blood glucose ready to perform, it will still have provided him with a decent caloric and caffeine hit. The caffeine will likely have been peaking in his bloodstream early on in the swim, and providing Leon with the associated ergogenic benefits
- Leon carried all his fuel on his bike from the start, squeezing a PF 90 Gel into each of his three bottles, and carrying an additional two PF 30 Gels and two PF 30 Caffeine Gels in his bike’s bento box
- He also carried and ate his traditional Snickers bar, which he says just gives him a bit of satisfaction to eat, and breaks up eight hours of eating sports products! In all, this meant he averaged ~124g of carbs per hour, which is an impressive feat, further supporting the emerging science suggesting highly trained athletes can tolerate carbohydrate intakes in excess of 100g per hour without issue
- Whilst on the run, Leon carried a further eight gels, seven of which were regular PF 30s and one Caffeine Gel - he had one every 20 minutes to hit ~94g per hour. This Instagram post perfectly illustrates how Leon managed to carry all of these gels in his trisuit, which is a neat way to store his fuel without having his hands full!
Conclusions
- This was another display of a well thought-out nutrition strategy being executed brilliantly from Leon. He should take a great deal of confidence from this first race of the season as be builds towards the IRONMAN Worlds later in the year
- In all, Leon was very pleased with his performance, and rated his satisfaction with the result as an 8 (out of 10). He also feels there are a few small things to improve upon like his swim and getting his marathon time into the low 2:40s, and we have high hopes for the rest of the 2023 season!
Key info
Leon Chevalier
Male
Sweat sodium concentration
1,392mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Very High
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
1st
Overall Time
7:11:44
Swim Time
0:10:11
Bike Time
4:10:39
Run Time
2:47:00
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Full distance
Event
IRONMAN South Africa
Location
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Date
5th March, 2023
Website
Swim Distance
0.9km / 0.6mi
Bike Distance
180.2km / 112.0mi
Run Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Total Distance
223.3km / 138.8mi
Bike Elevation
925m / 3,035ft
Run Elevation
180m / 591ft
Total Elevation
1,105m / 3,625ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot and Humid
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
21°C / 70°F
Max Temp
25°C / 77°F
Avg Temp
23°C / 73°F
Humidity
75%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
9/10
Energy levels
9/10
I did get a lull in pace at around 27k of the run, but not really due to energy levels
Toilet stops
No
GI comfort
8/10
A few ups and downs but nothing annoying
Cramping
No cramping
Leon's Thoughts
A big win for me, really happy to get the season started this way and bag the World Champs slot!
Leon's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 779 | 5,574 | 6,080 | 319 | 917 |
Per hour | 108 | 776 | 846 | 44 | |
Bike and Run | |||||
Total intake | 779 | 5,574 | 6,080 | 319 | 917 |
Per hour | 112 | 802 | 875 | 46 | |
Bike | |||||
Total intake | 518 | 5,324 | 3,000 | 200 | 1,775 |
Per hour | 124 | 1,278 | 720 | 48 | |
Run | |||||
Total intake | 261 | 250 | 3,080 | 119 | 81 |
Per hour | 94 | 90 | 1,107 | 43 |
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.