Leon Chevalier
T100 Singapore
Marina Bay13th, MPROLeon's headline numbers
Leon'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 struggled to have that extra gear out there, possibly because of the heat, but I'd changed my crank length too which meant my quads took a real pounding."
Leon made a couple of minor changes to his bike set up for this race, and felt this impaired his power production slightly, thus feeling like he couldn’t really *push* too hard. He also took slightly less carbohydrate on both the bike and run than his previous middle distance races, which may have contributed to his overall lower energy levels. Between the higher intensity of the bike, and the run taking slightly longer than expected, as his pace slowed in the heat, he ended up prioritising his fluid intake more so than his carb intake.
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.
Leon1392mg/L
Leon has been Sweat Tested to dial in his 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.
Given Leon's losses are High (1,392mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I wished they were handing out bottles on the run rather than cups so I could drink more. I had to slow down on the second and third laps to make sure I got more fluid in. Also, I almost felt like I needed to pee so I think I got the hydration pretty spot on."
With temperatures exceeding 30℃ (86℉) and humidity rising to the mid nineties, Leon's body was under considerable strain to keep his core temperature at a safe level. By prioritising his fluid intake, Leon will have kept a lid on things, and by subjectively rating it a solid 9 out of 10, it seems like he did a suitable job. He may have somewhat alleviated his need to pee during the run by including extra sodium to help his body retain more water. In future races, he could look to include some Electrolyte Capsules, particularly in races in oppressive conditions like this race.
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.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
Leon executed his usual caffeine strategy ahead of the later race start, with a few cups of coffee in the morning to kick-start his blood caffeine levels. His evenly distributed PF 30 Caffeine Gels during the race will have done their best to limit his perception of effort and fell within the recommended guidelines, so we wouldn’t advise changing anything.
How Leon hit his numbers
Here's everything that Leon ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I should be happy with my result, but with neither my power meter nor heart rate monitor connected to my Garmin, I was riding by feel, which in those conditions was more risky than I’d have liked. I’m only a few weeks into my season, and training is going well but I wasn’t in shape to peak in Singapore. I also need to iron out some issues with the longer travels, so I’m confident I’ll be better next time out in San Francisco.”
“Leon kicked off his 2024 season with a brutal race of attrition in Singapore. Dialling back his effort level and adjusting his fuel and hydration strategy accordingly showed his experience and understanding of what his body needs. The only slight change for now would be to increase his sodium intake during the run and/or front-load his sodium on the bike like he usually does, to avoid needing to pee and encourage some more fluid retention.”
PF&HLeon'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.