Leon Chevalier
IRONMAN® Mallorca
Alcudia1st, 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 think I managed to pick up most of what I lost in my dropped bottle at aid stations! When I felt a bit overloaded I gave myself 10-15 minutes of no food or drink to settle down."
Losing a bottle so early during the bike was unfortunate, but luckily Leon knew what it contained and was able to grab five extra gels from aid stations to ensure he hit his pre-race carb target. He then continued this high-carb intake during the marathon, again relying on aid stations to pick up the majority of his fuel. This is testament to his gut training, which has helped him build his tolerance for this high amount of carb.
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 didn’t think too much about the electrolytes I lost by dropping that bottle, and not enough electrolytes might explain the lack of energy I had towards the end of the race."
Leon's sodium intake fell short of his plan after dropping the high concentration bottle. Given his high sweat sodium concentration, and the warm conditions, this reduced sodium intake may have contributed to his reduced perception of energy in the final 40 minutes of the run. In future races of this length, in similarly warm conditions, carrying some Electrolyte Capsules as a backup would help keep his electrolyte levels stable, especially when adversity strikes and he can’t execute his pre-race plan.
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
When picking up gels from the on course aid stations, Leon ended up grabbing several caffeinated gels by mistake, and his final dose of the stimulant was more than double the scientific recommendations. for a race of this nature. Thankfully, Leon didn’t experience any negative side effects and even noticed his heart rate was notably stable considering the dose. This likely suggests Leon has a high caffeine tolerance, but in future keeping a lid on the number of caffeine gels will help him reduce the risk of and negative side effects.
How Leon hit his numbers
Here's everything that Leon ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome, and I'm sure there's still room to do it way better if all goes to plan.”
Leon“Leon had a superb performance at his 3rd ever full distance IRONMAN®, adjusting on the fly to hit solid numbers. Focusing on a relatively high carb intake, and taking steps to replace his dropped bottles served him well. Diminishing electrolyte levels towards the end of the race from hours of heavy sweating may have caused his dip in energy levels, so adding some Electrolyte Capsules to his run plan will help prevent this. That being said, it’s hard to know what’s electrolyte-related or simply muscle fatigue when seven and a half hours into an IRONMAN®, but ruling dehydration out is a great first step.”
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.