Lewis Smith
IRONMAN® Tallinn
Tallinn7th, M35-39Lewis' headline numbers
Lewis' strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy felt good during the swim,bike and the first lap of the run. At this point it dropped off for lap two and three, but after taking the PF 30 Chews, the final run lap seemed to pick back up."
Lewis averaged ~90g of carb per hour on the bike, and then dropped slightly to ~61g per hour on the run. While we do typically see a drop off from the bike to run in full distance races, reducing the size of it in future will help Lewis avoid the energy dip he felt here. We’re confident that he should be able to tolerate a slightly higher intake, in line with the Fuel & Hydration Planner’s recommendations, in future races when he reaps the benefit of his ongoing gut training.
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.
Lewis1003mg/L
Lewis 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.
Whilst Lewis's losses are on the moderate 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 moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I’m really happy with how my hydration went in Tallinn. I can’t remember feeling really thirsty at any point. The PF&H Sweat Test and race plan has helped massively to make it possible to really push each discipline in these longer races without the fear of risking severe cramps."
Lewis nailed his hydration strategy in Estonia, by replacing a good proportion of both the fluid volume that he lost as sweat, as well as the electrolytes that he lost within sweat. His relative sodium concentration over the course of the race (1029 mg/L) very closely resembles his [Sweat Test]() result (1003 mg/L), which is why it’s unsurprising that he managed to avoid the electrolyte related cramps which have caused him issues in previous races.
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
Lewis doesn’t habitually consume lots of caffeine in his day to day life, which is why he felt comfortable with taking just 200mg of it in total across this race (equivalent to around two regular sized coffees). From a performance standpoint he could improve his perception of effort and focus even more during future races if he increases his caffeine intake to between the the most recent scientific guidelines.
How Lewis hit his numbers
Here's everything that Lewis ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“My nutrition has always been a second thought when it comes to my races, but now I’ve had the chance to speak to the team at PF&H and understand it a bit more. Using this knowledge I'm really excited to see how I can perform in my upcoming events. In the last two IRONMAN distance races I did, I struggled with really bad cramping but I feel like I’ve finally nailed it.”
“After Lewis won a competition to join us with VIP access to Team Lotto DSTNY at the Tour de France, we thought it would be a great idea to plan and record his next race at IRONMAN® Tallinn in Estonia. Happily, this strategy served Lewis well and he seems to feel confident in where to go next from a fueling and hydration perspective, with a slightly higher carb intake and very similar hydration strategy to this race.”
PF&HLewis' 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 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.