• After working closely with Luke to build a more aggressive fueling and hydration strategy for IRONMAN Western Australia in blisteringly hot conditions in 2021, we were looking forward to seeing Luke adjust the plan for a shorter day out at IM 70.3 Melbourne
• The conditions in Melbourne were still warm (~21℃/69°F) but not as hot as Western Australia a few months prior, so the expectation was for Luke to somewhat dial down his fluid and sodium intake accordingly
• With the recent birth of his son, Luke has done well to juggle his usual training schedule. Despite not getting in as much running training as he would have liked to, Luke performed exceptionally well at Melbourne to finish 7th in his age group, saying that he “couldn’t have done any better with his fueling and hydration”

Hydration

• As he did before IM Western Australia, Luke prepared for his high sodium losses by preloading with PH 1500 in ~700ml (24oz) to help maximise his blood volume and start well hydrated
• In terms of fluid intake, Luke drank ~4.69L (165oz) of fluid in total over the whole race which broke down into ~1.15L/hr (39oz/hr) on the bike leg and ~1.4L/hr (50oz/hr) on the run. This is a high fluid intake, yet, in comparison to Luke’s full distance IM in WA this was ~300ml (10oz) less fluid per hour on the bike and ~200ml/hr less on the run
• The conditions were cooler in Melbourne (average temperature 21°C/69°F compared to a warmer 28°C/82°F in Western Australia) and, the race was shorter in duration (70.3 vs. full distance IM), therefore a slightly less aggressive fluid intake was suitable
• A high level of fluid replacement is necessary to keep up with the rate of his sweat losses. From previous data, we know Luke’s sweat rate can be over ~2L/hr (68oz/hr) in hot conditions.
• In addition to his high fluid intake, Luke and the PF&H Team have discussed the fact that he should also adopt an aggressive approach to his sodium intake to help replace some of his huge losses
• Luke had an Advanced Sweat Test and is an extremely salty sweater, losing 2,129mg of sodium per litre of sweat
• During the bike leg, Luke drank a total of ~2.54L (86oz), predominantly made up of PH 1500 (~2.3L/77oz) and ~250ml/8oz plain water. Luke increased the strength of this drink by adding three PH 1500 tablets to each bottle. This meant the relative sodium concentration of each bottle was ~2250mg/L
• On the run, Luke picked up ~10 cups of plain water (~200ml/6oz per cup) from the on-course aid stations, drinking ~2.15L (72oz) in total. Alongside this, Luke took four PH Electrolyte Capsules (which each contain 250mg of sodium per capsule) at every other aid station
• As a result, Luke took on ~10,351mg of sodium in total across the race. This was an average of ~2,474mg/hr of sodium per hour which, when we account for his race intake, equates to a relative sodium concentration of ~2,207mg/L
• Considering Luke’s high sweat sodium concentration, his sodium intake was impressive and will have helped him manage his losses throughout the race. Before working with PF&H, Luke had problems with cramping up during races, but he had no such issues in WA or Melbourne, which suggests that a more aggressive approach to his sodium replacement is making a difference
• Despite the race being cooler than Western Australia, conditions were still humid, and Luke mentioned that he implemented cooling methods on the run, specifically “pouring water on his head”, which is a technique that the PF&H team advised him to use in his last race. Learn more
• Overall, Luke didn’t feel that he would’ve changed anything in terms of his hydration strategy, rating it 10 out of 10

Fueling

Conclusions

• Overall, Luke maintained high energy levels throughout IM 70.3 Melbourne, rating his race satisfaction as 10 out of 10, although he mentioned that he would’ve wanted to go into the race with more running training under his belt
• In terms of his hydration and fueling strategy, Luke thought that he “couldn’t have done any better”
• Given his high sweat rate and very high sweat sodium concentration, Luke was again proactive in his strategy while adjusting to the shorter race duration and slightly cooler conditions to execute a brilliant strategy overall