1st
Matthew Marquardt's scorecard
IRONMAN World Championships
Thursday 6th October, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
120g
Carb per hour
797mg
Sodium per hour
1,162ml
Fluid per hour
686mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
5.70mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Matthew hit those numbers
1 x Cup of Oatmeal
1 x Cup of Berries
680ml x lactose free ultra-filtered milk
4 x Eggs (3 Whites, 1 whole)
170g x Beetroot Powder
500ml x Starch based energy drink
1 x Energy gel (25g carb)
*** Review technique if drinking much at this point!
1.44L x Plain water
5 x Energy gel (25g carb)
1 x Energy gel with caffeine (25g carb, 100mg caffeine)
1 x Energy gel (22g carb)
1L x Energy Drink Mix (116g carb)
2.55L x On Course Energy drink
1L x Lemon and Lime Energy Drink Mix (100g Carb)
6 x Electrolyte Capsules (215mg Sodium)
2.59L x Plain water
8 x Energy gel (25g carb)
3 x Energy gel with caffeine (25g carb, 100mg caffeine)
227ml x Energy drink mix serving (29g carb)
810ml x Energy drink (22g carb)
486ml x Coca Cola Original
3 x Electrolyte Capsules (215mg Sodium)
How Matthew's hydration and fueling went...
- Matthew is a medical student and triathlete currently studying at Ohio State University. After emerging victorious in his 25-29 age group at IRONMAN Texas with a time of 8:23:3 in April, he was looking to carry his good form through to the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii
- With the third fastest amateur swim (49:58) and bike (4:38:22) times at the event, Matthew closed out his stellar performance with a 3:01:35 marathon to be crowned 1st in his age group, and 2nd overall non-professional across the two days of racing
- As a Supersapiens ambassador, Matthew wore a Supersapiens sensor throughout the race, which allowed him to be conscious of his continuous glucose levels, so that he could monitor his fuel intake effectively while on the move
Hydration
- We generally recommend athletes preload with a strong electrolyte drink the night before and on the morning of races to ensure that they start optimally hydrated. Matthew only had lactose free milk and a sports drink with relatively low sodium, so this is certainly something that he could consider ahead of his next race
- On the bike, Matthew drank around ~1.4L (49oz) of water that he picked up at aid stations, whilst also taking the opportunity to dump some on his head in order to help keep himself cool in a race where the soaring temperatures and high humidity would play a key role for many athletes
- Accounting for his pre-mixed bottles and aid station energy drinks, Matthew had an average fluid intake of ~1.26 litres per hour (44oz/h) while on the bike - maintaining a relative sodium concentration of ~868mg of sodium per litre (mg/32oz)
- While on the run, based on estimations from ~48 cups that he picked up from aid stations, Matthew averaged ~1.36L (48oz) of fluid per hour, while the use of electrolyte capsules mitigated the severity of decline in relative sodium concentration to ~421mg/L (mg/32oz)
- As someone with a Sweat Test score of 655mg/L, Matthew did extremely well to maintain a relative sodium concentration of ~686mg/L throughout this race, undoubtedly replacing a good proportion of his losses
- Matthew perceived his hydration strategy as a 10 (out of 10) while on the bike, before dropping to a 4 (out of 10) for the run as he said it was difficult to simultaneously manage drinking and stuffing ice down his trisuit while moving at such high speeds
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- With a good level of physiological knowledge, Matthew knew that carb-loading in the days before the event would top up his liver and muscle glycogen stores, giving him access to maximal energy on the day
- A final energy gel ~15 minutes before the start of the swim also topped off Matthew’s glucose levels to help spare stored glycogen for later on in the race. This was confirmed by his Supersapiens sensor which recorded a significant uplift in glucose shortly before his starting time, supporting their recommendations on the best time to eat before exercising
- He also perceived his energy as a 10 (out of 10) for the swim, suggesting that this strategy is definitely one to carry forward to his future races
- Through the use of various products with different gut transit times and carbohydrate types which he extensively trialled in training, Matthew was able to hit an impressive overall average of ~120g carb per hour. This average actually includes the swim, with him hitting ~132g/h on the bike and run splits! This is another example of an athlete exceeding the 90g/h value which had previously been thought to be a ceiling to absorption, whilst maintaining a perceived GI rating of 10 (out of 10) throughout
- Having reported a dip in energy from miles 20-45 on the bike, this is corroborated by his Supersapiens glucose trace which reflects a significant drop in blood glucose at the same time
- Interestingly, David Lipman, Head of Sport Science at Supersapiens, pointed out that reductions in energy perception often arise when there's a drop in blood glucose, even if this starts from a high initial point and drops down to one which would still normally be perceived as in the ‘performance zone’
- Similarly Matthew reported declining energy in the latter stages of the run. This is the time during the race when fueling becomes even more important because glycogen stores are at their lowest and fatigue at its highest. Getting more fuel on board in the form of easily tolerated gels and drink mixes becomes crucial, with very little stored energy to fall back on while maintaining such high intensity output
Conclusions
- Matthew was satisfied to come away from the 2022 IRONMAN World Championships with the fastest amateur time of his race day, and a 25-29 age group win. Although he does admit that he hoped the run would be slightly faster - Matthew described the last 20 miles as the most challenging and painful he’s ever experienced. It’s worth taking into account the fact that he was still recovering from a recent infection which may have had some influence on this too
- Immediately after this race, Matthew had to jump back into medical school classes so certainly had an ‘active recovery’ experience, both mentally and physically
- Matthew has his sights set on replicating this performance at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, just 3 weeks after his race in Hawaii
Key info
Matthew Marquardt
Male
77kg
Sweat sodium concentration
655mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Low
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
1st
Overall Time
8:35:49
Swim Time
0:49:58
Bike Time
4:38:22
Run Time
3:01:35
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Full distance
Event
IRONMAN World Championships
Location
Kona, Hawaii
Date
6th October, 2022
Website
Swim Distance
3.8km / 2.4mi
Bike Distance
180.2km / 112.0mi
Run Distance
42.2km / 26.2mi
Total Distance
226.2km / 140.6mi
Bike Elevation
1,772m / 5,814ft
Run Elevation
307m / 1,007ft
Total Elevation
2,079m / 6,821ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Very Hot and Humid
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
25°C / 77°F
Max Temp
31°C / 88°F
Avg Temp
29°C / 84°F
Humidity
73%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
9/10
Hydration rating
7/10
I'd say it was perfect until the run, where it was more like a 4/10
Energy levels
8/10
I was not perfectly “with it” all the time, but it is hard to tell how much of that was from not enough fueling versus just needing to dig really deep to get to the finish line
Toilet stops
Yes
GI comfort
10/10
Thankfully I suffered no GI distress, after being ill in the week leading up to the race
Cramping
Twinges but not full-on cramps
Matthew's Thoughts
The results that I had truly are a dream come true and are hard to fathom given that I picked up triathlon just over 18 months ago... I hope to use the sport to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients, and that got me through the most challenging moments
Matthew's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 1,034 | 6,838 | 9,971 | 439 | 686 |
| Per hour | 120 | 797 | 1,162 | 51 | |
| Bike and Run | |||||
| Total intake | 1,009 | 6,818 | 9,971 | 439 | 684 |
| Per hour | 132 | 891 | 1,303 | 57 | |
| Bike | |||||
| Total intake | 612 | 5,085 | 5,856 | 100 | 868 |
| Per hour | 132 | 1,098 | 1,264 | 22 | |
| Run | |||||
| Total intake | 397 | 1,733 | 4,115 | 339 | 421 |
| Per hour | 132 | 574 | 1,364 | 112 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
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.