IRONMAN® Leeds

Mike went into his debut full-distance IRONMAN® with a clear fueling plan, constructed with the help of a video consultation with the PF&H Sports Science team. He prepared well by executing a ~9g/kg carb load, adding in snacks of PF 60 Chew Bars alongside his increased meal sizes to ensure that his glycogen stores were maximised going into the event. On the bike, he stayed on top of his energy by consistently alternating between a PF 60 Chew Bar and ‘real food’ including bananas and bars every 30 minutes. This strategy paid off, as he averaged ~90g of carb per hour and managed to avoid the stomach discomfort he’d battled previously at higher intakes (~110g/h). On the marathon, Mike’s fueling dropped to ~25g/h as he admitted he “didn’t feel like eating his gels.” Instead, he relied on on-course cola, bananas, and energy bars. Fortunately, since he effectively front loaded his intake during the bike leg, Mike was able to maintain his energy levels and average ~60g/h across the race (in line with fueling recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity). In future he may benefit from increasing his intake to stabilise his carb intake on the run, with the help of gut training to help him push harder for longer next time out.

Mike has not had a Sweat Test but suspects a high sweat sodium concentration due to his history of cramping. Over the course of the mild-warm race, he nailed his fluid intake, consistently consuming just under ~700ml/h for the 15.5 hours he was on course in an attempt to replace a solid proportion of his sweat losses. With the science recommending he avoid more than a 2-4% change in bodyweight, Mike subjectively felt he came close to this, and the fact that he peed a couple of times across each discipline supports his assessment. On top of using on-course PH 1000 (Tablets) all day, Mike consumed Electrolyte Capsules when he started to feel twinges of cramp to boost his sodium intake quickly and successfully eradicate the problem.

Mike drinks coffee in his daily routine but didn’t incorporate many doses of caffeine into his raceday strategy. The ergogenic effects of the caffeinated energy drink he had before starting would have been at their peak during the first half of the swim, providing him with an early boost. A PF 30 Caffeine Gel halfway on the bike and cola on the run were the only other sources of caffeine Mike consumed. He could have benefited from using the stimulant more regularly throughout the event to get into the recommended dose range of 3-6mg/kg.