• Raff is the newest member of the PF&H Sports Science team, who’s main sport has been cricket for the past 17 years. Since his previous idea of fueling and hydration was an innings break victoria sponge and cup of tea, there was no better induction to the world of ultra endurance than taking part in his second ever triathlon, and making it a full-distance
• Before travelling from PF&H HQ in Dorset (UK) to Maastricht (Netherlands), Raff sat down with fellow Sport Scientist Chris ‘Minty’ Harris, to nail down the details of his strategy and ensure he felt confident heading into the race
• During the race, Raff wore a continuous glucose monitor from Supersapiens, which allowed him to collect live readings as he fueled using a mixture of PF&H and on-course products
• With the race organisers (somehow) finding a hilly bike course in the Netherlands, and temperatures averaging ~27°C/81°F during the run, Raff was very happy to complete the event in 12 hours 41 minutes and run down the famous red carpet into the arms of an ice cold beer

Hydration

• Having had a Sweat Test prior to the event, Raff knew that his sweat sodium concentration is on the lower end, at 676 milligrams of sodium per litre of sweat
• Combined with a relatively low sweat rate (~0.6L/20oz per hour), his hydration strategy on the day wasn’t a massive logistical hurdle to overcome
• By preloading the night before and the morning of the Ironman using PH 1500 (Tablets), Raff ensured his blood volume was topped up to reduce cardiovascular load
• On the bike, he carried two 1L/32oz bottles, one containing a PH 1500 (Drink Mix) sachets and one with three PH 1500 (Drink Mix) sachets
• After drinking these, he also utilised on-course aid stations by drinking ~800ml/28oz of plain water and ~750ml/24oz isotonic sports drink. This meant Raff drank an average of ~534ml/17oz per hour, with a relative sodium concentration of ~1,004mg/L
• Raff ran out of the second transition with a 500ml/16oz bottle filled with two PH 1500 (Drink Mix) sachets and two PF 30 Gels diluted with ~400ml/14oz water. This strategy meant he could utilise water from aid stations to top up his fluid intake, while carrying his own preferred sodium supply
• After around three hours, Raff finished this bottle and had to rely on aid stations for his electrolyte intake. Raff decided that he would alternate between cups of Pepsi and isotonic sports drink at each station, alongside one cup of water. He also made sure he ran under the various cold showers and hose pipes around the course to keep himself cool
• On his final 10km lap, he also had two Electrolyte Capsules which provided 500mg of sodium and ensured he didn’t find himself cramping through to the finish line
• Overall, Raff achieved an average fluid intake of ~499ml/16oz per hour, with a relative sodium concentration of ~936mg/L for the 12 and a half hours of racing
• Looking back on his race, Raff was very happy with his hydration strategy, especially as he’d never taken on an event of this duration before. To not cramp or display any signs of dehydration was all he could ask for, particularly as the ~27°C/81°F heat was causing many people to walk the run course

Fueling

Conclusions

• Raff was “buzzing” to complete his first marathon, let alone first IRONMAN event, and thanked his colleagues for playing a large part in overcoming the heat to make it a reality
• He hit high numbers for his intake throughout the day, aligning well with the recommendations of the PF&H Sports Science team
• In future races (if his legs ever recover), Raff’s very aware of the benefits of not dropping and forgetting gels, so will definitely work on the logistical side of ultra endurance fueling and hydration before making his way onto another start line