Ruth Astle
IRONMAN® Mallorca
Alcudia1st, FPRORuth's headline numbers
Ruth's 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 levels were good throughout, apart from a slight dip during the first lap of the run. But I hadn't taken on any nutrition, and once I started taking some gels again I felt great."
Ruth consumed her carbs in the form of either energy gels or drink mix to ensure she met her body’s needs and maintained high energy levels throughout. Similar to other athletes in the field of long-distance triathlon, Ruth is consistently able to average over 90 grams of carb per hour without suffering from any GI issues, no doubt supported by her efforts in gut training during some of her key training sessions in the build up to races. As we often see in triathletes, Ruth consumed more of her carb intake on the bike than on the run, where the more stable position lends to better digestion than the increased motion experienced on the run.
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.
T - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I believe I drank too much on the run as I had to pee quite a lot. In future I might try to reduce this amount of fluid and make sure to space it out more evenly across the bike and run."
Ruth maintained and stuck to a well-planned hydration strategy, using pre-mixed bottles on the bike and picking up fluids from the aid stations on the run. She noticed she was peeing more frequently than she would have liked on the run portion, indicating she was possibly over-drinking and could benefit from some fine-tuned sweat rate testing for specific weather conditions. The relative sodium concentration of her drinks were appropriate when compared to her sweat sodium concentration, lowering the risk of cramping, but in hot conditions, like this race, increasing her intake slightly to account for a higher fluid losses, perhaps by carrying some Electrolyte Capsules on the run, would be beneficial and encourage some water retention.
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
Ruth pre-caffeinated with a caffeine gel before the start of the race. Given it takes ~45 minutes for caffeine to peak in the bloodstream this would have given her a small energy boost as she was finishing the swim. She didn't supplement any additional caffeine *during* the race other than a very small amount via a few cups of coke and red bull during the run. Given her total intake was significantly below the scientific recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity, it’d be worth trying out PF 30 Caffeine Gels in training to ensure she can tolerate the stimulant well while working hard and look to implement it for future races to reap the ergogenic benefits.
How Ruth hit her numbers
Here's everything that Ruth ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“This was the best I have felt throughout a whole race, and I'm super happy with the result!”
“Ruth had a great day at IRONMAN® Mallorca, and will no doubt have more strong performances in future races, especially with a couple of minor tweaks to her strategy between potentially adding more caffeine and balancing out her fluid intake. We look forward to seeing her adapt her plan to support efforts in competing across the rest of the season!”
PF&HRuth's 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.