Steph Clutterbuck
Zarauzko Triathlon
Zarautz2nd, FPROSteph's headline numbers
Steph'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 improved throughout the race and I felt I got stronger in the second half of the bike and didn’t fade at all on the run."
Steph kept her pre-race fuel very simple ahead of this unusual mid-afternoon race start, sticking to foods she is used to including plain white rice alongside a PF 90 Gel to top off her glycogen stores. It was a good job she prepared well, as shortly into the bike she dropped a 1L bottle loaded with PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix (60g carb). This brought her carb intake from a planned ~105g/h to just ~80g/h. Thankfully, Steph measured her effort throughout the bike and entered T2 feeling like she had plenty of energy. She took almost 90g/h during the run and felt her energy levels continue to rise throughout. She also had no GI distress which demonstrates her gut training has been spot on.
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.
Steph1106mg/L
Steph has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Given Steph's losses are High (1,106mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Steph start optimally hydrated
"I would have liked to have had that extra bottle on the bike but I think I managed it well considering."
Steph’s high sweat sodium concentration coupled with her high sweat rate means her risk of dehydration is higher than the ‘average athlete’. To combat this, she loaded her bike with two sodium-rich bottles: one with PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, one with PH 1500 (Drink Mix), and planned to dilute these with some plain water along the course. After she dropped the bottle of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, she picked up some of the on-course isotonic drink containing far less carb and electrolytes than the bottle she dropped. This meant she never managed to replace what she lost, and finished the bike feeling quite thirsty. During the run, Steph was grateful to see *bottles* of water at the aid stations rather than *cups*, which meant she could run with a bottle in-hand for a while and drink much more than is usually possible. She took Electrolyte Capsules to stay on top of her electrolyte losses, but could afford to reduce the quantity in future races to reflect her sweat losses, and potentially reduce her perception of thirst.
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
Steph executed the same caffeine strategy to her podium-topping performance at the 2023 Age Group IRONMAN 70.3® World Championships. This put her at the bottom of the scientific recommendations, however she felt this amount supported her performance, so we wouldn’t recommend any changes for Steph over this duration of race.
How Steph hit her numbers
Here's everything that Steph ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I am very satisfied; this is my first pro podium! It was pouring with rain, windy and the roads were sloppy, but I was able to stay focused and fuelled so I didn't make any mistakes that impacted the race!”
Steph“This race saw Steph land her first podium in her debut season as a professional triathlete, despite challenging conditions and some mid-race adversity. Hopefully, next time she can hold onto all her bike bottles, come closer to her pre-race fueling plan, and maintain high energy levels throughout. Furthermore, dropping the number of Electrolyte Capsules she takes during the run will bring her average relative sodium concentration closer to her known losses, and prevent any untoward issues arising from ‘over-salting’.”
PF&HSteph'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 an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.