Steph's headline numbers
Steph's strategy
Fueling
A carb rich meal (low in fat & fibre) ~1-4 hours before would help Steph start optimally fueled
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I really started to crash towards the end of the run. I was pretty much a zombie for the last 4km."
On the bike, Steph relied solely on her highly-concentrated bottles for her carbohydrate intake, averaging ~109g/h, which helped her maintain steady energy levels without suffering from stomach discomfort - evidence that her gut training has been successful. During the run, Steph carried a PF 90 Gel out of transition and finished it after ~50 minutes of running. Unfortunately, she didn’t consume all of her pre-planned carb intake as she finished the race with her additional PF 30 Gel still in her tri-suit pocket. She couldn’t recall why she skipped it but felt it would’ve helped to prevent the “zombie” feeling she experienced in the last ~4km. Her carb intake dropped from ~109g/h on the bike to ~58g/h on the run, a gap she should aim to minimise to sustain her energy through to the finish and prevent feeling this way in future races.
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.
Steph1107mg/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 (1,107mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it's hot and/or humid.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I could have done with some more fluid on the bike."
With weather forecasts predicting high temperatures on race day, Steph knew her hydration status would play a key role as sweat rates are substantially higher in these conditions. On the bike, it’s likely that Steph replaced a good proportion of her sweat sodium losses, but unfortunately on the run, her sodium intake decreased slightly, lowering the relative sodium concentration of her overall race intake. In future, increasing the relative sodium concentration of her fluids, especially for races in hot conditions, will help Steph retain *more* of the fluid she takes on, and prevent the risk of dehydration-related issues impacting her performance. Practically, she could achieve this by swapping the PH 1000 she consumed for PH 1500, or by taking some Electrolyte Capsules with her and supplementing this with the plain water she picks up from the aid stations during the run.
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
Other than the PF 30 Caffeine Gel that Steph had within the last 30 minutes of the start, she didn’t consume any further caffeine during the race. In future events, she may want to increase this so that she can benefit from the ergogenic benefits that the stimulant provides and potentially contribute to better perceived energy levels.
How Steph hit her numbers
Here's everything that Steph ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“It was an awesome race, and I came away with what I needed.”
“Steph had an excellent race in Staffordshire, taking the overall win by just over a minute, and coming away with some positive steps to optimise her strategy for future races. As an already accomplished triathlete, Steph has worked closely with the Sports Science Team at PF&H to improve her fuel and hydration strategy, and this race shows how she is still iterating her plan to suit her needs. ”
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.