Steph's headline numbers
Steph's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
Steph has been training her gut for several months now in an attempt to maximise the quantity of carbs she can consume comfortably during races, and reap the benefits associated with intakes higher than 90g/h. This preparation paid off, as she experienced no GI issues throughout the race and averaged an impressive ~118g/h on the bike using PF 60 Drink mix and various PF Gels. Her biggest dip in energy came shortly after halfway on the run, where the aid station was 4km further than expected. Thankfully, after picking up more PF 90 Gels and PF 30 Gels, her energy came right back up and saw her through to the finish.
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.
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 (1,105mg/L), nailing her hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it’s hot and/or humid.
Learn moreSteph had a rigorously tried-and-tested hydration plan that she stuck to well. She carried two highly concentrated bottles of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and calculated the precise amount of plain water needed from aid stations to adjust the mix to match her sweat sodium concentration. Her execution was impressive, maintaining an almost perfect relative concentration for her losses. On the run her consistent intake continued with the use of PH 1000 (Drink Mix) in her Soft Flask, as well as some Electrolyte Capsules. Although the delayed aid station had a bit of an impact, it did not significantly affect her race, and she staved off any dehydration-related symptoms throughout.
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.
Steph took a PF 30 Caffeine Gel just before the start of the race, and 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. During the race, she only used one PF 30 Caffeine Gel on the run. Given her total caffeine intake was significantly below the scientific recommendations for performance benefits, it’d be worth trying out additional PF 30 Caffeine Gels in training to ensure she can tolerate a larger dose of the stimulant whilst working hard. If all goes well, she can implement this for future races to reap the ergogenic benefits.
How Steph hit her numbers
Here's everything that Steph ate and drank on the day...
Steph's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
Steph
PF&HSteph's full stats
Data Confidence?
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).