T100 London

Tamara‘s tried and tested fueling strategy worked as planned at the London T100 where she managed to stay on top of her nutrition averaging just above the recommended guidelines for a race of this distance and intensity. Her rigorous practice in gut training paid off as she rated her GI comfort as ten out of ten, whilst fueling with a mixture of PF 30 Chews, PF 30 Gels and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix consistently. As we often see in triathlons of this distance, Tamara front-loaded her fuel intake consuming ~72% of her total carb intake (355 grams) whilst on the bike. Often, athletes find it easier to tolerate higher quantites of carb on two wheels as the mechanical movement of running can affect digestion. This is reflected in Tamara’s slightly less aggressive approach to her fueling during the run leg.

With warmer temperatures than usual in London, Tamara sufficiently managed her fluid intake to replace a significant proportion of her sweat fluid losses to avoid the detrimental effects of dehydration. However, Tamara’s sodium intake was less than recommended given her sweat sodium concentration. It would be beneficial for her to increase this in future races, as sodium is important for muscle contraction, fluid retention in the blood, and carb absorption in the gut. To achieve this, pre-race she could swap her PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix for PH 1500 and supplement this with a PF 30 Gel or PF 30 Chew. The more concentrated electrolyte drink will help her to pre-load more effectively to ensure she maximises her blood plasma volume ahead of the race. As her sodium intake during the run dropped to nothing (bike: 474mg/L, run: 0mg/L) she could benefit from taking some Electrolyte Capsules to supplement the plain water from the aid stations to help dial in her hydration strategy to be closer in line with her losses.

Tamara consumed no caffeine during the race, but pre-caffeinated with a coffee at breakfast and PF 30 Caffeine Gel in the last 30 minutes before the gun went off. With a half-life of ~4-5 hours, it’s likely this would have still been in her system during the race, supporting her performance. However, assuming she tolerates the stimulant well, Tamara could look to increase her caffeine intake by taking one or two Caffeine Gels at the start and/or end of the bike to further reap the ergogenic benefits, delay fatigue and sustain her energy levels.