4th
Emma Pallant-Browne's scorecard
PTO European Open
Saturday 6th May, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
39g
Carb per hour
224mg
Sodium per hour
462ml
Fluid per hour
485mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
0mg
Total caffeine
How Emma hit those numbers
How Emma's hydration and fueling went...
- Emma continued her strong run of performances in 2023 by finishing fourth at the PTO European Open, a race that saw all of the top 10 ranked female triathletes in the world go head to head
- The week before the PTO race, Emma dominated the World Duathlon Championships and took her third world title in this discipline. So it was safe to say her confidence was sky high as race day approached
- Unfortunately, mechanics servicing her bike pre-race accidentally ripped the bladder which forms the integrated hydration system on her bike, rendering it useless. Ever the professional, Emma dealt with this the best way she could and adapted her plan to carry her fuel and hydration
Hydration
- Before the race, Emma preloaded like she normally does with a PH 1500 (Tablet) in 500ml (16oz) water. This increased her general cardiovascular function and her capacity to dissipate heat. Emma expected temperatures to be high, so this was essential preparation
- Shortly before the race Emma realised her integrated bike hydration system had a rip in it, and she couldn’t rely on it for her in-race fluids. Instinctively, knowing her numbers like she does, Emma was able to prepare a back up plan before the race started
- This plan involved an aero water bottle (750ml / 24oz) with 60g of carbohydrate drink mix and a PH 1500 (Drink Mix) packet, giving her ~75g of carb and 750mg of sodium
- She then picked up small amounts of water regularly from the on-course aid station, totalling ~600ml (20oz) of plain water throughout the 80km (50 mile) bike ride. This meant Emma’s drinks had an average relative sodium concentration of ~615mg per litre (mg/32oz). This is similar to the concentration of sodium in her sweat (714mg/L), so likely replaced a good proportion of her sweat losses
- On the run, temperatures had risen to ~23℃ (73℉), and Emma felt quite thirsty so relied heavily on picking up cups of water from the on course aid station, which she passed six times throughout the 18km run
- In all, Emma picked up ~360ml of plain water throughout the run, and still felt very dehydrated at the end. She mentioned it took a long time to produce a sample for drug testing after the race, further suggesting how dehydrated she was
- The adversity Emma faced during the race, and her composure to adapt her strategy on the fly is admirable in the heat of racing, where being rational and making accurate decisions is often difficult. Of course, we’d never wish for her integrated hydration to rip in the future, but in case it does, she may want to consider taking an extra bottle on her bike. Having the extra fluid will remove her reliance on the on-course aid stations and keep her fluid intake high to reduce the degree of dehydration
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- As someone who has always carb-loaded well, Emma stocked up on carbohydrates before the race, knowing the intensity of the race would be high, and her ability to consume carbs may be challenged somewhat
- Then just before the swim start, Emma executed some textbook “glycogen sparing” during the early part of the race by taking a PF 30 Gel ~15 minutes beforehand, saving some stored energy for later in the race
- During the bike, her last-minute adaptation to her fuel plan because of the ripped internal bladder, meant she was actually carrying less carb than previously anticipated
- She had two energy chews (20g carb each) and a 750ml (24oz) bottle containing some carbohydrate drink mix (60g carb) and a PH 1500 packet (15g carb)
- This meant her average carb intake for the 2 hour 8 minute bike was just 54g per hour, which is below the 75-90g recommended by our Fuel Planner. Emma has previously had good performances on lower amounts of carb, but has seen huge benefits both in performance and recovery from a higher intake
- Emma’s intake at this race was 29% higher than she averaged at the IM 70.3 World Championships, and we’ve also seen her stand on top of the podium after consuming averages of ~88g of carb per hour (e.g. 70.3 Mallorca). This shows the gut training she undertakes during harder, race-specific training sessions is paying off, however, like many athletes we work with, her fuel and hydration strategies are still a work in progress
- Emma experienced some extreme energy highs and lows during the race, perhaps in part due to her lower carb intake, but possibly also because she started her period shortly before the race, which she said often leaves her feeling like she’s got no energy
Conclusions
- Emma was stoked to finish fourth against some of the fastest triathletes on the planet, especially after overcoming both nutritional and physiological adversity throughout the race
- Having raced several times whilst on her period, Emma recalled the debilitating energy lows and negative mood, which she managed to push through and still perform exceptionally well
- Going forwards, Emma should look to continue increasing her carb intake by training her gut which will help her maintain stable energy levels and help prevent the energy drops
Key info
Emma Pallant-Browne
Female
Sweat sodium concentration
716mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Low
* determined by our Sweat Test
Result
Position
4th
Overall Time
3:42:19
Swim Time
0:26:50
Bike Time
2:08:53
Run Time
1:04:32
Event information
Sport
Triathlon
Discipline
Middle distance
Event
PTO European Open
Location
Ibiza, Spain
Date
6th May, 2023
Swim Distance
2.0km / 1.2mi
Bike Distance
80.0km / 49.7mi
Run Distance
18.0km / 11.2mi
Total Distance
100.0km / 62.1mi
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
18°C / 64°F
Max Temp
23°C / 73°F
Avg Temp
21°C / 70°F
Humidity
66%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
7/10
It got really hot towards the end, and there just weren't enough aid stations - I would have drank more if I could!
Energy levels
6/10
I felt flat from the start of the bike, but I don't think it was nutrition related
GI comfort
8/10
Cramping
No cramping
Emma's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 145 | 830 | 1,710 | 0 | 485 |
Per hour | 39 | 224 | 462 | 0 | |
Bike and Run | |||||
Total intake | 115 | 830 | 1,710 | 0 | 485 |
Per hour | 36 | 259 | 534 | 0 | |
Bike | |||||
Total intake | 115 | 830 | 1,350 | 0 | 615 |
Per hour | 54 | 389 | 633 | 0 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
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.