IRONMAN 70.3® Waco

Justin used a combination of both solid and liquid forms of carbohydrates to fuel his efforts for the duration of this race. Product choice and form are entirely down to the athlete’s personal preference, as the most important factor is the quantity of carbs. Justin has identified what works well for him in training and trained his gut to consume higher amounts of carb. He averaged well over 90g/h, and rated his GI comfort a perfect 10 out of 10, so this is a testament to Justin’s extensive practice and gut-training over the past months.

On the bike, the relative sodium concentration of the fluids he consumed was higher than necessary for an athlete with his sweat sodium concentration. This was likely a result of not collecting any additional plain water from the on-course aid stations. Justin put this down to the reduced temperatures and persistent rain, which helped keep his perception of heat stress low. Given his sweat sodium concentration, he should look to dilute this down with some more plain water or perhaps skip some of the Electrolyte Capsules he took to ensure it stays closer to his individual sweat sodium losses.

Justin is one of the many athletes who enjoy both the physical and mental benefits of caffeine, and by consuming ~726mg in total throughout the race, he will likely have reaped the performance boosts associated with it. This intake is slightly higher than his previous caffeine consumption during 70.3 Oregon and 70.3 Eagleman earlier this year, and this can be attributed to the additional ~100mg that he picked up on the run course in an attempt to settle the perceived fluctuations in energy levels he had experienced during the race.