Rebuilt from scratch after a DNF at Ironman Brazil, race-tested at Jacksonville. The exact hourly targets for long sessions on a GLP-1.
These are the numbers from the actual Kona build — personal targets, not universal ones. Sweat rate, heat, and body size all move these numbers around. Use this as a starting structure to test in training, not a prescription to follow blind.
Before using these numbers: high sodium and fluid intake can be dangerous with certain heart, kidney, or blood pressure conditions or medications (including some GLP-1 side effects). If any of that applies to you, get your own hourly targets from a doctor or sports dietitian before racing or training on these.
GLP-1 medications slow gastric emptying — food and fluid sit in the stomach longer before they're absorbed. Combine that with hours of bouncing on a bike saddle and running in the heat, and a loose, "fuel when I feel like it" approach stops being forgiving. The old system worked for seventeen Ironmans. It didn't survive Brazil.
Liquid empties from the stomach faster and more predictably than gels or bars. The bulk of hourly carbohydrate now comes from what's in the bottle.
The carbohydrate clock starts at minute fifteen, whether hunger shows up or not. Waiting for the signal means you're already behind.
GLP-1s blunt thirst cues the same way they blunt appetite. Fluids and sodium go in on a schedule, not on thirst.
30–40g of protein within 60 minutes of finishing any long session — bike, run, or brick. Muscle that isn't actively defended on a GLP-1 doesn't stick around out of loyalty.
Not medical advice. This is one athlete's personal race-fueling protocol, shared for reference. Fueling needs vary widely by body size, sweat rate, heat, and medical history — test any new protocol in training, never for the first time on race day, and check with a sports dietitian for your own numbers.