Arthur Horseau has once again proven that Nduranz athletes have no limits. The 30-year-old French won the Ironman Lanzarote in the Canary Islands in 2023. He outperformed the competition to achieve the biggest success of his career.
Nduranz is proud that our products played a crucial role in Horseau's victory. Our fueling products helped Horseau win by ensuring he didn’t run out of energy during the 8 hours of intense racing.
Following the fueling guidelines set by Nduranz researchers, Arthur Horseau consumed approximately 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour during the race. This is a strategy he had tested during training and found it effective. In addition to fuel intake, he also carefully planned his water and electrolyte intake.
Let’s take a look at exactly what Arthur Horseau consumed in order to complete the 3.9 km swim, 180.2 km cycle and 42.2 km run in a record time of 8 hours 22 minutes and 31 seconds.
Swimming Segment
Arthur Horseau anticipated he would lose the most time during the swimming segment. However, his goal was to keep the gap as small as possible and come out of the water in the lead group.
To make this happen, he consumed one Nrgy Gel 45 with Caffeine before jumping into the water. The gel provided 45 grams of carbohydrates plus a caffeine. The caffeine kicked in during the second part of the swim, giving him a boost.
Horseau exited the water in 6th place, thus achieving his goal. The gap to the leaders was bridgeable and the doors to the top were wide open.
- Swim time: 00:49:23
- Nutrition: 1x Nrgy Gel 45 with Caffeine (before entering the water)
- Total Carbohydrate Intake: 45 grams
Cycling
Horseau’s primary goal during the cycling segment was to close the gap and set the stage for a strong push toward victory in the final running leg.
Because it is impossible to consume fuel during the swimming portion of the race, it's important that athletes start replenishing their energy stores immediately after exiting the water.
As soon as he was on his bike, Horseau started to consume Nrgy Gels 45 at a rate of 90 grams per hour, which is in line with the current research on optimal endurance fueling.
Instead of consuming the gels straight from the packet, Horseau used an innovative tactic: he squeezed 10 Nrgy Gels 45 into a bottle and consumed them from the bottle. He also drank some of his fuel by consuming Nrgy Drink 90.
The Canary Islands has a hot climate, so Horseau had to be very careful of hydration and electrolyte intake. One Nrgy Gel 45 contains the same salts lost in approximately 500ml of sweat. The Nrgy Drink 90 fewer salts in order to allow a higher carbohydrate intake. So, Horseau also consumed the Nduranz Zero Drink, which is an electrolyte formula in an effervescent tablet.
The combination ensured he had the right amount of minerals, and in the optimal ratio.
Once again, the strategy proved to be a success. Horseau got off the bike in 3rd place, opening the door to victory wide. All he had to do in his strongest discipline was to catch both competitors in front of him.
- Cycling time: 4:47:02
- Nutrition: 10x Nrgy Gel 45 (plus water from fuel stations), 1x Nrgy Drink 90 (with 500ml of water), 1x Zero Drink (with 500ml of water)
- Total Carbohydrate Intake: 540 grams
Running
Arthur Horseau did not spend much time in the transition zone. After just over 3 minutes, he was off and chasing his rivals in front of him. He had 42.2 kilometers of road between him and the biggest victory of his career, and he was going to do whatever it took to reach his goal.
He made use of his short time in the transition zone to replenish his energy stores. He consumed one Nrgy Gel 45 and washed it down with 500 ml of Zero Drink.
During the run, he continued to take in 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour by consuming one Nrgy Gel 45 every 30 minutes. He also hydrated regularly and drank 500 ml of Zero Drink after 90 minutes of running, and again 30 minutes before the end of the race.
Horseau didn't want to lose energy in the final kilometers of the race. With just 20 minutes to go, he consumed his last Nrgy Gel 45, giving him enough energy to hold on to the advantage he had built up and take the biggest win of his career.
- Run time: 2:39:20
- Nutrition: 6x Nrgy Gels 45 (plus water from fuel stations), 3x Zero Drink (with 500ml water each)
- Total Carbohydrate Intake: 270 grams
Months of sacrifice, long training sessions, and dedication in combination with the right nutrition have given Arthur Horseau the result he wanted - a victory at Ironman Lanzarote.
But that's not all!
He put the icing on the cake by setting the Ironman Lanzarote record. He completed the entire course in 8 hours, 22 minutes and 31 seconds, shaving eight minutes off the previous record.