Breaking News – Ironman changes to Mortal Hydration on the North American race course

Ironman announced early this year that they're phasing out Gatorade Endurance and introducing Mortal Hydration for their North American races. This change is not global, so our friends in Australia and the UK can breathe a sigh of relief. But if you’re heading to a North American event, you need to be prepared.

What is Mortal Hydration?

Unlike Gatorade Endurance, which is a carbohydrate-rich sports drink, Mortal Hydration is more of a hydration formula with considerably less carbohydrate content. Available exclusively at The Feed, it is less readily available.

Wondering how mortal compares to Gatorade Endurance nutritionally? Here’s a quick comparison:

Table 1: Nutritional differences between Mortal Hydration and Gatorade Endurance

As you can see, mortal contains significantly less carbohydrate and nothing groundbreaking in terms of sodium content. It's carbohydrate source is also very different, using stevia as a non-nutritive sweetener for flavour.

How is Mortal Hydration being distributed on the Ironman race course?

Word on the street is that the first Ironman 70.3 event without Gatorade Endurance on course will be 70.3 Muncie on July 13. And the first full-distance Ironman without Gatorade Endurance will be Ironman Lake Placid on July 21.

On course, Mortal will be available in single serve sachets and pre-mixed bottles at aid stations. 

How to update your race nutrition plan: preparing for the change.

As you can see the two drinks differ significantly. If your fuelling strategy relied heavily on Gatorade Endurance for carbohydrate and electrolytes, you'll need to rethink your plan. I know that it can be frustrating, especially if you've been prepping for an Ironman for months or even years, but it’s crucial to stay flexible and give your body what it needs.

You can’t just drink more Mortal Hydration to compensate for the lower carbohydrate content as your sodium intake would get dangerous quickly. Instead, find an alternative source of carbohydrates that can complement the electrolytes from Mortal Hydration. Be prepared to be more self-sufficient, especially on the bike leg, so you don't end up under-fuelled.

It is also important to consider that while Gatorade Endurance is fairly easy to purchase in person, Mortal Hydration is currently only available for purchase online. This is just another layer of planning you’ll need to consider in your fueling plan.

What do you think about the change? Are you happy? Pissed? Come and join the discussion inside the Dietitian Approved Crew Facebook group.