Steamboat Gravel

We recommend to all of our athletes to consider having a gel, banana or similar small dose of carbs just before a race. John chose not to do this in this instance, and could look to implement this into his strategy moving forward to ensure that his glycogen stores are fully topped up. The majority of his carb intake came from a selection of energy gels and chews, as well as a substantial quantity of cola, but still totalled well below the scientific recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity. Unfortunately, John did drop his bottle containing PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix which certainly would have impacted his fueling strategy. We’d recommend John try to increase his intake towards the 90g/h recommendations by carrying some additional gels in case he loses part of his fuel strategy again!.

Considering John’s above average sweat sodium concentration, his electrolyte intake was a bit low. However, his high fluid intake helped mitigate any dehydration-related symptoms and thankfully he didn’t experience any cramping. He used PH 1000 tablets and sachets during the race to hit the average sodium concentration we see in athletes, and he did well to continually add PH 1000 each time he re-filled his bottles at the aid stations. John’s hydration strategy was slightly impacted by the loss of his bottle which contained PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix about 35 miles in, as he hadn’t consumed any of it. Despite this, he was still able to refill his other bottle ~4.5 times to hit an impressive volume of fluid per hour. For future races, John could swap some of his PH 1000 for PH 1500 - or take some Electrolyte Capsules with him - as this will help him match his losses more closely and ensure he stays appropriately hydrated.

John was well within the scientific recommendations for caffeine intake, using caffeinated energy gels and cola to provide an extra boost and sustain his energy levels right until the end of the race.