ISA World Paddleboard Championship

Being a much shorter event than the World Paddleboard Champs in Hawaii earlier this year, Andrew rightly put greater focus on his pre-race fueling at the ISA World Champs. In an attempt to maximise his glycogen stores ahead of the late afternoon race start, he ate plenty of simple carbohydrates throughout the morning. Simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, usually have a higher glycemic index compared with their more complex form (e.g. wholemeal bread) and are often lower in fibre and therefore easier to digest, making them more desirable prior to a race. In an event where the sport is dependent on his arms, Andrew relied entirely on fluids for his carb intake, using a bottle with a straw that sits in a mount built into the front of his board. This allowed him to meet the 30g of carb per hour scientific recommendations for an event lasting between 1-2 hours, whilst avoiding the faff of opening packets which would’ve otherwise slowed him down.

Andrew made sure to start this Championship race well-hydrated, and with a fuel strategy reliant on fluid as the means of delivery, it ensured he was also able to stay on top of his sweat losses. He had finished his 500ml bottle 15 minutes before the line, taking on a relative sodium concentration of 1000mg/L using PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix to replace his losses over the intense race, and helping to maintain his fluid balance.

Andrew followed the scientific recommendations for the optimal caffeine dosage over a 0-3 hour race to a tee. Given caffeine’s ~4-5 hour half life, a pre-race caffeine dose would see him through until the finish line, as it would’ve remained in Andrew’s system over the course of the ~90 minute race. Knowing this, Andrew consumed three caffeine tablets to hit just over 3mg of caffeine per kilogram of his bodyweight 45 minutes before the race, and consequently ensured it peaked in his bloodstream right as he set off.