ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships

When we began working with Mads in 2022, he was taking on ~30 grams of carb per hour for his longer races. Since then, he has introduced more carb through PF Carb Only Drink Mix, reaching the highest fuel numbers we have seen him hit during a race. Evidence suggests higher carbohydrate intakes support performance even more as duration extends beyond 2 hours, so Mads has been implementing this strategy proactively in training to increase his gut tolerance to 60g/h and above.

To overcome the logistical challenges of fueling and hydrating during canoe races, Mads and his competitors normally hang drink bags around their necks that can be replaced as they run through portages (carrying the boat over land) each lap. Mads started with one larger bag and then made two replacements, each containing a relative sodium concentration of 1000mg/L. He finished all three of them throughout the race to keep on top of his losses which were likely substantial considering he was working at such high intensities in hot conditions.

The scientific recommendation for a race under 3 hours is to consume 3-6mg/kg of caffeine within an hour of the start. Taking one caffeine tablet and one PF 30 Caffeine Gel before the event meant Mads fell slightly short of this target, so next time he may want to add an extra dose or two early on to maximise the stimulant’s ergogenic effects.