Anna Hicks
Leadville Trail 100 MTB
Leadville, ColoradoTop 50, FPROAnna's headline numbers
Anna's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I hit a big wall around 80% of the way in on the steepest climb. I felt weak, dizzy and just overall cracked."
One of the biggest challenges for Anna has been GI issues during races, so rating her stomach comfort this time as an 8 out of 10 is a massive step in the right direction. She used a variety of carb sources to fuel her efforts, including some bottles of Carb Only Drink Mix but ‘decoupled’ the rest of her fuel from her fluid intake so as not to overload her stomach from drinking more than she’s used to. However, her carb intake still has room for improvement, as it was significantly lower than the recommended 90g per hour for a race of this duration and intensity. Before her next race, she should undergo more structured gut training to increase her tolerance of carb and reduce the likelihood of her hitting the wall in future races, like she did in Leadville.
Hydration
Taking on board an appropriate amount of fluid and sodium is essential to maintaining blood volume and supporting the cardiovascular effort needed to perform on race day.
Whilst the absolute amount of sodium and fluid consumed per hour is important, it’s critical to consider these in relation to each other. This is known as 'relative sodium concentration' and it’s expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L). How much sodium you’re taking in per litre of fluid is more important than the absolute amount taken in per hour.
Anna491mg/L
Anna has been Sweat Tested to dial in her hydration plan
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Whilst Anna's losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still important if she wants to perform at her best.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Anna start optimally hydrated
"It was better than usual but still not perfect. I didn’t have to pee during the race at all but did pretty soon after."
After a Sweat Test with the PF&H Team on the ground at Leadville, Anna was able to dial in the relative sodium concentration of her strategy to match her lower than average sweat losses. Since she learned she’s not a very salty sweater, she primarily used PH 500 with some PH 1000 to account for any plain water she was taking on. She didn’t experience any cramping, but her fatigue, low overall fluid intake and not having to urinate throughout the race suggests she may not have replenished enough of her total sweat losses. It’s likely that her hydration status was also impacted by the high altitude, which can make staying hydrated even harder than normal. It’d be helpful for Anna to do some strategic sweat rate testing to understand exactly how much fluid she needs when training and racing, to further dial in her strategy. Additionally, preloading on the morning of the race with a stronger concentration of electrolytes to make sure she starts optimally hydrated should also be part of her plan.
Caffeine
Beyond the Three Levers of Performance (carb, sodium and fluid), caffeine is one of only a few substances that is proven to improve performance for most endurance athletes as it can help stave off mental and physical fatigue.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
Anna had a coffee the morning of the race, but chose not to use any additional caffeine throughout. Since she has historically battled GI issues with a sensitive stomach, it’ll be important to test out any caffeine usage in training and start small with the dosage. If all goes well, she could incorporate the stimulant into her strategy to help mask fatigue and reduce perceived effort levels to further benefit her performance.
How Anna hit her numbers
Here's everything that Anna ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“In terms of fueling it was an 8, but for performance it was a 4. I definitely hoped for better results but I gained good experience.”
“The Leadville MTB race is known for being a tough day out, and Anna definitely felt the effects of the climbing. She used her Sweat Test results to tailor her sodium intake to her needs, but could improve on fluid and carb intake to deliver more energy and avoid race-impacting dehydration in the latter stages of the race. To accomplish this, gut training and sweat rate testing will be her next steps before practising during her training to make sure she can consistently execute the strategy.”
PF&HAnna's full stats
Data Confidence
We rate each of our case studies from 1-5 based on the level of accuracy, and our confidence in the data.
There is some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.