• Chris Palfreyman, a high performance triathlon coach and gravel rider, recently completed the Dirty Reiver 200km ride. This Kielder Castle based event consisted of ~3000m elevation, which certainly made for a challenging day out
• Fueling and hydration during gravel racing is sometimes a challenging affair, especially for 7 hours in the saddle. Even so, Chris managed a largely appropriate fuel and hydration intake for his needs and despite experiencing cramps while on the bike for the first time in his life, secured a strong 8th position after a final dash to the line

Hydration

• Pre-loading using a PH 1500 (Tablet) alongside his high carbohydrate breakfast, gave Chris the best chance of starting the race optimally hydrated and fueled, with his blood plasma volume nicely topped up, thus reducing the cardiovascular load of exercise
• His fluid intake on the bike mainly consisted of four 500ml/16oz bottles of PF 30 Energy Drink Mix which provided him with a total of ~2000mg of sodium and ~120g of carb to sustain his energy levels and help him keep pedalling
• He also utilised aid stations well, by picking up ~500ml/16oz water to mix with a PH 1000 (Tablet) as well as one cup of Coca Cola
• However, Chris did experience some cramping on the bike for the first time in his life, putting it down to the “relentless" hills - he highlighted that carrying some additional Electrolyte Capsules may be a good plan for future events to help prevent this, something which anecdotally can be a good way of keeping cramps at bay short term
• Chris has previously determined his sweat sodium concentration via our Sweat Test, with a result on the lower end, at 573mg/L. With this in mind, he put himself in a strong position by achieving a relative sodium concentration during the race of ~1,045mg/L
• It’s worth noting that he only drank ~368ml/13oz of fluid per hour which may have contributed to the cramping he experienced. If it hadn’t been for such cool temperatures (10°C/50°F) this intake could have presented further issues associated with dehydration during his prolonged time on the trails

Fueling

Conclusions

• In general, Chris was very happy with his race, seizing the opportunity to finish 8th
• He subjectively reported that his fueling strategy felt like it “was a massive help”, rating the intake “excellent for little old me”
• He also mentioned that his hydration strategy was “great most of the time”, except for experiencing a few cramps. To combat this in future he’ll take some Electrolyte Capsules in his back pocket to top up his sodium levels
• Fueling wise, Chris was very satisfied as he knows he gets “to have another go next year with an improved strategy”. We certainly can’t wait to see the results!