Danni Shrosbree
Unbound 200 miler
Danni's headline numbers
Danni's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
Danni hit the exact carbohydrate recommendations from the Fuel & Hydration Planner for her race, taking a mixture of drink mix, gels and chews. Due to the logistical challenges of gravel racing, Danni chose to use a hydration pack to get the majority of her fuel via PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. This worked well as apart from some cravings for plain water towards the end, she had no adverse effects and her energy levels stayed high throughout.
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.
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 Danni’s losses are on the low side, getting her hydration strategy right is still crucial when it’s hot and/or humid as her higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreDanni’s hydration strategy was well-executed to see her through the race, apart from taking on a bit too much sodium. This left her feeling a bit ‘puffy’ and could be alleviated next time by replacing her PH 1000 (Drink Mix) with PH 500, or diluting down her intake with additional plain water.
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.
After having a coffee the morning of the race, Danni consumed additional caffeine doses to keep the stimulant circulating in her bloodstream through the use of PF 30 Caffeine Gels. This helped her hit the top end of the scientifically recommended guidelines and reap the maximal ergogenic benefits throughout the day.
How Danni hit her numbers
Here's everything that Danni ate and drank on the day...
Danni's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
Danni
PF&HDanni's full stats
Data Confidence?
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.