Unbound Gravel 200 miler

Jan’s carbohydrate intake was well above the 90 grams per hour recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity. This is not unusual, as we’re seeing more elite athletes successfully tolerating higher intakes and research has linked it to greater ergogenic effects. This fueling plan kept his energy levels up for most of the race, though he attributed occasional dips in energy to overheating. He reported adequate GI comfort throughout, but after consuming such a high volume of carbs, it was no surprise that he felt “a little fed up with sugary stuff” by the end of the race, a phenomenon we call flavour fatigue.

Pre-race, Jan could benefit from preloading with a stronger electrolyte drink such as PH 1500 to optimise his hydration status. During the race, he made two main pit stops where his crew provided pre-made bottles to replace the ones he had started with. By the first stop at 135km (84 miles), Jan had emptied his bottles and pack, sweating heavily while chasing the lead. To recover, he grabbed ice, cola, and an extra 500ml water bottle from a village shop to cool down and boost his energy. At his final stop, 60km (37 miles) from the finish, Jan climbed into his team’s drinks cooler, received two 500ml energy drink mix bottles (80g carbs each) and a 1.5L (48oz) water pack, which he later passed to another rider to shed weight. More fluids early on may have helped offset his losses and rising temperature, but balancing hydration with weight was a crucial factor that Jan needed to consider. Since he was diluting his sodium intake with large volumes of plain water, he may have benefitted from relying solely on PH 1000 instead of a mix of PH 500 and PH 1000 to increase his relative sodium concentration in these hot conditions.