Jan Bakelants
Unbound Gravel 200 miler
Kansas14thJan's headline numbers
Jan's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
Jan would benefit from taking in a final dose of carb <30 minutes before
"I felt good and powerful at the beginning but paid for it later on, mainly due to the heat. "
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.
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.
Jan839mg/L
Jan has been Sweat Tested to dial in his 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 Jan's losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as his higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Jan start optimally hydrated
"It was a battle with the heat all day and I was just trying to mitigate my losses as best as I could. "
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.
How Jan hit his numbers
Here's everything that Jan ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“The whole race was a mental game. Although I ideally wanted to finish in the top ten, I’m very satisfied with my performance.”
“Jan executed a solid race performance with his fueling and hydration strategy, securing a commendable 14th-place finish despite the tough, hot conditions. (The sticky mud was so bad that the riders had to run some parts!) He likely needed more sodium to achieve a higher relative sodium concentration amongst his fluid intake. This ideally would’ve accounted for more of his sweat losses across the race to meet his individual needs in the challenging temperatures. ”
PF&HJan'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.