The Hills

Jenson’s fueling strategy started off strong, with a high-carb pre-race meal and snack to top off his liver glycogen stores. He continued this carb intake during the race, averaging ~90g per hour for the 6 hours and 44 minutes. The majority of his intake came from PF 30 Gels and PF 30 Caffeine Gels, helping him fall within the recommended guidelines. Despite a strong start, Jenson experienced a notable energy dip in the final two hours of the race. This was likely due to a combination of factors: the race turned out to be significantly longer than expected (partly due to the harsh weather and tough terrain), which meant he did not reach his pre-planned carb intake of more than 90g/h to sustain him through the extended effort. On top of that, he struggled with some flavour fatigue, a common issue in long events where the gut and palate become overwhelmed by repetitive textures and tastes. This made it harder for him to keep consuming the carbs he had with him, further contributing to his drop in energy and performance late in the race. Introducing more variety in fuel sources, like chews or bars, in addition to the gels and drink mix he had may help maintain both energy levels and appetite over extended durations in the future. Working the chews or bars into his strategy at points in the race where his effort might ease off or where the riding becomes less technical will be key to ensure the ‘chewing’ action does not deter from his performance or focus.

Jenson’s sweat sodium concentration is moderate, but even with the relatively cool environmental conditions, his high energy output would have meant that his sweat rate was still relatively high. Similar to his team mates, Jenson unfortunately encountered an issue at the feed zone and didn’t pick up all of his pre-planned bottles of fluid. This was compounded by a further challenge: he spent around two hours of the race without access to a bottle or any fluid after one was ejected from his frame. Although his fluid intake wasn’t optimal, it’s likely his pre-race hydration and the inclusion of sodium-rich drinks, such as PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix supported his needs sufficiently to see him finish without cramping. While he mentioned he “never felt thirsty,” the thirst sensation is not always a reliable indicator in endurance events as athletes tend to focus harder on the race itself than their physiological status. For future races, he can prepare a more robust hydration strategy, including contingency plans for lost bottles and aiming closer to 500 to 750ml of fluid per hour, adjusted for conditions.

Jenson consumed a total of 300mg of caffeine during the race via PF 30 Caffeine Gels. This dose is in line with supporting research to enhance endurance performance, alertness, and perceived effort, especially in the latter stages of long events. After chatting to Sports Scientist Tash, he opted to distribute his caffeine intake evenly throughout the race, avoiding any spikes or larger doses that may negatively affect his heart rate. While caffeine wasn’t a limiting factor in this race, its benefits may have been overshadowed by the energy and hydration deficits later in the event.