John Borstelmann
The Mid South Gravel
Oklahoma5th, MPROJohn's headline numbers
John's strategy
Fueling
A carb rich meal (low in fat & fibre) ~1-4 hours before would help John start optimally fueled
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My numbers were great. However, I never felt super fresh or strong. "
John incorporated a variety of fuel sources including energy gels, chews and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix to hit his highest carb intake yet in a single day race (~11g/h more than at the Gravel World Champs 2021). It was even *more* impressive that John consumed this level considering the tricky nature of the course, which was highlighted around mile 25 when he had to carry his bike through a bog! Moving forward, we would encourage John to continue gut training and practicing using sports nutrition products in his sessions to further increase his tolerance to higher intakes when he has longer races.
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.
John1310mg/L
John 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.
Given John's losses are High (1,310mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy remains important, even when it's Cold.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"My sweat rate was definitely lower compared to my previous, warmer races."
As a result of both the continual need to pee and the cold conditions, John chose to skip his second bottle of fluid. However, this meant that during the latter stages of the race he started to feel thirsty and finished his next two bottles ahead of schedule. While his fluid intake averaged out to be in the appropriate range for his needs, drinking more consistently earlier on would be beneficial in future races to avoid becoming thirsty. He *did* gain a little time from not having to refill his bottles though, and did a solid job hitting his relative sodium concentration needs. He used a combination of PH 1000 and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix in addition to small amounts of sodium found in some of his gels and chews. John mentioned being on the verge of cramping during very hard efforts in the last 25km, but at this point of the 100 mile race this was likely down to muscle fatigue and possibly the disjointed fluid intake, as John pushed hard to keep up with the front pack.
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.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
John reaped the benefits of having caffeine circulating in his system by drinking a black coffee before the race and then topping up with energy gels and chews that contained caffeine. This delivered a dose within the recommended 3-6mg/kg range that has been found to have positive ergogenic effects on performance and likely supported his energy levels and perception of fatigue.
How John hit his numbers
Here's everything that John ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I was happy to have finished with the front group and with my power numbers. I was hoping for a podium, but I didn't play the sprint very well. ”
“John had a great race on a tricky course, finishing 5th after a close sprint finish. Using a similar hydration and fueling plan to previous races, he achieved an improved carbohydrate intake despite a lack of appetite in the morning. His fluid consumption was lower than we have seen from him previously, but considering the cooler conditions, he still likely replaced most of his losses. In future, it’d be helpful to do some sweat rate testing to make sure his intake matches his losses in various weather conditions.”
PF&HJohn'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 an adequate level of accuracy in the data collected and the numbers reported. The athlete manages to recall what they ate and drank including most specifics (brands flavours quantities plausible estimations of volumes). However there are estimations made within the data which affect the overall confidence level in the data reported.