17th
John Borstelmann's scorecard
Steamboat Gravel
Sunday 15th August, 2021
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
53g
Carb per hour
887mg
Sodium per hour
915ml
Fluid per hour
970mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
323mg
Total caffeine
How John hit those numbers
How John's hydration and fueling went...
- John had what he described as a “very interesting race” at Steamboat Gravel 2021… He was very unlucky on the day as he suffered a crash, a mechanical issue, chaotic aid stations AND he lost a bottle!
Hydration
- John preloaded sensibly with a bottle of PH 1500 around an hour before the race in order to make sure he was starting the race optimally hydrated
- John’s sodium intake was 887mg/hr, from the primary source of PH 1000 powders and tablets in his water bottle. Crucially, he didn’t experience any cramping and was happy to continually add PH 1000 each time he filled up his bottle at an aid station
- John’s fluid intake was also greatly impacted by him losing that second 1L/32oz bottle which contained PF 30 Energy Drink Mix about 35 miles in, particularly as he hadn’t drunk any of it
- John was able to refill his other bottle 4.5 times, therefore still consuming ~915ml/hr (~31oz/hr). This is a good volume and it’s interesting to note that John tactically decided to stop and refill at each station on course, despite the busy and often chaotic nature of the aid stations
- Taking into consideration both sodium and fluid intake per hour, the relative sodium concentration of John’s intake was ~994mg/L. He may want to look at increasing his sodium intake in order to bump this number up in future races, particularly as he has a relatively high sweat sodium concentration (John loses 1,310mg per litre of sweat) and he’s often racing for long durations in hot conditions
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- John didn’t take in the recommended ~30g of carbohydrate 15 minutes prior to the start this time. This is an area for improvement in the future as having a gel, banana or similar just before the race would top off his energy stores before what is always a hectic start as riders jostle for position during gravel races
- John consumed about 53g of carb an hour during his 6 hours and 40 minutes of racing. This is less than would be considered optimal and was partly down to the fact that he dropped his carb drink bottle containing PF 30 Energy Drink Mix
- In future races we’ve suggested that John tries to increase his intake towards the upper end of the 60-90g per hour range because the science and anecdotal evidence both point to better performance and recovery outcomes if these numbers can be achieved
Conclusions
- Overall, John’s pre-race hydration and fueling was good, helping him start the race well hydrated. One recommendation for John could be to consume a gel or energy bar 15 minutes before the start to top off his energy stores
- For future races, we have recommended that John increases his carb intake to push towards 90g/hr to optimise both his performance and recovery
Key info
John Borstelmann
Male
Sweat sodium concentration
1310mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
High
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Position
17th
Overall Time
6:40:18
Event information
Sport
Cycling
Discipline
Gravel
Event
Steamboat Gravel
Location
Colorado, USA
Date
15th August, 2021
Website
Total Distance
231.0km / 143.5mi
Total Elevation
2865m / 9,400ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Very Hot
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
8°C / 46°F
Max Temp
29°C / 84°F
Avg Temp
25°C / 77°F
Humidity
33%
Athlete feedback
Hydration rating
8/10
Cramping
No cramping
John's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 355 | 5,915 | 6,100 | 323 | 970 |
Per hour | 53 | 887 | 915 | 48 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles, brands, quantities, flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).