John Borstelmann
The Mid South Gravel
Stillwater3rd, M30-34John's headline numbers
John's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I could probably have managed another gel or two for some extra carbs but otherwise I’m happy with my fueling."
John successfully carb-loaded and continuously topped up his energy stores before and during the race to support his fastest Mid South performance yet with ~101g of carb per hour. This intake was slightly less than his ~110g/h at the same race the year before, but still a big step up from ~76g/h in 2022.
Similar to his prior races, John used a variety of carb types including solids, gels and liquids. This, combined with his extensive gut training over the last couple of years will have helped contribute to his rating of 10 (out of 10) for gastrointestinal discomfort. John was hoping for a strong performance in this race and due to his consistent fueling, he was able to finish on the podium even in the stacked field.
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
"I had to pee once mid-way through the race, so I don’t think I needed any more fluid than I had."
With a total of 3000 ml of fluid across nearly five hours of high intensity racing, John felt his fluid intake was spot on. He consumed slightly less sodium than we would recommend given his relatively high sweat sodium losses and past experiences with cramping. This, along with the continuous neuromuscular output during the race may have contributed to the cramping he experienced in the last few metres of the sprint.
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
Compared with some of John’s previous efforts, he consumed a lower intake of caffeine in this race which is more in line with our current recommendations and the scientific guidelines for a race of this duration. It is likely this helped to keep mental fatigue at bay and boost John’s perceived energy levels throughout the race to facilitate his performance.
How John hit his numbers
Here's everything that John ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“Since I was on the podium last year, I was really hoping I could pull out the win this year, but the field was even deeper than I expected, so I am happy with another podium.”
“John nailed his fuel strategy, hitting his target carb intake in an impressive fashion by consuming a range of carb types at high speeds (not an easy feat even for the most experienced of gravel riders).. When it comes to hydration, he took on a suitable fluid volume to replace a proportion of his losses and support his incredible efforts. For future races, John may benefit from increasing his sodium intake slightly to suit his high sweat sodium concentration.”
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.