Ollie Jones
Utopia Gravel Fest
BazaTop 50, M25-29Ollie's headline numbers
Ollie's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
Ollie would benefit from taking in a final dose of carb <30 minutes before
"I usually tend to feel a bit flat around 3-5 hours into races, but generally felt like I had good energy throughout the race. I never felt weak and was able to ride strong the whole time. It was a bit tough to eat breakfast so soon after waking up, but during the race it was easy to keep the carb intake coming."
Ollie had a great performance which was no doubt supported by his consistent fueling. He used two PF 300 Flow Gels to hit his numbers and supplemented this with two PF 30 Caffeine Gels to keep his energy levels up and increase his alertness. Fortunately for Ollie, he has trained his gut to comfortably tolerate high volumes of carb without experiencing any GI distress. For his future races, we would encourage Ollie to also pre-fuel with an extra dose of carb, such as a PF 30 Chew or PF 30 Gel, to help top-up glucose and maximise energy availability for later on in the race.
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.
Ollie880mg/L
Ollie 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 Ollie's losses are on the moderate side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I don’t think I took on enough fluid during the race, but fortunately I didn't suffer any cramps or experience any obvious signs of dehydration. The weather wasn’t too hot either which made it more manageable."
Ollie was unaware of his sweat sodium concentration at the time of the race, but after chatting to our Sport Science Team he had decided to aim close to the average losses we’ve seen over our years of Sweat Testing (949mg/L). A Sweat Test has since confirmed that this replaced his losses well, as his sodium falls just below the average. He didn’t suffer any obvious negative consequences as a result of dehydration during the race (or obvious signs of too great a level of dehydration), indicating he sat within a tolerable range. Going forward, it would be a good idea for Ollie to carry some Electrolyte Capsules with him in future races to supplement any plain water he takes on board, ensuring he stays in line with his known sweat losses.
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
Ollie’s caffeine intake was slightly below the scientifically recommended dosage. Since he is a regular coffee drinker who tolerates caffeine well, we would advise Ollie to increase his intake slightly by supplementing his plan with one or two more PF 30 Caffeine Gels to maximise its ergogenic benefits and keep his energy levels high during future races.
How Ollie hit his numbers
Here's everything that Ollie ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I was super happy with how the race went! I felt good all day, and was able to keep pushing after getting dropped by the second group. I finished in 21st place, my best result ever in a gravel earth event.”
Ollie“Ollie executed a solid fuel and hydration strategy for Utopia Gravel, taking into account weather conditions and his estimated sodium losses. Adding a bit more carb ahead of time and strategically using larger caffeine doses would help him maximise his energy levels and support his performance in future races.”
PF&HOllie'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 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).