The Gralloch

Sophie executed one of her highest-ever carb intakes at The Gralloch, not only exceeding the traditional 90g/h ‘ceiling’, but aligning with more recent data indicating that well-trained athletes can oxidize up to 120–150g/h when using multiple transportable carbohydrates. Her on-bike carb intake included both liquid (Carb Only Drink Mix) and solid (gels and chews) fuel formats to keep her energy levels steady across nearly four hours of racing and support a podium performance.

Sophie consumed two litres of fluid during the race, each litre dosed with 1000mg of sodium. Given her sweat sodium concentration and sweat rate, it’s likely her intake would’ve been sufficient to replace enough of her losses to avoid the debilitating effects of dehydration. She did report feeling thirsty throughout, particularly as temperatures approached ~26°C, suggesting she may have slightly underestimated her fluid needs. While she still avoided significant performance decline, there's room to improve her strategy in hotter or longer events to optimise hydration, including by preloading with PH 1500 instead of the lower strength drink mix she had pre-race.

Sophie consumed just one PF 30 Caffeine Gel, which falls below the 3-6 mg/kg range often cited in literature for ergogenic effects. However, this dose aligns with lower-end recommendations that still deliver improved perception of effort and delayed fatigue. The timing, both pre- and mid-race, factored in peak blood caffeine levels being ~30–60 mins post-ingestion, and helped sustain her alertness and reaction time at crucial points in the dynamic race environment.