Chris Douglas
ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship
SandhamnCompletedChris' headline numbers
Chris' strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy levels were good. No significant bonking or low points during the race."
Chris did well to keep his carb intake consistent given the challenging race logistics,and hit similar numbers to the ~76g/h he managed at his 2022 World Championship race, helping him keep his energy levels up throughout the long day. He got the majority of his fuel from PF 30 Gels, PF 90 Gels and some caffeinated gels, as well as using pastries and ginger chews from on-course aid stations to help avoid flavour fatigue during his 11 hours total swimming and running interchangeably. It can be really challenging to push up to the 90g/h of carbs that we would suggest Chris builds towards in swimrun races due to the logistics of getting fuel in and carrying it with you around the swim legs. The benefits of getting that extra dose - perhaps by carrying a Flow Flask with a full Flow Gel with him - may help increase Chris’ performance and energy levels, though it would be worth doing some gut training to tolerate it as well.
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.
Chris1822mg/L
Chris 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 Chris's losses are Very High (1,822mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy remains important, even when it's Mild.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"My hydration felt good even with how difficult it was to stay on top of my hydration due to a challenging course."
As a very salty sweater (we know from his Sweat Test at the Precision Performance Lab that Chris loses 1,822mg of sodium per litre of sweat), Chris made sodium a clear priority. He preloaded with PH 1500 as well as two Electrolyte Capsules on the morning of the race to start the race optimally hydrated - opting for a stronger preload than the normal recommendations to help increase fluid retention before he races, where he will be sweating plenty of fluid and sodium.
During the race, he got through a further litre of PH 1500 and eight more Electrolyte Capsules, alongside ~1L of water picked up at aid stations. That’s a big turnaround from 2022, when losing his capsules left him at ~241mg/L.
Fluid volume is the next area to work on for Chris. His intake was well below the 500-1,000ml/h we’d suggested in these conditions to keep up with his individual losses, having measured his sweat rate at the PF&H lab. Because he took in high levels of sodium relative to so little fluid, the relative sodium concentration of his intake came to ~2,262mg/L, which is well above his sweat sodium losses. He also felt bloated after drinking too much water too quickly at times. Refilling soft flasks and carrying them to sip on during each run leg would help him take on more fluid, diluting his sodium concentration to be closer to his sweat losses, and help reduce the bloating.
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.
Consuming caffeine in the hours before the start may have increased perceived energy levels
Chris dosed caffeine throughout his race in the form of gels, however this came to ~1.3mg per kilogram of bodyweight, below the 3-6mg/kg recommendations linked to performance benefits. We would recommend Chris looks to gradually increase the amount he takes during training, slowly building up his tolerance to then reap the full benefits from the stimulant in future.
How Chris hit his numbers
Here's everything that Chris ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“It was a solid effort, the conditions were really tough and it was a grind to make it to the finish line.”
“Chris and his teammate Chipper battled through a challenging World Championships race to make it to the finish line. With good energy levels throughout the 11 hours, the next step for Chris will be to dial in his fluid strategy and refine the relative sodium concentration of his intake.”
PF&HChris' 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.