29029 Snowbasin #1

Sid didn’t consume the recommended 1-4g/kg of carbohydrate in the 1-4 hours before the event or the final top up of 30g of carbs within 30 minutes of the event start. He did undergo a structured carb-load in the days leading up to the event to increase his glycogen stores though, which would have helped him on the mountain. Across his 13 ascents of Snowbasin, Sid relied primarily on real foods including energy bars, granola, crisps and noodles. This is common for events of this extreme duration and lower relative intensity when fats can provide the majority of fuel instead of carbs. Sid listened to his body, eating what he was craving and what he knew he could tolerate. Going forward, he could simplify his plan to allow him to more closely monitor what he’s consuming.

Being aware of his low sweat rate at this intensity from some sweat rate testing whilst training for 29029 allowed Sid to tailor his fluid consumption to his individual needs. He drank to thirst from his one litre (~32oz) hydration pack but adapted what he was drinking based on the temperature, which ranged from 8-27°C (46-81°F). Sid also replaced a good enough proportion of his sweat sodium losses using PH 1000, PH 1500 and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix. Though we’d recommend that he mixes these as directed to maintain the intended relative sodium concentration in the future, he likely took on enough overall across the event on top of the sodium he got from real food to maintain his electrolyte balance.

Sid followed an increasingly common caffeine strategy by delaying his first intake until later in the event when he needed the boost in perceived energy levels the most, especially through the night when his body’s circadian rhythm would have been promoting sleep. Once he started supplementing with caffeine, Sid used caffeinated drink mixes and chews to provide further doses of the stimulant. Although his intake exceeded the recommended 3-6mg/kg, these guidelines are based on exercise lasting ~3-5 hours so it is understandable that his total dose more than doubled those standard guidelines. Further, considering his high caffeine tolerance, Sid knew that he could cope with this high intake.