Sid Palmer's scorecard
29029 Snowbasin #1
Saturday 20th August, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
35g
Carb per hour
403mg
Sodium per hour
329ml
Fluid per hour
1,224mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
15.53mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How Sid hit those numbers
How Sid's hydration and fueling went...
- Sid Palmer was looking for a fresh endurance challenge and signed up for 29029 Snowbasin #1 in Utah - a unique ultra event where participants repeatedly hike a mountain until they reach the equivalent height of Mount Everest (29,029ft/8,848m)
- For this event, participants had to climb Snowbasin Mountain 13 times within a 36-hour period to successfully reach the summit of Everest and claim their ‘red cap’, which is awarded to 29029 finishers
- Despite thunderstorms causing delays with the gondola taking participants down the mountain, Sid successfully ‘Everested’ in 33 hours
Hydration
- On the mountain, Sid relied on his one litre (32oz) hydration pack to carry his electrolytes and fluid and he refilled this as required after almost every ascent. Sid alternated between using PF Energy Drink Mix , PH 1000 and PH 1500
- To simplify his strategy in future, we’d generally recommend that Sid considers mixing the products as directed in order to maintain the relative sodium concentration of the electrolytes (e.g. one PH 1500 tablet in ~500ml (~16oz) of plain water)
- Using both PF Energy Drink Mix (500mg sodium serving per serving) and PH 1000 during early hikes allowed Sid to get a small quantity of carbohydrate on board, while replacing a high amount of sodium. Over the whole event, Sid consumed ~13,307mg of sodium which, alongside the fluid he drank, meant the average relative sodium concentration of his intake was ~1,224mg/L (mg/32oz)
- We know from Sid’s Sweat Test prior to the event that he loses 983mg of sodium per litre (32oz) of sweat, so the slightly higher relative concentration of his intake will have replaced a good proportion of his losses
- In terms of fluid replacement, Sid drank to thirst throughout the event which was suitable over this long challenge, but he made sure to be mindful of the volume he was drinking when his sweat losses were higher (i.e. during warmer parts of the day and when he was working at a higher intensity)
- The numbers illustrate that he drank ~329ml (~11oz) of fluid per hour on average. Despite being slightly lower than we’ve seen other 29029 participants drink, this is to be expected as conditions were generally very cool (average temperature of 15°C/59°F) and Sid doesn’t report having a high sweat rate. Also, due to the length of this event the likelihood of error in this fluid calculation is increased as a result of the large number of times he refilled his pack and the variance in that refill
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
None
carb 30 mins before
30-60g
carb per hour during
- The recommended fueling guidelines in the lead up to the first ascent would be to have between 1-4g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight (66-264g for Sid) in the 1-4 hours before starting. The early 6am start meant that Sid struggled to eat much beforehand, taking on just a waffle and some energy drink, but thankfully he had sensibly carb-loaded in the days leading up to the event to top up his glycogen stores and help mitigate the fact his breakfast was relatively low in carbs
- During the 13 hikes, Sid ate a large amount of ‘real’ food including crisps, energy bars, granola and noodles. This is to be expected for an event of this nature where he was predominantly moving at a low intensity with breaks spread throughout, and therefore a greater proportion of his energy will have come from burning fats in contrast to higher intensity exercise bouts
- Compared to fellow 29029 Snowbasin participant, Chris Sywassink, Sid relied more heavily on solid foods rather than sports nutrition products. This illustrates how different strategies can work for different individuals in the same event. Sid’s fueling strategy involved listening to what his body was craving and what he could tolerate on the mountain, which allowed him to keep pushing on to complete each hike
- Fats and protein also play key parts due to the extreme length of this endurance event, but carbohydrate is still an important fuel source to power each climb on the mountain. Using his strategy along with some more quickly absorbed sports nutrition products, including PF 30 Gels and PF Energy Drink Mix, Sid took on ~35g of carb per hour to fall within the recommended 30-60g/h range of the Quick Carb Calculator
- Sid had “decent energy levels” except for the expected luls when completing such a long challenge, particularly during his overnight hikes. He sensibly utilised caffeine as a way to increase his perceived energy levels, which is especially important when tiredness is peaking during the night. He didn’t start using caffeine until deeper into the event and then continually supplemented with moderate doses to avoid a drop off in energy levels that’s sometimes reported when people stop taking on caffeine
- The general guidelines recommend taking ~3-6mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day, so up to ~10mg over the course of the 36 hours athletes are given to complete 29029. Sid knows from previous experience that he has a high tolerance of caffeine, so he used caffeinated drink mix, chews and coffee to take in a total ~15.52mg/kg. It’s not unexpected that Sid went over the general guidelines due to the extreme nature and length of this event
Conclusions
- Sid was extremely happy to claim his coveted “Red Cap” after completing Snowbasin #1 and he felt he implemented an effective fuel and hydration strategy
- One thing Sid mentioned was that in future he’d like to make his strategy slightly more uniform and structured, which would allow him to make sure he was getting enough fuel and electrolytes on board in while making things slightly simpler for himself during the event
Key info
Sid Palmer
Male
66kg
Sweat sodium concentration
983mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Moderate
* determined by a PH Advanced Sweat Test
Result
Overall Time
33:00:00
Event information
Sport
Other
Discipline
Hiking
Event
29029 Snowbasin #1
Location
Utah, USA
Date
20th August, 2022
Website
Total Distance
48.0km / 29.8mi
Total Elevation
8,848m / 29,029ft
Event conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
8°C / 46°F
Max Temp
27°C / 81°F
Avg Temp
15°C / 59°F
Humidity
45%
Athlete feedback
Event Satisfaction
8/10
Hydration rating
7/10
Energy levels
7/10
Quite consistent, but felt low during the early morning hikes
Toilet stops
Yes
Every 2/3 hikes
Cramping
No cramping
Sid's Thoughts
I'm very happy with myself and my performance!
Sid's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 1,146 | 13,307 | 10,870 | 1,025 | 1,224 |
Per hour | 35 | 403 | 329 | 31 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is low confidence in the accuracy of the numbers reported. The intake reflects a rough guide to what an athlete consumed but quantities, volumes, or specific brands might be unknown. It is a loose insight into what the athlete did but the room for error is high-to-very high. This level of confidence most likely reflects the nature of the event (for example an ultramarathon, 24 hour or multi-stage event).