London Marathon

Ant knows the importance of carbohydrates ahead of his races and made sure to have maximal energy availability by carb loading during the days prior, having a carb-rich breakfast and topping up his energy stores with a PF 30 Caffeine Gel immediately before the race start. After suffering with a few stomach issues at the Manchester Marathon in 2023, Ant was thrilled to experience zero GI discomfort this time around. He trained with the PF 300 Flow Gel extensively in the build up, and on race day it kept him well fuelled for a quick run.

As a keen endurance athlete and member of the PF&H Team, Ant is well clued-up on starting hydrated and pre-loaded with PH 1500 the morning of the race. Since his sweat is saltier than average, Ant consumed the stronger end of our electrolyte range, PH 1500 and supplemented with extra water at the aid stations during the race to more closely match his sweat losses and keep his fluid intake regular. Even though Ant felt he could have drank more at aid stations, it’s very unlikely that with an intake of ~468ml/h he became dehydrated enough to impair his performance, as we typically see this with a 2-4% of body weight loss. His feeling of thirst was likely due to the PH 1500 encouraging water retention in his blood.

Ant strategically used a PF 30 Caffeine Gel pre-race and ~30k in, to trickle in some additional carbs and circulate caffeine in his system so he could reap the ergogenic benefits later on in the race. This helped to lower his perceived effort levels and give him a mental boost for the final stretch. According to the most recent scientific literature, he could have benefited from a slightly higher caffeine intake, such as by including another PF 30 Caffeine Gel earlier on in the race to keep a consistent flow of caffeine in his bloodstream.