London Marathon

Dan assumed there would be more carb-based energy drinks available on course than there was so he only carried four gels. Consequently, his carb intake was on the lower end of our recommendations and he could most definitely increase this in future races. We’d recommend a figure closer to ~90g/h (nearly three times his intake) to better support his performance and maintain his energy levels. Dan also experienced some GI discomfort around the halfway point and then later on in the race where he began to feel sick. He managed to navigate this by sipping on some water, but in his training, we would recommend Dan perform some structured gut training and practise his race nutrition strategy thoroughly to avoid any unwanted GI issues.

Dan relied predominantly on plain water from the on-course aid stations for his hydration needs across the race. Despite reporting a high sweat rate, the conditions during this marathon were fairly mild and as a result, the ~396ml/h of fluid was unlikely to be detrimental to his performance. That said, Dan reported a craving for a sports drink and the cramping he experienced suggests that he could have benefitted from increasing his fluid and electrolyte intake slightly. By carrying some Electrolyte Capsules in his pocket in future races, he could supplement the plain water he picks up on-course and more accurately account for his sweat losses.

Dan pre-caffeinated on the morning of the race and consumed a couple of caffeine gels during the race which would have helped him lower his perception of effort and maintain his energy levels. With a half-life of ~4-5 hours, this would likely have still been in his system during the race, but his caffeine intake was still lower than the recommended guidelines and we would encourage him to increase his consumption of the stimulant to further reap the ergogenic benefits.