Dan Collins
London Marathon
LondonOtherDan's headline numbers
Dan's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
Dan would benefit from taking in a final dose of carb <30 minutes before
"The gels felt a bit like they were landing on an empty stomach at times, so maybe I should have eaten a bit more before the race."
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.
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.
Drinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped Dan start optimally hydrated
"Towards the end I was really craving a sweet and salty sports drink."
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.
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.
T - 0-4hrs: Had a final hit of caffeine
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.
How Dan hit his numbers
Here's everything that Dan ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I was over the moon with my time but definitely could have managed the race a bit better; be that hydration or more even pacing.”
“Dan had a great run at the London Marathon for his first ‘official’ marathon. As recognised by himself, he trod a fine line with his strategy and some amendments to his fuel, hydration and caffeine intake will equip him more suitably to maintain his performance. Additionally, navigating the issues he identified in this race with some gut training will hopefully lower his experience of GI discomfort. But, that said, he still pulled out a great time and we look forward to what he can achieve as he further refines a few things. ”
PF&HDan's 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.