3rd
David Beard's scorecard
South Devon Ultra
Saturday 5th February, 2022
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
57g
Carb per hour
119mg
Sodium per hour
511ml
Fluid per hour
232mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
5.88mg/kg
Caffeine per bodyweight
How David hit those numbers
500ml x Electrolyte tablet (250mg sodium)
1 x Pot of porridge (maple syrup flavour)
1 x Energy bar (21g carb)
2 x Black coffees
330ml x Soya iced coffees
1.5L x Plain water
2 x Energy bar (21g carb)
1L x Electrolyte tablet (500mg sodium)
500ml x Electrolyte tablet (320mg sodium)
400ml x Coca Cola Original
0.5 x Banana
3 x Energy bar (41g carb)
3 x Energy bar (40g carb)
2 x Satsuma
0.5 x Packet of crisps
1 x Ginger biscuit
How David's hydration and fueling went...
- A good friend of Precision Fuel & Hydration Sweat Test Officer Joe Wenman, David Beard, ran his longest race in 4 years at the South Devon Ultra and finished 3rd in his age group (39th overall)
- In the mild conditions (8℃/46°F), he battled through a physical and mental lull, around 32km in, to complete the 54km course (which included 1,645m of elevation) in 6 hours and 39 minutes
Hydration
- David preloaded with an electrolyte tablet (500mg/L) pre-race to try and start optimally hydrated. This is a good strategy, but we would recommend he preloads with a higher concentration of sodium (1500mg/L) to maximise his blood plasma volume going into the race
- During the run, David drank ~511ml/hr (17oz/hr) on average. Although we do not have data on David’s sweat rate to confirm how much of his losses he would’ve been replacing, he feels that he has a moderate sweat rate, so drinking over 500ml/hr (16oz/hr) is a solid fluid volume to replace some of his losses in what were mild race conditions (8℃/46°F)
- David is currently in the process of booking in for an Advanced Sweat Test so at the moment we don’t know his sweat sodium concentration. However, he has taken our Online Sweat Test which indicated he is a moderately salty sweater
- He consumed a small amount of sodium from an electrolyte tablet and various energy bars, which equated to ~119mg of sodium per hour and a relative sodium concentration of ~232mg/L. This is a low sodium intake, especially considering the length of the race, and the biggest improvement to David’s race strategy would be to increase his sodium consumption going forwards. Adding PH 1000 to some of his fluids, or carrying some PH Electrolyte Capsules, during the race would be a good first step to better meeting his sodium needs
- David did experience some mild cramps around 26km into the run and believes this was largely down to being slightly underprepared training-wise and a result of the course being very steep and technical. Although there are different theories about the causes of cramp, replacing a greater proportion of his sodium losses to keep on top of his electrolyte balance could help prevent them in future
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
30-60g
carb per hour during
- Staying near the race location in Devon, David said that he wasn’t fully prepared for breakfast. He picked up what he could from a local shop and ate at around 6:30am (2 hours before the race started). Despite this, he still managed to get in a good carb-rich breakfast consisting of porridge and an energy bar
- Before the race, David also had two black coffees and an iced coffee. With a half life of ~5 hours, this large caffeine dose will have stayed in his system during the race to increase his alertness, perceived energy levels and to delay the onset of fatigue (learn more)
- To keep benefiting from caffeine's ergogenic effects, David took on ~482mg of caffeine during the race as well. This is towards the higher end of the recommended 3-6mg/kg dose for endurance performance (for reference, David consumed 5.88mg/kg)
- In terms of carbohydrate, during the race David consumed an average of ~57g/hr predominantly from five energy bars. He had a good strategy of eating a square of energy bar every 15 minutes. This ‘drip feeding’ technique will have made sure he didn’t go for sustained periods of the race without fueling
- This level of carbohydrate ingestion is at the top end of our Quick Carb Calculator’s recommendation of 30-60g per hour for a race of this length and intensity. Evidence suggests a higher carbohydrate intake can correlate with improved performance, so this was a fantastic carb intake over the 6 hours and 39 minutes of racing
- David did mention his stomach ached during certain parts of the race, rating his GI comfort as 6 out of 10. Given David’s slight gut discomfort and reliance on energy bars (which often contain high amounts of fat and fibre, and can contribute to gut issues in some people), he may consider using a combination of real foods and sports nutrition products like gels or chews which are almost entirely made up of simple carbs (these contain minimal fat or fibre), for future races of similar duration. Using a mixture of carb sources prevents the stomach getting overwhelmed with too much of one thing, and energy gels are typically absorbed faster which may too help reduce any issues
- David rated his energy levels as a low 4 out of 10 on average, saying that around 32km in he hit a low point (both physically and mentally) and considered DNFing. However, David was able to push through to pass the marathon point, where his energy picked back up again to get to the finish line
Conclusions
- Overall, David had a successful run in what was his longest race for four years, dealing with significant elevation in the process. He did an adequate job at meeting his carb and fluid needs but could benefit from refining his strategy and optimising his intake, especially his sodium consumption
- David rated his race satisfaction as 6 out of 10 as “he wasn’t completely happy with the race”. But, he is looking forward to working closely with us to develop his hydration and fueling strategy throughout the year, building up towards TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie) at the UTMB festival in August
Key info
David Beard
Male
82kg
Result
Position
3rd
Overall Time
6:38:54
Event information
Sport
Running
Discipline
Ultra
Event
South Devon Ultra
Location
Beesands, England
Date
5th February, 2022
Website
Total Distance
54.4km / 33.8mi
Total Elevation
1645m / 5,397ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Mild
Precipitation
No Rain
Min Temp
7°C / 45°F
Max Temp
11°C / 52°F
Avg Temp
8°C / 46°F
Humidity
85%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
6/10
Hydration rating
6/10
Energy levels
4/10
I had a physical and mental dip around 20 miles in but pushed through
Toilet stops
No
GI comfort
6/10
Slight stomach ache in places
Cramping
Mild cramps that I could push through
David's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 381 | 790 | 3,399 | 482 | 232 |
| Per hour | 57 | 119 | 511 | 72 | |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles, brands, quantities, flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).