Swiss Alps 100

Davide showed off his years of experience by executing a consistent carbohydrate intake across the 100 miler that allowed him to gradually move his way up the field to finish 10th. By consuming an impressive total of 50 gels (39 PF 30 Gels and 11 PF 30 Caffeine Gels) alongside the occasional PF 30 Chew and some ‘real food’, including bread, broth, apples and potatoes, he hit just over the 60g/h recommended carb intake. And, he did this without experiencing any flavour fatigue or GI discomfort! We’re noticing a trend that more athletes across our ultra running Case Studies are relying predominantly on sports nutrition products like Davide did, compared to those real food items he sprinkled in, and his execution of this strategy over 30 hours demonstrates an impressively high gut tolerance from ample gut training in advance.

For most of the race, Davide carried two soft flasks, swapping between PH 1000 and plain water for the first half before switching to water and Electrolyte Capsules after ~20 hours. As temperatures rose between 9am and 2pm on the first day, Davide felt he was not drinking enough, supported by the fact he “wasn’t peeing much”. His average fluid intake was stable across the race, and although this was likely sufficient during the cooler overnight hours, he may have benefited from drinking more in the hottest parts of the day to avoid accumulating too large a deficit early on. In terms of sodium, Davide’s intake was also consistent across the race, but by topping up with higher volumes of water than the on-course PH 1000 and only taking one Electrolyte Capsule per hour (roughly with every 500ml), his average relative sodium concentration was on the lower end compared to what we typically see. A Sweat Test would help Davide know precisely how much sodium he loses in his sweat to more accurately plan how much to consume. Until then, adding an additional Electrolyte Capsule per ~500ml would help with his fluid retention and replace a greater proportion of his sodium losses.

Unsurprisingly, Davide’s total caffeine dose across the race (~1,265mg) surpassed the scientific literature's guidelines as the research isn’t targeting races >24 hours long. Davide is no stranger to caffeine, and having used it in previous races, he knows he can tolerate the stimulant well. He experienced no negative side effects taking in such high quantities, even when doubling his caffeine intake in the second half on the run in an attempt to fight off his increasing levels of fatigue. He chose to have his first PF 30 Caffeine Gel within the first two hours but saved his next until after nine hours. Next time out, he may choose to delay his first dose until later in the race and reserve the ergogenic benefits of the stimulant until he needs it most in the latter stages.