OCC by UTMB

Gemma’s interest in sports nutrition was evident in her structured fueling plan going into the race at OCC. She broke down her intake per hour to make it easy to effectively hit her target carb intake, using a combination of gels, PF 30 Chews and PF Carb Only Drink Mix to consume just shy of the scientific recommendations. With no GI discomfort, Gemma demonstrated the importance of gut training in the build up to ensure she could fuel consistently to keep her energy levels up. With the high temperatures towards the end of the race, Gemma couldn’t quite get the final gel down, but it’s likely that the fatigue she experienced on the last climb was more likely due to general neuromuscular fatigue. In future, if she can consume this final gel, or can incorporate some cola like she did here, the extra fuel will keep her going to finish strong.

Gemma knew that temperatures would likely soar towards the end of the race and planned her fluid intake accordingly, aiming to have ~500ml of plain water every hour, in addition to her soft flasks of Carb Only Drink Mix. This consistent intake of fluid across the duration of the race likely replaced the majority of her sweat losses and helped mitigate against cramping. However, Gemma’s sodium intake was less ideal and the lone two Electrolyte Capsules she consumed during the race wouldn't have been enough to replace her sweat sodium losses. Gemma could dial this in a little further, either by having a Sweat Test or aiming for a more moderate relative sodium concentration, closer to the average we see across athletes (~950mg/L), to ensure that she stays properly hydrated from both a fluid and sodium standpoint during races. Practically, she could add some PH 1000 or switch to PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix to help with this and in doing so, reduce the risk of hyponatremia. Gemma sensibly used the streams and waterfalls along the course to ‘dunk’ her head and body into, an effective cooling strategy to ensure her core body temperature was controlled as best as possible.

In endurance races, we see several different strategies athletes use to support their energy levels through the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid. In this instance, Gemma chose to pre-caffeinate ~25 minutes prior to starting with a small dose (~50mg) of the stimulant. This would have peaked ~20 minutes into the race, supporting the increase in adrenaline in her system. During the race itself, Gemma consumed slightly higher than the recommended intake, choosing to have a couple of caffeine tablets, plus two caffeine gels to ensure she was topping up her levels consistently and reaping the benefits the stimulant has to offer. This contributed to her well-perceived energy levels and considering she has no issues with tolerating caffeine, it was a suitable way to support her performance during a physically demanding race.