Jake Lowe
Manchester Marathon
Jake's headline numbers
Jake's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
On top of his carb-rich meal in the hours before the race to maximise his performance, Jake could consider having another final ~30g dose of carbohydrate within the 30 minutes ahead of the gun to spike his blood glucose levels and preserve some of his stored glycogen for later on. During the race itself, Jake consumed ~39g/h, which is lower than the scientific recommendations for a race of this duration and intensity. Although he felt fueled for the first two hours, likely due to his stored energy, he did notice a significant drop in energy levels in the last few miles (with his girlfriend, Martina then dropping him and claiming bragging rights). Looking back on the race, Jake regretted not eating his last gel and plans to increase his carb intake in future to avoid the dip in pace he experienced and navigate these 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.
Sweat sodium concentration (mg/L) is largely genetically determined and remains relatively stable. Knowing how salty your sweat is enables you to replace a good proportion of your sweat losses, which can range from 200-2,000mg/L.
Given Jake’s losses are High (1,392mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy remains important, even when it’s Mild.
Learn moreThe conditions in Manchester were mild on race day, so Jake wasn’t as proactive with his hydration strategy. He subjectively rated his sweat rate as ‘moderate’ and as a result his net losses would likely have been on the lower side. From his Sweat Test results, we know Jake is a salty sweater and he mentioned ending the day with visible salt marks on his kit. In future races, particularly those in hotter conditions, carrying Electrolyte Capsules will be beneficial to pair with the water he picks up and replenish some of the sodium he loses in his sweat. In the mild conditions, Jake made the suitable decision to drink to thirst and was pleased to experience no cramping as he suffered with this during his previous marathon attempt.
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.
Before the race, Jake had one black coffee, and with an average half-life of ~5 hours, the stimulant would still have been in his system during the race and helped to reduce his perception of effort and delay fatigue. He could consider using some in the race next time.
How Jake hit his numbers
Here's everything that Jake ate and drank on the day...
Jake's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HJake's full stats
Data Confidence?
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).