James Turner
IAU 100km World Championships
Bangalore11th, MPROJames' headline numbers
James' strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"This was the first time I’ve raced in the heat and I think that impacted my ability to consume gels. Given that I really looked forward to the drinks, I should’ve had those more frequently, but overall my strategy worked well."
James fueled his race with a combination of PF 30 Gels, PF 30 Caffeine Gels, and PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix, achieving an impressive average carbohydrate intake. Emerging research continues to highlight the performance benefits of high carbohydrate consumption during exercise, primarily through increased exogenous carbohydrate oxidation. In simple terms, consuming more than 90g of carb per hour allows the body to utilise these external carbohydrates for energy. Although James reported no GI symptoms across the race, he did report that he struggled to take gels on at times. With the hot conditions reducing available blood supply to the gut, high carb intake and the high relative sodium concentration of his drinks, it’s possible that intake of ~111g per hour was as much as he could handle in those conditions. For future races, James could consider trialling a slightly lower carb and sodium intake to reduce the pressure on his gut during hot races.
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.
James757mg/L
James has been Sweat Tested to dial in his hydration plan
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.
Whilst James's losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still crucial when it's hot and/or humid as his higher sweat rate in these conditions can result in significant net losses over the duration of a race.
Learn moreDrinking a strong electrolyte drink before the race could have helped James start optimally hydrated
"I'm really happy I went with three scoops of drink mix; it gave me a good hit. The Electrolyte Capsules worked well, but in the future, I might mix a tab in the water because towards the end, I craved more flavour in my drinks, rather than plain water. "
Given the hot conditions, James knew the importance of managing his fluid and electrolyte losses effectively. The majority of his sodium intake came from 3 litres of PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and 12 Electrolyte Capsules, which provided a sodium concentration of ~1,858mg/L - significantly higher than the 757mg/L he loses in his sweat. Fortunately, this didn’t cause any negative GI symptoms. This strategy worked well for James on the day, but in future, James could consider decoupling his carb and electrolyte intake to give him greater control over his fluid, sodium, and carb consumption, and pull each lever independently based on his needs.
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
James is no stranger to using caffeine during races and consumed a dose well above the standard scientific recommendation of 3-6mg/kg. While such high doses can often lead to negative side-effects including stomach discomfort for some athletes, James tolerated it well and likely benefited from the stimulant's ergogenic effects. Moving forward, he might consider slightly reducing his caffeine intake to align more closely with the recommended range, but if his current approach continues to work without drawbacks, there may be little need to change.
How James hit his numbers
Here's everything that James ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“My dream race target was top-20 and a team medal, so I'm over the moon with 11th place and team bronze!”
“Overall, James was pleased with his race at the World Championships in India, hitting his goals and enjoying “a dream race”. Next time out, he should consider dialling back his sodium and caffeine intake to be more in line with scientific recommendations, which could help minimise the risk of any GI issues, especially in hot conditions.”
PF&HJames' 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.