Matt's headline numbers
Matt'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.
Matt has documented the journey of training his gut to tolerate more carbohydrates on the Sweat Elite YouTube channel. Over the 2 hours 23 minutes of racing at the Hannover Marathon, Matt consumed an average intake of just over 100g per hour. Between his 10/10 gastrointestinal comfort rating and soaring energy levels, it’s clear that his gut training has been very effective.
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 Matt’s losses are High (1,249mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy remains important, even when it’s Cold.
Learn moreAfter Matt’s previous marathon in Osaka where he experienced muscle cramps in the final 5k, he believed his electrolyte and fluid intake were suboptimal and contributed to the issues. For this race, he actively increased both of these components to dial in his hydration plan. He consumed a relative sodium concentration in his fluids that closely matched his sweat sodium concentration (1,249mg/L) and thankfully managed to stave off any painful muscle cramps.
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.
Matt consumed ~270mg of caffeine during the race from PF 30 Caffeine Gels and an energy drink on course, putting him within the 3-6mg per kilogram range that the science recommends for optimal performance. Considering he rated his energy a 10 out of 10 and had no adverse effects from the caffeine, his intake was spot on.
How Matt hit his numbers
Here's everything that Matt ate and drank on the day...
Matt's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HMatt's full stats
Data Confidence?
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.