Robbie Britton's scorecard
24 Ore Di Torino
Saturday 25th February, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
97g
348mg
377ml
923mg/L
450mg
How Robbie hit those numbers
How Robbie's hydration and fueling went...
- After a bout of COVID-19 forced Robbie to pull out of his previous British 24-hour record breaking attempt in 2022, he was stoked to break the record by running 277.439km at 24 Ore Di Torino in Italy - He broke a record which had stood for a staggering 41 years by averaging 5:11min/km for 24 hours, whilst consuming an average of 97g of carbohydrate per hour
- Robbie was pleased with how he pulled on what we call the three levers’ for fueling endurance performance (namely carb, sodium and fluid), but he was keen to praise his support crew who helped ensure he stayed fueled, hydrated and on pace
Hydration
- Robbie followed our standard preloading protocol to the letter by drinking 500ml (16oz) of PH 1500 with his dinner the night before and again with his breakfast on the morning of the race in Turin
- Science shows that preloading with a strong sodium-based electrolyte drink before endurance exercise is a good way of optimising your pre-race hydration as it can increase blood plasma volume, which might have helped Robbie regulate his temperature in the humid conditions (~85% average humidity)
- Overall, Robbie drank an average of ~377ml (13oz) fluid per hour, with a relative sodium concentration of ~923 milligrams per litre (mg/32oz) predominantly through PF 60 Drink Mix
- We know from Robbie’s Sweat Test that he loses 1,044mg of sodium per litre (32oz) of sweat , so his intake of ~923mg/L (mg/32oz) will likely have replaced a high proportion of his losses
- Robbie peed a couple of times per hour early on, so he dialled his fluid intake back to account for the colder conditions during this period, before increasing his intake as the conditions got more humid (~90%). The warmer parts of the day meant he also poured water over his head to keep cool as he has a high sweat rate
- Robbie weighed himself before and after the race to estimate his total fluid losses, and as he only dropped ~500g (17 oz) across the entire race, it’s likely that he was hydrating appropriately. We know from the scientific research [not every bit of fluid loss needs replacing] (https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-much-should-i-drink/) mid race, especially as the conditions were relatively cold. Aiming for a weight loss of < 2% is important in limiting the potential for performance decreases occurring
- This said, Robbie continued to have the urge to pee frequently throughout his record-breaking attempt. He had planned on consuming ~ 500ml (16oz) fluid in the the race, but due to the humid conditions, the experience of Robbie’s support crew and constant urge to pee he dialled back his fluid intake after around seven hours and continued to consume a lower quantity then initially planned
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
60-90g
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The evening before the event, Robbie ate a carb rich dinner consisting of a neapolitan pizza followed by 200g (7oz) of blueberries with yoghurt. Robbie topped up his glycogen stores the morning of the race with a large breakfast consisting of two bread rolls with jam, granola and yoghurt
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Robbie planned to consume ~90g carb per hour, and with the assistance of his crewing team - his wife Nats, PhD Sports Scientist Dr Jamie Pugh and experienced ultra-runner Sarah-Jane - he was able to adapt his plan mid-race and eventually averaged ~97g per hour… for 24 hours!
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Without his crew, Robbie stated “the record would not have happened, they were absolutely vital” as they ensured he followed his plan, which saved him vital mental energy for when he really needed to dig deep. Robbie’s actually written a blog about how to crew an ultra for those looking to add this to their skillset
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97g of carb per hour is higher than the general recommendations for an event of this duration, but this is yet another example of an elite athlete who’s able to consume more than 90g of carb per hour. Robbie is a huge advocate in practising race day nutrition and has trained his gut over a number of years. This allowed him to reach and sustain such a high intake over such a long period of time. Robbie’s favourite song during the race was Sia - Unstoppable and she was right, he really was unstoppable averaging a pace of ~ 5:11 minutes per km for 24 hours!
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Robbie experienced a small dip in pace between hours 12-18 ( between 22:00 pm - 04:00 am) of the race, but after analysing his fuel intake we concluded this was likely due to a psychological lapse rather than an energy or physiological issue. Thankfully for Robbie, he managed to pick the pace back up and finished with a staggering 4 minute 3 second last km after almost 24 hours of running!
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During events lasting as long as 24 hours, it’s extremely common to see athletes exceed the general recommendations for caffeine intake of 3-6 milligrams per kg of bodyweight. On this occasion, Robbie consumed ~6.8mg/kg during the race
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He achieved this through the use of caffeinated gum and a cup of coffee as the sun rose during his race. This will have helped him win the ‘battle’ with his natural sleep cycle. Whilst his overall intake was above the normal caffeine recommendations, the four-to-five hour half-life of caffeine likely meant the amount circulating in his blood at any given time was appropriate for an event of this duration -In future races, Robbie could look to increase his overall caffeine intake and concentrate a higher intake during hours 12-18 as this is where his pace dipped. Consuming a higher dose of caffeine has been shown to lower perceived effort and increase alertness, potentially helping to combat his psychological drop off during this time
Conclusions
- Robbie was extremely happy with the execution of his race nutrition strategy and rated his overall race satisfaction as a 9 (out of 10), stating that he was super happy to have broken the 24-hour British record. However, he says there’s always room for improvement and thinks he can go even further next time
- Robbie also rated his GI comfort as a 9 (out of 10), needing just two static toilet stops over the duration of the event, even whilst eating ~97g of carbohydrates per hour. Going forward, Robbie will be aiming for a similarly high carbohydrate intake across his races, with the potential addition of some warm porridge or hot food if the conditions are cooler
- He might also want to look into manipulating his hydration intake to prevent his frequent urge to pee throughout the race
Key info
Robbie Britton
Event information
Race conditions
Athlete feedback
Robbie's Thoughts
I'm so happy to have broken the 24 hour British record which has stood for 41 years! However, there is always room for improvement. I know what I can do to go even further next time!
Robbie's full stats
| Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||
| Total intake | 2,326 | 8,345 | 9,039 | 450 | 923 |
| Per hour | 97 | 348 | 377 | 19 | |
Data Confidence
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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).