Sam Neale
Dublin Marathon
DublinCompleted, M18-24Sam's headline numbers
Sam's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"I felt strong throughout and had a negative split!"
Sam, our HR coordinator at PF&H, spoke to the Sports Science team ahead of his race in Dublin to dial in his fuel and hydration strategy. The advice he implemented started pre-race, where he got a final boost to his blood glucose in the form of a PF 30 Caffeine Gel before setting off.
During the race, Sam relied on carrying plenty of PF Gels to fuel his negative split across his first marathon. He totalled ~256g of carbs during the three-and-a-half hour race, which was clearly sufficient to justify his 10/10 energy rating. Next time, Sam can shoot even higher with his fuel intake to benefit his performance, especially because he could tolerate this amount of gel without any discomfort. In the lead up to his first IRONMAN® race in the summer, he has time to do some further gut training to condition his body to take in and use over 90g/h.
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.
Sam798mg/L
Sam 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 Sam's losses are on the low side, getting his hydration strategy right is still important if he wants to perform at his best.
Learn moreT - 60mins: Drank ~500ml of strong electrolyte drink
"I could’ve taken on more water but it was cold and windy, so I felt like I was sweating less."
Having had a Sweat Test at PF&H HQ, Sam was aware of his less-than-average sweat sodium concentration, and how to dial in his fluid and sodium intake. His strategy was to start with PH 1000 in a Soft Flask, before drinking plain water at aid stations along the way, and topping up his sodium intake with gels. Because it was a cool day in Dublin, Sam’s sweat rate wouldn’t be very high - so backing up how he subjectively felt, his fluid requirements were less than we may have recommended for a warmer race. As a result, he likely completed the race within the 2-4% threshold of bodyweight change shown to impact performance, which was supported by his perception of how well hydrated he felt.
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
Sam used two PF 30 Caffeine Gels during the race, though this fell just short of the dose of 3-6mg of caffeine per kilo of bodyweight that’s recommended by science. By having one extra PF 30 Caffeine Gel, Sam would sit in this range to get the proven performance benefits of the stimulant.
How Sam hit his numbers
Here's everything that Sam ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“For a first marathon I didn't know what to expect, but I stuck to the plan, finished strong and didn't hit the so-called "wall". I put that solely down to my fueling and hydration.”
“Sam smashed it out on course and this is reflected in his fuel and hydration strategy. Increasing his carb intake and taking an extra dose of caffeine would benefit his energy levels and performance for his upcoming transition to triathlon.”
PF&HSam's 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.