IRONMAN® Copenhagen

Jesper has been working alongside the Sport Science Team to find the optimal balance between sustaining his extreme power output and minimising GI discomfort. At IRONMAN® Copenhagen, he struck gold - fueling one of his best-ever performances and eliminating any GI or energy issues. Jesper slightly reduced (yes, reduced) his bike intake from ~130g/h at Challenge Roth last month to ~121g/h in Copenhagen, allowing him to begin the marathon with a more settled stomach than he’d experienced previously. During the run, he consumed ~147g/h without any issue using a combination of PF 30 Gels, PF 30 Caffeine Gels, Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix and some cola from the on-course aid stations. It’s worth noting that carb intakes above 90g/h aren’t suitable for every athlete and practicing gut training, like Jesper does in his key sessions, is crucial to learn what works best for you and increase your tolerance. That being said, Jesper’s tolerance is high and his energy and performance clearly thrive off of this high intake!

Jesper consumed a relative sodium concentration that was nearly double what he took at Challenge Almere last September and aligned more closely with his sweat sodium concentration. By switching from PH 1000 (Drink Mix) to PH 1500 (Drink Mix) in his bike bottles, his sodium intake was less diluted by additional plain water than it had been in Almere. This adjustment more effectively supported his hydration, as he once again avoided cramps and symptoms of dehydration. That said, there’s still a bit of room to increase his sodium intake on the run. Across the race, Jesper’s fluid intake was well-suited to the conditions and demands of a full-distance triathlon; through his coupled fuel and hydration approach, he ensured sufficient fluid intake alongside the other components of his nutrition.

The recommended caffeine dosage to enhance endurance exercise performance is 3-6mg/kg; Jesper slightly exceeded this with his ~6.27mg/kg intake. This is particularly common in events of such long duration to maintain circulating caffeine in the blood at the desired level for as much of the prolonged duration as possible. His intake was also higher in Copenhagen than previous races as he increased the number of PF 30 Caffeine Gels he consumed on the run. Jesper’s caffeine strategy certainly would have contributed to his fastest IRONMAN® marathon and his perception of high energy all day.