Jesper Svensson
IRONMAN® Copenhagen
Copenhagen3rd, MPROJesper's headline numbers
Jesper's strategy
Fueling
T - 1-4hrs: Ate a carb rich meal (Low in fat & fibre)
T - 15mins: Took in a final dose of carb
"My energy levels were ten out of ten all day. I’m really happy as that was my best intake ever for a marathon."
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!
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.
Jesper942mg/L
Jesper 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 Jesper's losses are on the moderate 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
"This is one of my best executed hydration strategies, I felt hydrated all race."
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.
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
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.
How Jesper hit his numbers
Here's everything that Jesper ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“As the team had suggested, I adjusted my plan from Challenge Roth which worked well and led me to one of my best performances. ”
“Jesper had a phenomenal race and executed his fuel and hydration strategy to near perfection. We are so pleased that the hard work he has put into refining his nutrition has paid off with this impressive 3rd place at IRONMAN® Copenhagen.”
PF&HJesper'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.