T100 London

Leon has always tolerated high amounts of carbohydrate during middle and full-distance triathlons, without suffering from any GI distress. In London he took his highest intake yet, adding to the anecdotal evidence that athletes can tolerate >90g per hour, and once again he experienced no GI discomfort. This will always benefit him by providing ample energy to sustain his performance, but increasing his carb intake beyond this will offer diminished returns. This is because it’s unlikely Leon’s gut can actually absorb this much, even if he can tolerate it, and as no scientific papers currently demonstrate absorption rates anywhere close to 144g per hour, continuing to increase his intake will only increase the risk of unabsorbed carbs remaining in his gut, and causing gastric upset.

Leon’s usual strategy for hydration is to load his 1L bike bottles with both his fuel and hydration. He also chooses to be self-sufficient with his electrolytes, so slightly over-concentrates his bottles using PH 1500 (Drink Mix). As a result of both these factors, and the suboptimal water quality in the swim, he recalled having a particularly dry mouth on the bike, so opted to pick up plenty of plain water from the on-course aid stations during the second half. This subsequently reduced the relative sodium concentration of his drinks, but alleviated his thirst sensations so he did well to react to his senses, and replace his fluid losses.

Leon is used to drinking coffee frequently, and has practised taking PF 30 Caffeine Gels for a long time in training so he feels that his tolerance is quite high. By circulating some caffeine in his bloodstream throughout the morning with a few cups of coffee, and topping up with PF 30 Caffeine Gels during the race, he reached the top end of the scientific guidelines which would have reduced his perception of effort throughout.