Triatlo Longo Caminha

Mikael proved himself to be an athlete who can consume much higher amounts of carbohydrates than the science suggests is possible, thus adding to the emerging anecdotal evidence suggesting athletes can consume more than 90g/h. This didn’t come without a little hiccup, however, as after consuming ~165g per hour(!) during the bike leg, Mikael felt quite bloated on the run as he clearly wasn’t able to absorb this high amount, despite being able to swallow it. Consequently, he sensibly backed off his fueling for a while to allow his stomach to settle, and the symptoms soon passed. Reducing the amount of Flow Gel he adds to his ‘fuel bottle’ on the bike would prevent him from overwhelming his stomach, whilst still allowing him to race hard and hit 100+g/h without GI discomfort in future.

In addition to his extremely high carb intake on the bike, another possible reason for Mikael’s aforementioned GI distress during the run may have been due to his reduced fluid intake caused by the lower than expected temperatures. Carbohydrates require water to be absorbed, so a mismatch between a lower fluid intake and a high carb intake may have further impaired absorption in the gut. Coupling a reduced carb intake with a slightly higher fluid consumption may double-down on combating his stomach discomfort.

Mikael took a ‘little-and-often’ approach to his caffeine intake, so he was always reaping the associated benefits throughout the race. A coffee with breakfast kicked things off, followed by a PF 30 Caffeine Gel pre-race to peak his caffeine levels mid-swim. Then, by adding a couple more Caffeine Gels on the bike, Mikael ensured he fell within the general recommended guidelines for the stimulant during the race, and felt strong and focused throughout.