Mikael Eriksson
Triatlo Longo Caminha
Caminha8th, M30-34Mikael's headline numbers
Mikael'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 stomach started to feel a little unsettled during the run, so I backed off the carbs a bit. My energy levels were really stable throughout, and I managed to sprint finish and jump up to 8th."
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.
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.
Mikael1044mg/L
Mikael 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 Mikael'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
"I never felt thirsty, and it was quite cold so I think I adjusted my fluid intake accordingly. I was constantly sipping during the bike ride, which made it really easy to stay on top of things."
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.
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
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.
How Mikael hit his numbers
Here's everything that Mikael ate and drank on the day...
Final thoughts
“I had a really poor swim for me, and I missed getting my foot in my cycling shoe at the start of the bike, which set me back a little. I felt really strong once I got going though, and had a decent run to cap off my return to racing well, which I've struggled with in the last 18 months.”
“Mikael saw some of his race form of 2021 return during this race, achieving his personal best performance after a string of sub-par outings. For future races, he should consider reducing his carb intake during the bike, and increasing his fluid intake at the same time. This will help his stomach tolerate and absorb more of this much-needed energy, without causing the stomach discomfort he experienced in the latter stages of this race.”
PF&HMikael'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.