Neil Eddy
T100 London
Neil's headline numbers
Neil's strategy
Fueling
Carbohydrate is the main fuel you burn when racing. Failing to fuel properly is a leading cause of underperformance in longer races.
Neil's carb intake was one of the lowest we've seen from him yet, falling short of the recommended 90g per hour carb recommendation for a race of this intensity and duration. He only drank half of his ‘fuel bottle’ on the bike, and during post-race analysis he had almost a full PF 90 Gel leftover. This significantly reduced his carb intake from what he intended, which will have limited his overall energy availability. That said, Neil still managed to win the overall age-group race reasonably comfortably, but felt he didn’t have that top gear which he normally does. Going forwards, Neil may want to replace his all-black bottle with a transparent one so he can see how much of his fuel is remaining, and adhere to his original plan of between 90-100g per hour.
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.
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.
Given Neil’s losses are Very High (1,492mg/L), nailing his hydration strategy becomes especially crucial when it’s hot and/or humid.
Learn moreNeils sweat sodium concentration means he falls in the salty sweater category, so it’s imperative that he prioritises electrolyte replacement to avoid too big of a deficit over the course of races. He did this successfully by using PH 1500 (Drink Mix) in his integrated hydration system for a consistent high-strength electrolyte. Even though he relied on plain water cups on the run and dropped his planned Electrolyte Capsule, it didn’t derail his plan too much as he finished the run strongly.
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.
Neil started the race with a PF 30 Caffeine Gel which would have given him a perceived energy boost by the time he got on the bike. He then only had one more caffeine dose, causing his intake throughout the race to be just below the scientific guidelines. To fully capitalise on the ergogenic benefits of caffeine, Neil may benefit from an additional PF 30 Caffeine Gel near the end of the bike or early on the run.
How Neil hit his numbers
Here's everything that Neil ate and drank on the day...
Neil's weapons of choice
Final thoughts
PF&HNeil's full stats
Data Confidence?
There is good confidence in the accuracy of the data reported. An athlete feels that the numbers closely reflect what they consumed despite a couple of estimations which may carry some degree of error. The majority of what was consumed is recorded to a high level of specificity (most volumes are known through the use of bottles brands quantities flavours). The numbers are very plausible and align with previous data recordings (if an athlete has collected data previously).