Sean Sage, who is a PhD candidate in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Physiology with the Institute of Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR), travelled to Oslo, Norway to assist Allan Hovada during his entry to the Bislett 24-hour Indoor Challenge.

The challenge is an extraordinary event where individuals run around an indoor track for an entire 24 hours. The winner is determined by the individual who covers the most distance over that period.

For Sean, along with two members of the Precision Sport Science team, their objective was to ensure Allan was optimally fuelled and hydrated throughout the demanding challenge, meticulously collecting data on his fluid, electrolyte, and carbohydrate intake and employing innovative sport science methods to measure his progress.

Speaking about the experience, Sean said: “This experience has been valuable in informing how we will run our future field studies with Precision Fuel and Hydration, who part-fund my PhD. We are aiming to conduct studies at endurance and ultra-endurance events, where we accurately collect data on athletes' carbohydrate, fluid and sodium intake and then take blood samples. It was also great to look around Oslo, a beautiful city full of culture."

Allan - a three-time Norseman Xtreme triathlon champion and two-time participant in the Ironman World Championships - was no stranger to this demanding race, having competed in the competition before.

Unfortunately, Allan did not break the record and had to pull out of the race after nine hours due to illness and excessive muscle damage. However, the comprehensive data collected during the event will be used to develop a detailed case study, offering insights into how Allan’s hydration plan may have influenced his overall performance.

A spokesperson for Precision Fuel and Hydration added: “As part of his crew, it was great to see Allan’s fuel and hydration strategy work effectively to meet his demands early on in the event up close. Hopefully, when Allan next attempts a race of this duration, he can avoid sickness beforehand and have an opportunity to show his potential.”