Shear Fuel: Sacha Bond’s 9-Hour Shearing and Heart Rate Journey
For Sacha Bond, world champion New Zealand shearer, ensuring she ate well during her recent world record attempt was essential. The intensity of each session was like that of a half marathon with the added stress of maneuvering ewes often 10kg heavier than herself. Imagine running five half marathons in the space of 9 hours!
Like any competition or event, Sacha's heart rate surged from the beginning of the competition, fuelled by nerves and adrenaline. It remained elevated between 160-170 beats per minute (80-90% intensity) throughout, before heading back to a baseline rate of 70 beats per minute; this was repeated across the day.
Sacha Bond’s heart rate during session 3 and 4:
During each 1 ¾ - 2-hour session Sacha burnt around 800-1000 calories. This is about the same as 1 hour of running at a speed of 14.5 km/hr, 90 minutes of HIIT training or 2 hours of hiking.
For Sacha to sustain this activity level, regular carbohydrate intake was crucial, as carbs are the preferred energy source for high-intensity exercise. There were several measures Sacha undertook on the day to optimise her fuel availability and recovery:
Sacha engaged in carbohydrate loading to maximise her fuel stores before the endurance event. In the days leading up to the event, Sacha deliberately increased her portions of carbohydrate foods such as kumara, pasta and rice on her plate.
Sacha ate a carbohydrate-rich (1/2 a plate) pre-event meal to optimise her fuel stores for the event the next day.
During each session and break, she had regular snacks, fluid, and easy meals to prevent fatigue and ensure sufficient fuel to keep going. Her overall energy intake from food across the day was more than double what someone of her size would typically consume.
After the strenuous event, Sacha prioritised recovery by consuming a protein smoothie immediately and a full meal within 90 minutes. This included lean beef and lamb to help muscle repair and recovery.
Regardless of the chaos around her, Sacha maintained an average of one ewe every 71.1 seconds and broke the world record! This achievement reflects her high fitness level, ability to remain calm under pressure and her well-fueled state from good nutrition, proving her to be a true endurance athlete. Read more about what fueled Sacha in the build up to the challenge here.