Fuel the work. Finish strong.
Match your carbohydrate intake to the work ahead. Set a practical hourly target for your event, then practise it in training before race day.
Build your hourly
fuelling target.
Practical guidance for your event, intensity and gut training. Use it as a starting point, then rehearse it in training.
carbs / hour
Build it gradually. Your gut training gives you a conservative starting target. Increase it during long sessions as your tolerance improves.
Your starting point
Prioritise intake on the bike, then use smaller, frequent doses on the run.
Choose multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose or maltodextrin + fructose). Current evidence supports mixtures around 1:0.8. Products using a 2:1 ratio can also work.
Duration sets the range
Under 45 min: usually none. 45 to 75 min: small amounts or mouth rinse. 1 to 2.5 h: 30 to 60 g/h. Beyond 2.5 to 3 h: up to 90 g/h.
Your gut sets the start
Higher is not better when it causes GI distress. Practise your exact products, timing and fluids under event-like conditions.
90 g/h is not a rule
Multiple-source carbohydrate is useful above about 60 g/h. Research on 100 to 120 g/h is developing, but it is not a standard recommendation for most athletes.
Evidence: Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics / Dietitians of Canada / ACSM position stand; Smith et al. 2013; Jeukendrup 2017; Rowlands et al. 2015; Hearris et al. 2025.
This is general guidance, not medical or individual dietetic advice. If you have diabetes, another medical condition or persistent GI symptoms, consult a doctor or registered sports dietitian.
Is your gut ready for race day?
Calculating your numbers is step one. Training your gut to handle them is step two. If you struggle with GI distress, bloating, or 'the bonk,' let’s fix your strategy.
BOOK A 15-MINUTE FUELLING AUDIT