For decades, both amateur and professional cyclists have known that eating carbs both before and during long rides is key to reliable energy and power, as long as the added carbs don’t lead to nausea and other unpleasant issues.
To prevent stomach distress, dietitians have advised cyclists to avoid pushing carbohydrate intake past 60 grams (240 calories) per hour because they would not be able to oxidize (or break down) more without raising the risk for gastro problems.
Now, though, sports dietitian and women’s development road director for USA Cycling, Kristen Arnold, MS, RDN, CSSD tells Bicycling that high-carb fueling is generally considered anything at or above 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour—and many riders are taking in that amount or more.
Professional riders (marathoners and triathletes, too) are increasingly implementing this higher carb fueling plan hour after hour, or what some will call “superfueling,” believing it to be beneficial not just for the day’s performance to delay fatigue but also to ensure strong performance on the bike in the days to come. This highlights the fact that racing long distances at a speedy pace is as much an eating event as it is an athletic one.
However, as is often common in sports, the research is currently playing catch-up with what elite athletes appear to have been doing for some time. There is more anecdotal evidence than hard science on the benefits of this type of carb loading during training and racing.
So, when will a carb loading strategy make sense for you, and how should you implement it? Below, we break down what you need to know about carb loading midride, and offer the best ways to apply this sports nutrition strategy so you can go harder for longer.
The Benefits of Consuming Carbs Midride
Your body will largely fuel your workouts through carbs and fats. Carbs provide more speed and energy, while fats deliver longer-lasting, but slower performance. So when it comes to powering high-intensity endurance exercise, your body utilizes carbohydrates as its main source of fuel.
After engaging in moderate to high-intensity activity for about 90 to 120 minutes, your body starts depleting stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to a point where it can significantly compromise performance. Carb stores are very much a finite resource.
So, at some point, taking in carbs (usually in the form of drinks, energy gels, bars, or other carb-rich foods) is necessary to maintain a high level of output for more time. And we know through a meta-analysis of research studies that consuming carbs during endurance activities like cycling can pay off with performance gains.
“Carb feeding helps to supply a steady stream of glucose to the bloodstream as well as spare precious glycogen, the stored carbs that the body loves burning,” says Arnold. “Both of these factors help to delay fatigue and provide the muscles with their preferred fuel sources for optimal performance.”
One 2023 study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise even showed that taking in carbs (1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight each hour or about 0.5 grams per pound) improved next day cycling performance in trained male cyclists by helping to delay fatigue and reducing metabolic stress on the body.
However, even without an abundance of research, pro cyclists are proving that athletes can use more carbs when they are consumed in the right combinations and after they have trained their gut to handle the extra carb load. Once thought impossible, carb loading midride may now look like having 120 grams per hour to win races and smash records. The math is straightforward: More carbs = more energy = more power.
The Case for High Carb Loading During a Ride
When determining how many carbs you should take in during a ride, the answer is complicated and basically comes down to “it depends.” It depends on your goals, it depends on the duration of your ride, and it depends on your performance level.
As mentioned, evidence of taking in those 120 grams of carbs per hour is more anecdotal than scientific. Few well-controlled dose-response studies on carbohydrate ingestion during exercise and exercise performance have been published. While research is thin, there are some promising results.
For example, a small 2022 study published in European Journal of Applied Physiology, suggests that consuming 120 grams of carbs for each hour of a three-hour ride results in a greater carbohydrate oxidation rate in highly trained male cyclists than when consuming 90 grams an hour.
In layman’s terms, carbohydrate oxidation rate is the speed at which the breakdown of glucose to yield the energy-rich compound ATP occurs. It’s ATP that powers our muscles during exercise. The greater the carb oxidation rate, the more fast energy you can generate. So the belief is that by consuming more carbs, you’ll have more energy to perform.
What’s more: In a 2013 Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise study, researchers found that ingestion of carbohydrates significantly improved performance in a dose-dependent manner among cyclists and triathletes. In other words, a higher intake of carbohydrate seemed related to better performance.
Similarly, a 2020 study in the journal Nutrients compared the effects of high-carbohydrate intake of 120 grams per hour to taking in 90 grams per hour and 60 grams per hour in 26 male elite ultra-endurance athletes during a mountain marathon. The results suggested that the highest carb intake (120 grams per hour) resulted in benefits compared to lower doses, including lower perceived exertion during the run and less postrace muscle damage. Importantly, the runners didn’t report any serious GI problems during the race that could limit their performance.
“Consuming higher amounts of carb per hour helps to further delay fatigue, spare more glycogen, and even accelerate recovery post-exercise,” says Arnold. In other words, she says, carb loading during a ride allows you to utilize carbs as your primary energy source for extended periods. Arnold stresses, though, that this assumes the athlete’s gut is accustomed to taking in this level of carbohydrate and can digest, absorb, and metabolize it.
Also, the vast majority of research to date on very high-carb fueling has been conducted on men. So the tolerability and performance benefits for female athletes still need to be properly investigated.
At the same time, the bodyweight of a rider should not impact the recommended carbohydrate intake during exercise. This may be surprising, but it is clear from the research that individual absorption rates from the digestive tract are more significant than bodyweight. Therefore, the dose for a svelte climber can be the same for a power sprinter.
However, nothing in sports nutrition is universal and every cyclist will need to experiment with different foods and products to figure out what works best for them.
How to Embrace High Carb Loading
If you are looking to go fast for a considerable distance at your absolute best, then you can try implementing a high carbohydrate fueling protocol in training and racing. Understand, though, that it takes some practice to determine your personal strategy.
Here are carb loading strategies that can help you get started:
➥Test a Variety of Fuels
You’ll likely need to test various products with different nutrient proportions to figure out what can boost your carb intake without causing GI anger. “Getting carbs from high-calorie sports drinks is generally the easiest for athletes to get down with limited side effects,” says Arnold.
Research shows that carbohydrate oxidation rates are similar no matter the delivery system. So paying attention to flavor, texture, and overall palatability of what you plan to consume is an important factor. The superfueling runners in the study mentioned above did develop some flavor fatigue as a result of their high intake of constant sweet flavors. So test, adjust, and repeat until you find formulas that you like.
If you prefer solid foods, make sure the fat, fiber, and protein levels are low because these ingredients can slow down the delivery of carbohydrates and fluids. In other words, skip the cream cheese and just eat the plain bagel.
One 2015 study published in Sports Medicine found that when you are trying to take in more than 60 grams of carbs per hour, it should be a blend of glucose and fructose to utilize different transport mechanisms and thus increase intestinal absorption to allow for greater burn rates.
➥Train Your Gut
“It is very important to train your gut when planning to raise your hourly carb intake during exercise,” advises Arnold. “If an athlete starts eating and drinking too many carbs for their gut to handle, they are likely to experience adverse side effects such as bloating, belching, indigestion, and heartburn.” None of that sounds like fun during a big ride nor is it conducive to good results.
A 2023 systematic literature review published in Sports Medicine found gut training to be helpful in reducing the incidence of exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms during cycling and running by decreasing malabsorption of sugars in the intestine.
“I recommend athletes increase their hourly carb intake in 10-gram increments,” Arnold says. “If the athlete is currently taking in 30 grams of carb per hour, go up to 40 grams. If 40 grams per hour feels good, go up to 50 grams. If 40 grams per hour gives the athlete adverse side effects, stay at 40 grams or go slightly down to 35 grams. Repeat until the athlete reaches their hourly carb intake goal.”
Make these changes from week to week rather than ride to ride to get a better, more accurate picture of how each strategy works for you. Take notes and be specific about what you ate and drank.
It’s all about methodically increasing the saturation point for digesting carbs so stomach comfort improves. You can’t just go out for a long ride and dump huge amounts of sugar into your unaccustomed system and expect to get home without stomach woes.
➥Save Carb Loading Midride for When You Need It
Not every ride requires a big dose of carbs. According to Arnold, you don’t need to superfuel for a cruiser ride or one that won’t last very long. “High-carb fueling, that is taking in 90-plus grams of carb per hour, is only really recommended for workouts over three hours,” she says.
On the other end of the spectrum, for rides two hours or less where intensity is on the lower end, say below 70 percent of VO2 max for a good portion of the ride, you can likely stick with a lower carb consumption, 30 to 75 grams per hour, to meet energy needs as going higher is unlikely to make you faster. Optimizing performance is not the same as “just getting around.”
➥Spread Carb Intake Out
Instead of taking in a huge bolus of carbs at once, Arnold says drinking and eating smaller amounts more often is easier on the gut and improves digestion rates. “To improve absorption, and provide a steady stream of glucose to the blood, make sure to eat/sip every 10 to 15 minutes on the bike,” Arnold advises.
Research shows that more frequent fueling is better for performance than taking in the same amount of energy but at less frequent intervals. Organize your nutrition by the hour before your workout to keep track of your hourly carb intake, a technique most pro teams use.
➥Maintain Hydration
Dehydration and superfueling are not a good pairing because the gut requires water to absorb the carbs and without enough hydration, you’ll get an upset stomach. If your goal is to go bigger on carbs and break past the 90 grams per hour mark, you need to use a rehearsed fluid plan both before and during your long rides to maintain adequate hydration.
Consuming one liter of fluid per hour is usually tolerated well and will allow for improved carb consumption and absorption. Including some sodium with your fluids (300 to 500 milligrams per liter of fluid) will help maximize gut absorption of fluids and carbs and silence gut discomfort.
➥Don’t Go Low-Carb Off The Saddle
Even when you aren’t on the bike, you want to make sure your diet contains sufficient amounts of carbohydrates. If you switch to low carbohydrate intake, you are essentially reverse training your gut so that carb absorption is limited, and the ability to burn carbs effectively in the muscle becomes impaired.
6 High-Carb Products to Try for Midride Fueling
These products make it easy to go bigger on carbs when you need them most.
1. Chargel White Grape: Each gel drink packet contains a lofty 45 grams of fast-digesting carbs in a texture that is easy to get down.
2. Tailwind Endurance Fuel Naked: A great neutral-tasting option when your taste buds can’t handle any more overly sweet-tasting sports drink. Each scoop supplies 25 grams of carbs from dual sources to maximize absorption rates.
3. Fast Food Galacto-Gummy: A package of the tasty gummies delivers 25 grams of carbs from a diverse source of sugars, including galactose, to help you reach your carb mark minus the gut distress.
4. Maurten Gel 160: A unique hydrogel technology enables a smooth transportation of 40 grams of carbs into the intestine to greatly lower the risk of stomach issues. Plus, it’s not nearly as sweet tasting as most gels on the market.
5. That’s It Apple Cherry Bars: Because these bars are made with just apples and cherries, nearly all of their calories hail from carbs so you don’t get the extra fat and protein to slow down digestion. This is a good option if you want to fuel a bit more naturally.
6. Skratch Labs Super High-Carb Sports Drink Mix: Just as the name suggests, each packet of this high-octane sports drink mix contains a mighty 50 grams of carbs from a combo of dextrin and fructose. There is also enough sodium to help replace sweat losses.
Matthew Kadey, M.S. R.D. is a Canada-based registered dietitian and nutrition journalist with two decades of experience in reporting about food and nutrition for dozens of print and online publications. Kadey is the author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports + Adventure. He is also an adventure cyclist and creator of several bikepacking routes in North America and beyond. Find him at matthewkadey.com, @rocketfuelfood
