How much carbohydrate do athletes need per hour?

[@stevenofalltrades8553]

Thank you for being so clear

[@kenvysmiguel8817]

How about when doing zone 2 long duration low intensity training lasting for 3 to 4hrs? Is the amount of carbs the same?

[@precisionfandh]

Hi Elvys- a great question! Your carb intake should aim to be the same, mainly because on these types of training rides you have the perfect opportunity to practise your race day fuelling strategy. It is really important to practise taking in the suggested amount of carbs you aim to take on race day in your training as you might need to train your gut if you are not used to taking in so many carbs. If, however, you do not have a race on the horizon and are purely riding for enjoyment then on a lower intensity ride then you can afford to reduce your carb intake a little if you want to but ensure that you start you ride fully fuelled and have a good recovery meal post ride.

[@dougsmith1259]

I did the carb calculator at your website. I gave my target time for my half marathon as 2:30. (M, Age 54, 200#) It told me that I only need 30g of carbohydrates per hour. That struck me as extremely low. According to this video, though, I should be taking 60-90g per hour. Why the difference?

[@precisionfandh]

Hey Doug. Firstly, kudos for getting out there and smashing it. As for the carb recommendations, you're right that 30g/hr appears a little low compared to the general science. What we've seen in the field with runners (particularly over the half and full marathon distances) is that they do typically fuel on the lighter side. This is partly a practical thing but also likely due to the more aggressive nature of running at those intensities compared to, say, cycling. If in training you feel able to tolerate taking on more (~30-60g would be the sensible range to test in) then I would go for it. If you'd like to talk in more detail about your plan, don't hesitate to book in for a free 1-2-1 consult via our site.

[@kateforbush5850]

Good reference, thanks. Are these ranges dependent upon weight or moreso dependent on how well trained you are & your gut?

[@precisionfandh]

Great questions @kateforbush. With regards to bodyweight, the common assumption is that athletes of greater body mass require a greater carbohydrate dose to fuel the higher energy outputs they need, but all of the recommended carbohydrate intakes during exercise we’ve discussed are expressed in simple grams per hour, not grams per kilogram of bodyweight per hour. The reason for this is that body mass isn’t actually a hugely relevant factor because the amount of carb our muscles can use is primarily dictated by the rate at which sugars can be absorbed through our gastrointestinal tract and all athletes seem to absorb carbohydrate at pretty similar rates, regardless of body size. You can read more in the bodyweight section of our blog here: www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/how-much-carbohydrate-carbs-athletes-per-hour/#:~:text=greater%20body%20mass And Sports Scientist Abby Coleman has written a couple of great blogs on gut training and your ability to consume more than 90g per hour here: www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/can-you-train-your-gut/ www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/athletes-more-than-90-grams-carbs-carbohydrates-per-hour/ Sorry to throw so many blogs at you but hopefully they help, and please do get in touch with us at [e-mail] if you have any questions. Cheers!

[@kateforbush5850]

@@precisionfandh Thank you and Abby for the awesome info! Just racing short course this summer, but this will help in my fall marathon build! Cheers!

[@precisionfandh]

@@kateforbush5850 No worries at all, happy to help! Let us know how you get on with your short course racing this summer and give us a shout if we can help refine your strategy for your fall marathon. Train smart

[@DEAR7340]

@@precisionfandh Right, but also more on Kate's question: if the athlete is larger, and has a larger gut, aren't they producing more enzymes to handle a larger dose of carbohydrate? Did I misunderstand your response? In the end, I assume that the resolution of this would be down to, trial & error for each case.

[@precisionfandh]

Hi @@DEAR7340 a good question to ask! Expanding a little more from our response earlier in this thread; the body mass of an athlete doesn't affect the rate of carb absorption as much as is sometimes believed. The critical factor is the rate at which sugars can be absorbed through our gastrointestinal tract- and this is largely determined by transporter proteins, of which most humans have a similar proportion regardless of body mass. Therefore the advice is relatively the same for a 50kg (110lbs) athlete as it is for a 90kg (198lbs) athlete because, for both, the limiting factor in the process is how much carbohydrate they can move through the gut into their bloodstream per minute - and that is very similar no matter their total body size. This blog was also included earlier in this thread but I will post it again for you to take a read of you want to dive a little deeper into this topic: www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/how-much-carbohydrate-carbs-athletes-per-hour/#:~:text=greater%20body%20mass As you rightly say, we can train our gut to increase its tolerance to carbs and we are now seeing top athletes practising a high carb intake strategy whilst training/ racing to achieve top results. If you want to take a look at some of these examples then you can find a number of case studies on our website via this link: www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/ And take a look at this blog for advise on how to train your gut: www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/can-you-train-your-gut/