- Lacey Rivette
Fuel for Endurance Athletes: Carb Needs During Exercise
๐๐ข๐ช ๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐?
Spoiler: it might be a lot more than many of you consume!
Unlike daily carb needs (discussed here) which are based on grams of carbs per kg of body weight (g/kg), the recommendations for carbs ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ are expressed in grams per hour (๐ด/๐ต๐ฟ). This is because the rate at which carbs are burned during exercise is not influenced by body weight.... But ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ & ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ of exercise, with long efforts requiring the greatest intake of carbs. The chart below gives you a breakdown of the typical needs of a competitive endurance athlete (less trained athletes should aim for the low end of recommendations). The second chart gives recommendations for how you could aim to meet your needs!

๐จ To fully understand the meaning of "๐บ๐๐น๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐" reference this post on the types of carbs & how they are absorbed! ๐จ

Itโs also important to note that gut tolerance of foods during exercise is highly individualistic and each athletes fueling & hydration strategy will vary. With that said... athletes, especially those who frequently experience stomach issues, should seek advice from a dietitian experienced in sports nutrition. If you have any questions about fueling during exercise, drop them in the comments ๐๐ผ and Iโll be glad to answer them!