Fuelling for Cycling & Running: What You Need to Know

When your training gets longer and harder, fuelling is something you need to think about.

Together with carbohydrate loading before demanding endurance events and post-exercise nutrition, it’s part of a well-planned approach to endurance nutrition.

So, how many carbs do you need? And what’s the easiest way to get them in while you’re riding or running? Let’s break it down.

What is fuelling?

Fuelling is the planned intake of carbohydrates during exercise. You can get those carbohydrates from sports drinks, energy gels or carbohydrate-rich foods.

The longer and harder the session gets, the more attention you’ll want to pay to your carbohydrate intake.

And when the intensity picks up, eating regular food isn’t always practical. That’s why sports nutrition products use easy-to-consume carbohydrate sources such as glucose, maltodextrin and fructose.

Fuelling is the planned intake of carbohydrates during exercise.

Carbohydrate intake during exercise

There isn’t one number that works for every ride, run or athlete. How much carbohydrates you plan to consume depends on how long and hard you’re going, as well as what works for you in training.

For longer and more demanding endurance sessions, sports-nutrition strategies commonly use carbohydrate intakes in the range of 60–90 g per hour.

But that doesn’t mean you need to hit 90 g every hour of every session. Your fuelling should match the demands of the day. And if you’re planning a higher carbohydrate intake for race day, practise it in training first. 

You’ll also often see glucose and fructose used together in endurance nutrition. They use different intestinal transport pathways, which is why combining them is common in high-carbohydrate fuelling strategies.

And this is where dedicated endurance products become useful: you know exactly how many grams of carbohydrates you’re carrying and consuming.

Match your carbohydrate intake to the session and practise your fuelling strategy in training.

Best sources of carbohydrates for fuelling

You don’t need a sports nutrition product every time you want carbohydrates.

Bananas, bread and other carbohydrate-rich foods can do the job. But when you’re training hard or racing, convenience matters.

That’s where sports nutrition earns its place.

Energy gels and carbohydrate drinks keep things simple: easy to carry, easy to consume and easy to track.

That means:

• you know how many carbohydrates you’re carrying,
• you can plan your intake per hour,
• they’re easy to use on the move,
• and they’re made with endurance sport in mind.

For longer endurance sessions, carbohydrates, fluids and electrolytes are three things worth thinking about when planning what you’ll carry.

High-carbohydrate fuelling strategies also often combine glucose and fructose. Sports nutrition products use different glucose-to-fructose ratios, including 2:1 and 1:0.8.

Don’t overcomplicate it. Know your carbohydrate target, choose a format that works for you and practise it in training. 

Hydration during intense exercise

If you’re sweating, you’re losing fluid and electrolytes. But there’s no single hydration plan that works for everyone.

How much fluid you need can depend on how long and hard you’re training, the conditions and how much you sweat.

For longer endurance sessions, fuelling and hydration can be planned together, particularly when using a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink.

Want to go deeper? Read the interview with Dr. Tim Podlogar for more on hydration and fuelling in endurance sport.

Build your hydration strategy around the demands of the session, the conditions and your individual needs.

Conclusion

Fuelling doesn’t need to be complicated.

Start with the session ahead. How long are you going? How hard? How much carbohydrate are you planning to take with you? From there, choose a fuelling format that makes your target practical.

For longer and harder endurance sessions, glucose and fructose are commonly combined as part of high-carbohydrate fueling strategies.

And when you’re on the move, energy gels and carbohydrate drinks keep things simple: you know how many carbohydrates you’re carrying, you know how much you’re consuming and you can plan your intake around your session.

Most importantly, don’t wait until race day to figure it out. Know your target, choose what works for you, and practise your fuelling strategy in training.

Together with carbohydrate loading before demanding endurance events and post-exercise nutrition, fuelling during exercise is one part of a well-planned endurance nutrition strategy.