We’ve talked about carbohydrate recommendations during training and racing, but sometimes it’s hard to EAT 60+ grams of carbs per hour, especially if you are out for a long/hard ride.
Did you know you can also meet (at least a portion) of your hourly carbohydrate goals with a carb-electrolyte drink (CHO-E)? But, before you go that route, you want to know the contents of what you are drinking, the mixing instructions, and scale the serving size information from the nutrition label to the amount of fluid in the bottle you are using.
If you are also using gels or chews, make sure you are factoring in the total grams of carbohydrate and milligrams of sodium the products are providing you together, with your CHO-E drink. Here are some of the more common drinks and their CHO and sodium content per 24 oz (710 ml).
Skratch Hydration: 31 g CHO, 570 mg sodium
Skratch Superfuel: 120 g CHO, 480 mg sodium
Tailwind Endurance Fuel: 50 g CHO, 600 mg sodium
Gu Roctane: 69 g CHO, 366 mg sodium
SWORD Performance: 45 g CHO, 600 mg sodium
As always, try it first during training, try it at race pace, and over time in multiple environmental conditions before you settle on a race day plan!
What are multi-transportable carbs and why do I need them?
Multiple transportable carbohydrates, aka different types of single carbohydrates (i.e. glucose, fructose, maltodextrin) can be beneficial during endurance activity lasting >2.5 hours in duration. Currently recommended practices for carbohydrate intake during endurance exercise include:
Optional CHO mouth rinsing during exercise 30-75 min
30–60 g/h during 1–2.5 h of endurance exercise
Up to 90 g/h of multi-transportable CHO (e.g. glucose or maltodextrin:fructose blends) for exercise >2.5 h.
Previously it was thought that the body could only utilize 1 g of CHO/min (60 g/h) during exercise. However, this was based on research examining a glucose-only solution. When researchers started adding different single CHOs (ie fructose) to the mix, carbohydrate delivery and oxidation rates increased.
Intestinal absorption of carbohydrate is the limiting factor when it comes to how much exogenous carbohydrate your body can utilize during exercise. Glucose and fructose rely on different transport proteins (SGLT1 and GLUT5) for absorption in the gut. Because the glucose transporter is saturated when glucose ingestion exceeds > ~60 g/h, multiple transportable CHO (e.g. glucose-fructose) solutions are recommended when CHO intake rates are higher than ~60 g/h. The ideal solution is proposed to contain a 2:1 glucose to fructose, or maltodextrin to fructose ratio (ie 60 g of glucose or maltodextrin, and 30 g of fructose). It should be noted that the fructose addition to glucose provides benefit after the glucose transporter is saturated at ~60 g/h.
Finally, research has suggested that multiple transportable CHO vs. single CHO can result in performance improvements. One study in particular found an 8% performance improvement with a glucose:fructose solution (56.1 min) compared to a glucose only solution (60.7 min) during a 40 km bike time trial that followed 2 hours of cycling at 55% of max in trained male cyclists. Evidence also suggests reduced GI discomfort with multiple-transportable CHO mixtures compared to glucose alone. Athletes can choose CHO-based sports nutrition products in the form of liquids, gels, or solids based on personal preference, environmental conditions, and demands of the course and event.
PMID: 26373645; 22468766; 20574242; 18202575
Recovery snack ideas
There doesn’t seem to be a strict time frame on the post-exercise recovery window, but we do know that the sooner you can take in your recovery nutrition, the better. While the training is the important stimulus to improve your performance on the bike, you actually make the gains during recovery. Here are a couple tips to ensure you’re getting in what you need to maximize your training and recovery.
If you didn’t take in any calories during the workout but the workout was shorter than 45 minutes and pretty easy, you don’t need a specific recovery drink or meal. Rehydrate with fluid and electrolytes, and eat your next healthy meal or snack as planned.
If the workout was longer than 60 minutes or a hard one, try to take in a recovery snack or drink within 30-60 minutes. A good rule of thumb is to get about 1 gram of carb per kg of your bodyweight. The addition of 20-25 grams of protein is also beneficial, particularly for women and aging athletes. You can then eat your next regular healthy snack or meal another 60-90 minutes after your recovery snack or drink.
Try some of these great examples of post-ride recovery snacks:
Sandwich with protein
Waffles with fruit and yogurt
Rice with eggs and veggies
Yogurt with fruit and granola
Steel-cut oats with fruit
Toast with eggs
Protein smoothie with whey protein, your favorite milk, a banana, some frozen fruit, and a handful of spinach
