Tag: Gut training

In a healthy adult, the body can store approximately 500 grams of carbohydrates as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Understanding precisely how many carbs can your body absorb at once is critical for optimal fueling, as consuming excess can lead to gastrointestinal distress and wasted energy, particularly for endurance athletes.

For years, the standard advice for endurance athletes was to consume no more than 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. However, thanks to advancements in sports science, it is now understood that the human body can absorb significantly more than this, with the maximum carb absorption per hour depending heavily on the type of sugars consumed and the athlete's training status.

Ultra runners can burn upwards of 8,000 calories or more during a single multi-day event, creating a massive energy deficit that cannot be fully replenished during the race. Therefore, learning how do ultra runners eat is crucial, as their strategy for fueling is just as important as their physical training for covering punishing distances.

The body's capacity to absorb carbohydrates is finite, with a traditional upper limit for glucose oxidation previously estimated at around 60 grams per hour. However, this capacity is not a static number and depends on several factors, including the type of carbohydrates consumed and individual physiological differences.

Athletes can store enough glycogen for only about 90 to 120 minutes of intense running. Therefore, understanding how many carbs for a sub-3 marathon is the key to avoiding 'the wall' and maximizing performance on race day.

A diet rich in carbohydrates is crucial for endurance athletes as it ensures adequate glycogen stores to sustain long-distance exercise. This strategy is far more complex than just a pre-race pasta meal.

Between 30% to 50% of athletes experience gastrointestinal complaints during exercise, leading many to ask: are running gels bad for your stomach?. While a powerful and convenient source of fast-acting carbohydrates, energy gels can trigger discomfort if not used correctly, but they don't have to ruin your race day performance.

Research has consistently shown that consuming carbohydrates during prolonged exercise enhances performance and extends time to exhaustion. However, the type and ratio of carbohydrates ingested can significantly impact how efficiently the body uses this fuel, with the ideal glucose-to-fructose ratio for cycling depending heavily on the total intake and exercise intensity.

Endurance athletes can burn over 1,000 calories per hour, but the body can only absorb a fraction of that during a gravel race. To find out exactly how many calories do you need for gravel race, cyclists must develop a personalized fueling strategy that balances intake with the body's absorption limits.

According to sports nutrition research, top ultrarunners who finish strong consistently consume more calories per hour than those who struggle. Mastering how to fuel during an ultra is arguably the most critical component for success, transforming the race into an "eating contest" that demands precise nutrition and hydration.