How Much Carbohydrate Do You Need Per Hour?

Fuelling is one of the most important factors in endurance performance. Many endurance athletes train well but underfuel during long sessions and races, which leads to fatigue, reduced performance and poor recovery.

Carbohydrate is the primary fuel for moderate to high intensity endurance exercise. During long sessions, the body’s stored carbohydrate (glycogen) becomes depleted, and carbohydrate intake during exercise helps maintain energy levels and performance.

Typical carbohydrate intake recommendations are:

• Up to 1 hour: little or no carbohydrate needed

• 1-2 hours: 30-60 g carbohydrate per hour

• 2.5+ hours: 60-90 g carbohydrate per hour

These values vary between individuals and depend on intensity, gut tolerance and training. Athletes should practice fuelling during training rather than trying something new on race day.

You can use the Fuel Calculator on this site to estimate carbohydrate intake per hour and total fuelling needs for your session or race.

Fuelling is trainable. Athletes who regularly consume carbohydrate during training can often tolerate higher carbohydrate intake during races, which can improve performance in long events such as marathons, sportives and triathlons.

As part of my athlete performance coaching, I work with individuals to understand their fuelling and hydration needs, and we set appropriate strategies prior to race day.