Why aiming for 120g of carbs per hour is a mistake

❗️ Let’s get controversial! ❗️

For many years carbohydrate fueling targets during exercise have been set at around 90g per hour for endurance exercise. But recently, a paper was published in elite mountain marathon runners who pushed the limits and hit more aggressive targets of 120g of carbohydrate per hour, while running hard!

I’ve seen many age-group athletes boast about how they’ve hit this target or are trying to achieve this in their own training. But because I want you to have all the facts, I’ve dedicated this episode to explaining why this might not be the best idea for YOU.

In this episode, I explain the research paper, the methodology, athlete characteristics and the findings with my Advanced Sports Dietitian critical thinking cap on.

I also take things one step further by explaining the practicalities of how this research could be applied to you, and why this is probably a mistake for many age-group triathletes.

Tune in for a different perspective and unbiased opinion on what’s the best way to fuel well and perform at your best as a triathlete.

LINKS:

Link to original paper for some light reading 😆 : https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/5/1367

Viribay A, Arribalzaga S, Mielgo-Ayuso J, Castañeda-Babarro, Seco-Calvo J, Urdampilleta A. Effects of 120 g/h of Carbohydrates Intake during a Mountain Marathon on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Elite Runners. Nutrients 12(5), 1367, 2020. doi: 10.3390/nu12051367.

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