Imagine exercising for over 10 hours. For some this is unfathomable, for others this is just another day in the office (professionals and elites). In fact, some (mere mortals like the most of us) will race even longer than 10 hours. Doing events of such long durations pose significant challenges. It pushes all aspects of the body’s physiology to the max. This is especially true when it comes to your body’s ability to absorb the fuel and your mind’s desire and drive to keep eating and drinking for such a long period of time.
While it is true that not all of us are professionals, there are learnings that can be adapted to the everyday athlete. In this blog we interviewed Carbs Fuel athletes, Griffin Hoppin (GH), Courtney Sherwell (CS), Kyle Kalish (KK), Iz King (IK), and Kyan Olshove (KO), who are taking on the Unbound gravel race. They share with us how they prepare for such a challenging day and their nutrition strategies (fueling, caffeine, and sodium) for the race.
What does your diet and nutrition preparation look like in the days leading into an event like this?
GH: I start to think about pre-race nutrition three days out from an event, which is when carb loading starts to make an impact. As an endurance athlete, my baseline carbohydrate intake is already high, so changes are subtle. For days 1 and 2 I’ll just incorporate an extra snack and have a glass of juice with every meal. 24 hours before is where I’ll lock in and set specific intake targets. I aim for a carb intake of 10g/kg in addition to 100g/hr for the length of the pre-ride. I’m 70kg, so if I pre-ride for 90 minutes, I’ll target 850g for the day. Carbs products have really helped me get to that level of intake without overloading my gut. I’ll fuel the pre-ride aggressively to keep glycogen high, usually with a drink mix in my bottles and a gel or two on top. After dinner, which is usually a big bowl of pasta and toast with juice on the side, I’ll also sip on a bottle of drink mix to top off my glycogen, fluids, and electrolytes.
CS: 48 hours out I focus on carb loading, so lots of oats, rice, pasta, bread & sweet potato. I keep fiber low and protein moderate by reducing amounts of certain fruits and veg and eating mostly chicken breast & eggs. I also salt my meals to add extra sodium to my diet. Hydration is top priority and I'm always carrying my drink bottle around with electrolyte mix. My go to meal the night before a race is generally a simple tomato based pasta. Race morning I get up 3 hours before race start to eat breakfast which is normally super simple like toast with jam or honey and cereal.
KK: I track all my food but the last 2-3 days I’ll really start dialing in my diet. Low fiber, high carb, usually try to cut out dairy too. I’m pescatarian, so protein sources in those days leading up are mainly tofu and eggs, maybe some white fish. A lot of rice, and blueberry pancakes for breakfast.
IK: Life with a baby is chaotic and nothing like my quiet pro athlete life prior. My prep has been less than ideal, but I wouldn’t change a thing. My goals this year are more focused on finishing rather than racing for a top result like they were before. I don’t have the volume in training I normally would, so fueling is extra crucial. If I bonk, I die.
KO: My diet doesn't really change much. I just get a bit more focused on making sure I'm nailing my nutrition on and off the bike, and then raising my carb intake 2 days before the race. I'm also taking 10g of creatine daily instead of five because it's a power course.
How do you approach fueling during longer events (like Unbound) where you are racing nearly 10 or more hours?
GH: I try to front load my fuel for long races, targeting about a bottle of carb mix an hour and a gel every 30-45 minutes. During a race, I often don’t get all the gel out, so I assume I’ll get down about 40g of a 50g gel. Considering that, the first few hours of the race I’ll take in about 125-150g/hr. Towards the end of the race, when my gut is tired, I’ll switch to plain water and 2 salted gels per hour. In the end, I’ll be averaging 110-125g/hr for the day.
I’ll definitely have [solid food] as I find it helps setting the stomach when I’m riding for this long. I also find there is a mental aspect to having something solid in my stomach that makes me feel like I’m fueled, however too much can slow my gut. I’ll likely just have a waffle I can eat stocked at the feeds
CS: It's just as important to train the body to handle the fueling demands of long races as it is to train the body to adapt physiologically for performance. During my training rides, I fuel as I would during a race in order to train my body to handle it. I aim to consume 90-120g of carbs per hour via drink mix, gels and bars. Before my rides, I lay out all my fuel and work out what I'll need for that ride's duration & intensity to ensure I'll be consuming enough fuel. This is also the time when I can eat the things I don't normally when I'm off the bike like lollies.
What I have found that works for me, is to consume the lower end of my carbs per hour target for the first few hours & then as the race goes on and glycogen stores are depleted, I then increase my consumption to the higher end of my target. Mainly in the beginning of the race, I'm consuming less gels and more drink mix and as the race goes on I'm consuming more gels but keeping up with the drink mix.
If I'm consuming any solids during races it's in the form of lollies or really soft and easy to chew bars, like bobo bars. I also find that for races of longer distances, I like to consume a mix of sweet and savoury solids to help avoid flavour fatigue. Plain potato chips are my go to.
KK: It stays pretty consistent from start to finish, maybe a little less drink mix at the end if it’s hot and I know I’ll want to drink a lot of water. But typically I aim for 50-60g per hour from drink mix, and then a gel to put me at ~100-100g per hour.
I don’t usually bank on [solids] because depending on the difficulty of the day, I don’t know if I’ll want to eat solid food. But I’ll always throw some in the bag at each feed zone just in case. And this might be controversial, but it’s rarely cycling specific nutrition. It’s usually gas station specials: candy bars, cookies, etc. Something I can look forward to eating.
IK: I will be 9 months postpartum and still breastfeeding at Unbound so hydration is also a critical component. My body will be using water to make milk while I’m racing which is an added challenge. My goal is to carry as much water (& mix) as I can. I will have two 30oz bottles and a Camelbak vest with a 1.5L bladder. I will get two new premixed bottles and a new pack at all 3 aid stations and refill bottles at the neutral water stops if it’s hot. Prior years I’ve only used gels and mix without any issues (a tribute to how good the CarbsFuel product is). This year I will have to stop to pump at the last aid station so I may treat myself to some solid food because I have the time.
KO: I'm still in the process of figuring out what works best for me, but I am going to mix in a large variety of solid foods this year in addition to gels & drink mix. I find it to be a bit easier on the gut over a 10 hour period. My go to is the nature's bakery fig bar. It's pocket sized, tastes good, and packs in 38g of carbs. I get the box of 40 at Costco.
Practically, how do you make sure you stay on top of your fueling? Do you set a reminder on your bike computer? Sticker on your handlebar / top tube? Other strategies?
GH: This is a little less important for Unbound being less technical, but for target races I’ll plan out my fueling based on miles rather than time. That way I can plan on taking the gel on a stretch of course that’s easier to eat on. If there’s a road section or a section of smooth gravel I’ll plan to eat there. I mark out the miles using a label maker and stick that on my handlebar. While I like to have a solid plan, I always expect to improvise based on how the day plays out.
CS: I have tried reminders on my bike computer but generally I find them annoying. Stem notes are something I prefer over computer reminders as it's easier for me to keep track of. Like I do with training, I lay out all the gels and food that I'll need and write down my fueling plan for the race. Things I take note of are expected race duration (time & distance), aid stations, target CHO per hour and how many bottles I'll need. I also make sure I have extra gels or food available in case something happens like a dropped bottle. Always plan for the unexpected.
KK: I have a reminder on my computer that pings me every 30 minutes.
IK: I will stay on top of fueling out of sheer fear of bonking. When you don’t have tons of fitness (I will have done 1 ride over 5 hours since giving birth), fueling is the only way to keep your body going for that long.
KO: I don't set a reminder. I keep it simple and eat when it's convenient. I try and keep a habit of taking a few sips and a snack every time the race sits up.
How do you manage your sodium needs during these long duration races?
GH: For a few days before the event, I make sure to salt my food more than usual so that I am starting from a slightly higher baseline. With how hard gravel races now go out, I’ve started taking a small dose of sodium bicarbonate (8-10g) to help with the punchy efforts. As a side benefit, just 8 grams is over 2,000mg of additional sodium. For long races, however, I don’t go any higher than 10g as at that level I find the resulting thirst and gut discomfort outweigh the benefits. During the race, in addition to getting sodium from drink mix, I try to add in a few salted gels - more if it’s especially hot, less if it’s cool.
CS: I ensure that sodium is in my drink mix and incorporate gels that also contain sodium. That's one of the reasons why I love Carbs Fuel. Generally, I find the sodium content in the drink mix is enough but for hotter and more humid races where I'm sweating more, I use the Salted Original gels.
KK: I’ve done sweat testing at VQ Labs in Indianapolis, so I’m able to dial in my sodium requirements. But in case it’s extra hot, I’ll keep a safety Salted Carbs Fuel gel or two.
IK: I’m a salty sweater so I will have some added salt in my bottles and mix in salted gels with the regular originals.
KO: I'll calculate exactly what I need beforehand. I need about 700-800mg per hour. Usually I get most of my sodium from my drink mix.
What is your caffeine intake amount and strategy during races of this duration?
GH: I’ll usually start off my race mornings with a cup of coffee before breakfast, which I eat 2-3hrs before start. Around 90 minutes before the race, I’ll take about 200mg of caffeine in the form of a pill alongside my dose of bicarb. In between breakfast and starting my warm-up, I’ll sip on an additional bottle of drink mix. During the race I’ll have 2-4 caffeinated gels, spread out through the event.
CS: Caffeine is an important component for my performance and general cognitive function. I also just love coffee. My optimal target for race day is around 350mg to 400mg. I'll have a coffee in the morning which is about 95mg, then I'll have 3x100mg caffeine gels spread out over the race. I also reduce my caffeine intake the week leading into race day to ensure I get the maximal effect. Decaf coffee is tolerable for short periods.
KK: I absolutely love caffeine so probably more than I should! Usually I’ll have ~200mg pre-race, and then 100mg or so every 2 hours from caffeine gels. And then much like the candy, I usually have a bottle with an energy drink in the last feed zone in case I need to be brought back to life.
IK: I can only use one or two of the caffeinated gels because I have caffeine limits for breastfeeding too (after the race when I’m exhausted, I can’t have my baby all hyped up on caffeine).
KO: I use caffeine pills. They work really well and it makes things a lot easier when I don't have to keep track. Each pill is 200mg . I'll take one an hour before the race and another at the halfway point.
How do you train your gut to handle consistent fueling over these long duration races? What is one piece of advice that you give to someone who is looking to train their gut to handle the fueling requirements of these races?
GH: I find it’s important to incorporate a lot of solid food into fueling training rides. The thing that’s so great about Carbs fuel is that it allows you to take in a ton of carbs while being easy on your gut. However, when I’m training, especially at z2, I want my gut to be working so that I can make the kind of adaptations I need for races like Unbound. For me, that means alongside my gels and drink mix, I eat things like waffles, rice crispies or dried fruit. If I can work through those things efficiently, once I’m sticking to gels and drink mix my gut stays comfortable, even at race intensity.
CS: As mentioned previously, training your gut to handle fueling is equally as important to ticking the boxes in Training Peaks. Nutrition is the new doping in this era of cycling and getting it right could mean you're standing on the podium. I practice my fueling strategy during training and over the years I've found what works best for me. My tip is to start trialling products and gradually increasing your CHO intake during training. This could be by having less concentrated amounts in your drink bottles and fewer or smaller gels. Once you feel like your gut is handling things well, you can increase your hourly intake by 10-20 grams then reassess from there. Never try something new on race day. That generally never ends well.
KK: Practice, practice, practice. You really have to do long rides, 5-6+ hours, to see what the guys are going to do with all those carbs. I try to push 120+g/hr on those long Unbound sim rides and if I start getting discomfort, I can dial it back. But, you need reps, you need to train it. Treat it like it’s a workout, because for a 200 mile race, eating is a workout.
IK: In the last 6 years, since my first time racing unbound in 2021 the entire fueling landscape has changed. I wish I could go back and tell my prior self to eat 10x more than I was. It took me a long time to learn that you shouldn’t finish a ride hungry if you fueled correctly. My advice for someone looking to train their gut is to start using Carbsfuel, enjoy the deliciousness and build up slowly. You don’t have to do a zillion grams of carbs an hour immediately. Start with your own baseline and go from there.
KO: I make sure I'm using the same drink mix daily so my body is used to it. My advice is to make sure you're fueling on training days with the same thing you'll use on race day. Do a couple long training rides with the goal of fueling just as you would on race day. This way you know what works for your body.
Key Takeaways:
While the experiences, strategies, and tips mentioned by the athletes here are for Unbound, the same principles still apply for races and events of similar durations (or even longer!). In general, underfueling is catastrophic and nutrition preparation should be considered in the days leading into the event, not just on race day.
Pre-Race Carb Loading: Most athletes start carb loading 2-3 days out, emphasizing low fiber, high carb foods like rice, pasta, oats, and bread. Several athletes also prioritize extra sodium and aggressive hydration with electrolyte mix in the days before racing.
In-Race Fueling Targets: The consensus target is roughly 90-120g of carbs per hour. Most combine drink mix as a base with gels layered on top. Several athletes “front-load” carbs early in the race since it is easier to absorb carbs early on, prevents bonking later in the event, and noting that gut tolerance can worsen throughout the race. Once you are behind on fueling, it is very difficult to recover. Prevent the deficit early.
Solid Food Role: Solid food is generally used sparingly and strategically. Mainly to settle the stomach or combat flavor fatigue on very long efforts. Popular choices include waffles, chips, fig bars, and even gas station candy. The general advice is not to rely on solids but to have them available, as a psychological break. But remember, simplicity typically wins; performance nutrition is less about “clean eating” and more about easily digestible fuel that is carb dense and tolerated well by your gut.
Sodium Management: Most athletes get their sodium primarily from drink mix, supplementing with salted gels in hotter conditions. Pre-loading sodium in the days before the race was a common practice.
Caffeine Strategy: Athletes typically consume 200-400mg of caffeine on race day, starting with coffee or a pill pre-race and spacing out caffeinated gels every 1-2 hours throughout the event.
Gut Training is Non-Negotiable: Every athlete emphasizes practicing race-day fueling during training where they gradually increase carb intake, using the same products, and doing long simulation rides. Gut training should be treated like physical training; athletes do not magically tolerate huge carb intakes. The universal advice: never try anything new on race day.
Personalization: Realize that there is no universal protocol. The best strategy for you is one that you have practiced and shown to consider changes in your body from the early to the late hours of your event.
Hydration and Fueling are Connected: Often fueling and hydration are thought of separately, but the reality is that they are very interconnected. We chatted with Chris Lowe, a sports nutritionist, about this and he provided insight into how to manage fueling and hydration during hot days.
