Sports Nutrition Calculator (Carbs & Sodium)
Getting the right nutrition strategy for your rides and runs is not an exact science, but it is one of the most important pillars for avoiding the bonk and performing well, or simply enjoying the effort. The goal is simple: take in as much energy (carbohydrates) as possible and replace mineral losses (sodium) without overloading your digestive system.
Contents
Running (Road & Trail)
In running, the repeated impact of every stride makes digestion harder than on the bike. On the road, the effort is often steady, whereas on trails, steep climbs and changes of pace increase energy expenditure. Changes of pace, in turn, make it easier to eat.
Tips for running
Eating while running takes practice:
- Format matters: Favor liquid or semi-liquid formats (gels, fruit purées, gummies), which require less chewing and digest faster than solid bars.
- Split your intake: Rather than swallowing a whole gel in one go, take a small portion every 20 minutes.
- Watch out on the trail: On steep climbs, your heart rate soars and blood leaves the stomach. Take advantage of flat sections or gentle descents to eat.
Cycling (Road, MTB, Gravel)
Cycling is a low-impact sport that lets you eat and digest larger amounts of solid food. On the other hand, rides are often much longer, which makes regular fueling vital (eat before you get hungry).
Adjusting for your cycling discipline
- On the road: The peloton or flowing routes make it easy to pull out a solid bar. Mix it up (savory/sweet) on rides of more than 4 hours to avoid flavor fatigue.
- On MTB & Gravel: The focus required for handling the bike and the constant bumps make solid food more difficult. Carbohydrate-rich drinks in your bottle or hydration pack are your best allies.
Why doesn't body weight matter in this calculation?
This is a very common question, but the physiology is clear: weight and height do not affect your hourly carbohydrate recommendations. Here is why, and how our algorithm works:
- The intestinal bottleneck: What limits your energy intake is not the size of your muscles, but the absorption capacity of your gut. Whether you weigh 55 kg or 90 kg, the intestinal wall saturates in the same way. A heavier athlete will burn more calories overall, but physiologically cannot absorb more carbohydrates per hour without risking digestive issues.
- Time (the key factor): The longer the effort, the more you draw on your glycogen stores, and the more you need to increase your exogenous carbohydrate intake (from 30 g/h for a short effort, up to 90 g/h for endurance). Beyond 10 hours of effort, your heart rate drops and your stomach tires, so the recommendation falls back to around 70 g/h.
- Elevation gain (Intensity): Our algorithm detects whether your elevation-to-distance ratio is very high (mountainous course). If so, energy demand increases, and the carbohydrate range is slightly raised to compensate.
The importance of Gut Training and Sodium
The most common mistake is trying to follow a theoretical table on race day without being used to it. Your stomach is a muscle that needs to be trained.
- "Gut Training" (training your intestine): If you suddenly impose 80 g of carbohydrates per hour on your digestive system, it will shut down (nausea, vomiting). Train it on your long rides and runs. Start by targeting the low end of the range, then gradually increase over the weeks.
- Sodium for balance: When you sweat, you lose salt. On efforts longer than 2 hours, consuming only carbohydrates without sodium can lead to hyponatremia and cramps. The algorithm recommends a sodium intake to maintain your mineral balance on long efforts.
Now that you know your theoretical needs, get your fueling ready with our best selections:
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