Fuelling Options

During endurance training and racing your body needs regular carbohydrate to maintain energy, support performance, and delay fatigue. Picking the right fuelling options — and using them correctly — helps you go further and feel better throughout your event or session.

Carbohydrate Fuels — What They Do

Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of energy during prolonged, moderate-to-high intensity exercise. Fuels that deliver carbohydrate during activity include:

• Sports drinks – provide carbs and fluid in one

• Gels – concentrated carbohydrate in easy-to-digest portions

• Blocks / chews – chewable carbohydrate options

• Bars – slower-digesting, useful mainly on longer efforts

• Real food – options like bananas or raisins for very long events

The goal is to supply consistent carbohydrate so your muscles can keep working without running out of stored glycogen.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks supply carbohydrate and fluid together, which can simplify fuelling.

Benefits:

• Hydrates while it fuels

• Delivers a steady carbohydrate supply

• Easy to sip regularly

Considerations:

• Choose a concentration that sits well in your stomach

• Too concentrated (over ~10% carbohydrate) can cause gastrointestinal discomfort

• Great choice on both bike and run when mixed to your needs

Gels

Gels are compact packets of concentrated carbohydrate, usually with small amounts of electrolytes.

Benefits:

• Quick source of energy

• Easy to carry and use anywhere

• Often flavoured to reduce taste fatigue

Tips for use:

• Take with water — don’t swallow dry

• Time gels around key efforts or regular intervals (e.g., every 20–30 minutes)

• Practise them in training to check tolerance

Blocks / Chews

Blocks and chews are bite-sized carbohydrate sources that offer similar energy to gels.

Benefits:

• Chewable alternative to gels

• Can be easier to stomach for some athletes

Use them like gels:

• Space intake evenly over the event

• Combine with fluids to aid digestion

Bars

Bars contain carbohydrate and often a bit of fat or protein. They’re better used in longer sessions where readily digestible fuel is needed over a longer time.

When they’re useful:

• Very long rides or multisport events

• As a complement to other fuels

Tip:

• Choose bars lower in fibre and fat to reduce stomach upset during hard efforts.

Real Food

Whole food (bananas, raisins, dates, pretzels) can be effective, especially in very long events, training or lower-intensity efforts.

Benefits:

• Familiar taste and texture

• Can be more satisfying than processed options

Considerations:

• Digest slower — better for longer, steadier sessions

• Practice tolerance in training

Combining Fuels — What Works Best

Different fuelling options can work together. For example:

• A sports drink for steady hydration and carbohydrate

• Gels or chews for bursts of carbohydrate when intensity increases

• Real food or bars when duration grows and variety prevents taste fatigue

Use a mix that you have tested in training so your body accepts it under race conditions.

Tips for All Fuels

• Practise fuelling routine in training — don’t try anything new on race day.

• Combine carbohydrate with water to aid absorption and reduce stomach issues.

• Adjust intake based on environment (heat, cold, altitude) and effort level.

• Follow your fuelling plan, but stay flexible: if something doesn’t feel right, adapt quickly.

Looking for a Personalised Approach?

You can benefit from expert nutritional guidance tailored to your training plan and specific needs, with Fuelin - the nutrition app for people who do endurance sports.

Fuelin syncs with TrainingPeaks and is programmed to recognize MyProCoach workouts. So that you can have a nutrition plan that's matched to your MyProCoach training plan , enabling you to consume the right foods and drinks at the right times.

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