Research
Macro partitioning
Consuming 30–60 g/h of carbohydrate during exercise lasting longer than one hour improves performance by sparing muscle glycogen and maintaining blood glucose, while intakes up to 90 g/h using multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose:fructose 2:1) maximize oxidation rates for ultra-endurance events.
For any event lasting over an hour, consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. If the event is longer than 2.5 hours, aim for up to 90 grams per hour by using products that mix glucose and fructose (look for a 2:1 ratio). This maximizes your energy delivery and performance. Practice this in training to ensure your stomach can handle it.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
While 30–60 g · h-1 is an appropriate target for sports of longer duration, events >2.5 h may benefit from higher intakes of up to 90 g · h-1. Products containing special blends of different carbohydrates may maximize absorption of carbohydrate at such high rates.
Why this rating
Based on multiple systematic reviews, consensus statements, and controlled trials cited in the text.
Source
Carbohydrates for training and competition
Louise M. Burke et al. · Journal of Sports Sciences · 2011
DOI 10.1080/02640414.2011.585473
narrative_reviewCited 932×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Adding protein (>=20g) to suboptimal carbohydrate intake (less than 1.2 g/kg/h) enhances muscle glycogen storage rates during recovery.Good
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