How to pick the Right Carb Supplement for Race Day

In todays blog I want to go through some of the most common pitfalls I see endurance athletes deal with when it comes to deciding on what carbohydrate supplements they need to buy in order to fuel their high intensity training and most importantly what to use on race day.

By the end of this blog

• You will know the exact amount & ratio of sugars to have in your carbohydrate supplements to optimize your performance.
• You know exactly what ingredients to avoid in carb supplements that lead to GI issues when competing.
• You will know the topped brands that the elite athletes are currently using and most importantly how they use them to maximize your performance.

Quick note for any of you athletes that are subjected to doping tests weather that’s for a specific event or across the season.

What to look for in Carb Supplements

 First up when it comes to picking a carbohydrate supplement whether it's off the shelf in the store or buying online you need to consider the following principles. Making sure you pick a carbohydrate supplement that is going to help you optimize your current training and your racing performance. 

Follow these 4 simple steps each time, and you won’t go wrong. 

Step 1

Make sure its third party batch tested.

You want to make sure it’s clean (free of cross-contamination) and of high quality.

Check out informed sport before buying.

Informed Sport

Step 2

You want to make sure it’s free from alcohol sugars and artificial sweeteners, such as (sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt) & (Acesulfame potassium, Aspartame, Sucralose)

 As theses disrupt your gut microbiome leading to GI issues when training/racing.

 So avoid these ingredients at all costs.

Step 3

Make sure the main sugars in the product are glucose and fructose.

These two sugars in particular, increase your maximum rate of absorption, replenishing your muscle stores faster, and allowing you to push harder for longer. compared to other sugars (like maltose dextrose, sucralose) you find in carb supplements.

 Make sure the ratio of glucose and fructose is 2:1

I.e. in a 30 gram serving 20g is glucose and 10g is fructose.

This allows optimal absorption with out risking GI upset.

Step 4

Make sure there are enough carbs per serving in the product.

This avoids having to carry too much or consume products too frequently when competing.

Rule of thumb make sure the product has at least 30 grams of carbs per serving.

* The right amount + the right ratio = better absorption = better performances

 *And remember to practise, practise, practise with your carb supplements several times before using them in competition.

Why GI issues can occur when taking gels or Carb drinks

It is extremely common that endurance athletes experience GI issues when using carbohydrate products when training or competing. If this is you you're not alone it's a very common issue that I tend to see. And believe it or not it could be a relatively easy fix.

As your training intensity increases close to your event or when competing the stress from exercise places huge mechanical and chemical stress on your digestive system. This tends to bring on or exploit weaknesses that may pre exist. Which end up resulting in you experiencing those horrible GI issues.

Basically in a nutshell you can develop what's called permeable gut. Something today we won't go into much detail in feel free to go off and have a dive into it.

What it all really boils down to the fact that you're not training your gut.

What the heck is gut training?

Gut training, like any other training, is a set of tasks that you must do on a regular base before and during your training.

The purpose is to stress your gut leading to adaptation,

1. Increasing your gastric emptying time, meaning foods/liquids past from your stomach quicker during exercise, preventing bloating.
2. Increasing your ability to absorb more fuel than before, allowing you to push harder.
3. And most importantly, increasing your gut's resilience to stress, stopping you from experiencing GI issues like bloating nausea vomiting acid reflux diarrhea or Constipation.

I recommend that you start to use the gels & drinks in your training leading up to your event.

 Start with just 1 gel and or sipping on a carb drink in your training and build up to your target amount slowly.

Do this for at least 4 weeks leading up to your race.

If you can try it out for longer all the better.

How to optimal use your carb supplements

When it comes to optimizing your use of carbohydrate supplements first I want to say that it is highly personalized to you. Don't be comparing yourself to any other athlete as this can only lead to you not following an optimal program or plan for you. Therefore, you need to try out the supplements in your training prior to doing it in your race to figure out what works for you, what's the best concentration that sits well and most importantly making sure you train the gut so you don't suffer from any GI issues when you're competing.

Anyway, here's my suggestions on how I recommend to my athletes how to optimize their use of carbohydrate supplements to push their training intensities improving their fitness and most importantly maximizing their race day fueling for optimal performance.

My go-to always is to use the 30/30/30 principle.

This principle will allow you to optimal fuel your race and help prevent GI issues.

Let me break it down for you.

Step 1 - 30% from Liquids

30% of your hourly carb target should be consumed from fluids, in the form of a carb drink.

Step 2 - 30% from Gels

30% of your hourly carb target should be consumed from carb gels.

Consider using caffeinated gels.

Step 3 - 30% from Solids

30% of your hourly carb target should come from solid sources.

For example – Cliff blocks, sport beans, and dates.

Here is a quick run-down of how I’d recommend you use this strategy.

If we go for a carb target of 90g per hour, which is what you should be aiming for.

We want to divide this into 3x30g servings per hour from each source.

Play by play

• Minute 0-20 – carb drink aiming for 30g
• Minute 20-40 – carb gel 30g (possible caffeinated)
• Minute 40-60 – carb solid 30g

Repeat this for every hour of competing.

Take home message

1. If you are subjected to doping tests make sure the carb supplements you plan on using have been third party batch tested for banned substances.
2. Make sure the ratio of glucose and fructose is 2:1 in all your carb supplements (gels, drinks, solids) I.e. in a 30 gram serving 20g is glucose and 10g is fructose.
3. Make sure there is at least 30grams per serving, saves you having to carry unnecessary amounts with you (remember here we are aiming for 90 grams per hour, split into 3 serving of 30 grams every 20min).
4. Try to avoid any carb products that contain alcohol sugars and artificial sweeteners, as theses can cause GI upset when training / compositing.
5. Always practise, practise, practise your race day plan at least ¾ times before you use it in your race. This gives you time to make the necessary adjusts to prevent GI issues on race day and to fuel for optimal performance.  

Are you looking for a way to enhance your performance and get the most out of your training?

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References

• ROWE, J.T. et al. (2021) ‘Glucose and fructose hydrogel enhances running performance, exogenous carbohydrate oxidation, and gastrointestinal tolerance’, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 54(1), pp. 129–140. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000002764. 
• Ruby, B.C. et al. (2020) ‘Males and females exhibit similar muscle glycogen recovery across varied diets’, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 52(7S), pp. 596–596. doi:10.1249/01.mss.0000680732.44966.5e. 
• Sedlock, D.A. (2008) ‘The latest on carbohydrate loading’, Current Sports Medicine Reports, 7(4), pp. 209–213. doi:10.1249/jsr.0b013e31817ef9cb. 
• Vitale, K. and Getzin, A. (2019) ‘Nutrition and supplement update for the endurance athlete: Review and recommendations’, Nutrients, 11(6), p. 1289. doi:10.3390/nu11061289.