Carbs Are Back - High Carb Fueling Done Right
It seems like everyone is eating more carbs than ever.
If you ride or run with a group, you’ve probably felt it. One minute you’re discussing weekend routes, the next someone is confidently explaining why 90g per hour is now “the minimum”, while another breaks down glucose-fructose ratios as if they’re marginal gains.
Somewhere along the line, “gut training” has become the unofficial fourth discipline of triathlon.
It’s easy to start wondering if you’ve missed the memo. As if simply turning up, training hard and eating reasonably well is no longer enough, and now you’re meant to be calculating grams per hour and optimising sugar blends just to keep up.
Yet most of us are simply trying to train consistently, recover properly and not crawl home halfway through a long session.
And while there’s absolutely a time to push carbohydrate intake - long sessions and demanding training blocks - not every workout needs more fuel. Better performance depends on matching carbs to the session in front of you.
Why High Carb Fueling Works - And Why It’s Trending
High carb fueling is trending for a reason. Carbohydrates top up glycogen stores, helping you sustain effort for longer, recover more effectively between sessions and reduce perceived exertion when intensity rises.
The peloton is powered by carbs
Elite cycling has moved from 40g per hour to 90g and beyond as research and real-world practice have shown that higher intakes can work. The same shift is visible elsewhere.
Ironman champions like Cam Wurf and Kristian Blummenfelt have openly discussed pushing carbohydrate intake far higher than traditional recommendations, and ultra runner Tom Evans has spoken about similar strategies during long efforts.
So this is not a low-carb argument. Quite the opposite. If you want to train hard, race well and recover consistently, carbohydrates matter.
The real shift is not about whether to eat them. It’s about when…
Not All Carbs Are The Same - Everyday vs Training vs Racing
As carbohydrate intake rises, the source of those carbohydrates matters more, not less.
It helps to think in three simple categories - everyday carbs, training carbs and race carbs.
Everyday Carbs - Health First
Oats are one of the best everyday carb sources
Everyday carbs underpin long-term health. Think oats, fruit, potatoes, rice, lentils and whole grains. They deliver more than glucose by bringing fibre, micronutrients and natural cofactors your body recognises and uses effectively.
Quality in equals quality out. If daily fuel influences gut health, recovery and resilience, does it make sense for it to come from ultra-processed foods - or real food?
Training Carbs - Performance Plus Stability
Training carbs sit in the middle. Before harder sessions you may choose faster-digesting options, but faster does not have to mean ultra-processed. Somewhere along the line, shelf life replaced simplicity and lab formulations replaced real ingredients.
We choose not to do it that way. We don’t separate performance from health, and we don’t use UPFs your body doesn’t readily recognise. Because what’s the point of hitting 90g per hour if it leaves you bloated or sprinting for the bushes?
Race Carbs - Convenience Without Compromise
Racing changes the equation. Intensity is high, appetite is low and convenience matters. Carbs are essential here - used well, they power performance.
But ultra-processed carbs are still ultra-processed, whether you’re on the sofa or on the start line. Higher intake simply magnifies the impact of quality, which means what those carbs are made of matters more, not less.
Rocket Fuel - the perfect balance between performance fuel and overall health
Why Sugar Still Has a Place During Exercise
During exercise your body is in a completely different state to when you’re sitting at a desk. Glycogen is being depleted, carbohydrate use is high and rapid energy delivery matters. In that window, simple sugars can work exceptionally well because they are quickly absorbed and efficiently used.
The key is context. Sugar used strategically during training or racing is not the same as ultra-processed carbohydrate isolates designed for shelf life and scale. One matches the demand of the moment. The other is UPF.
We explain this in more detail in our article on why sugar is the optimal carb source during exercise - and why maltodextrin and other UPFs are not.
What Is High Carb Fueling?
High carb fueling simply means deliberately increasing carbohydrate intake around demanding training and racing to maximise glycogen availability and performance output.
In practical terms, that often means:
- 40 to 60g per hour for steady longer sessions
- 60 to 90g per hour for harder or longer efforts
- Higher intakes for trained individuals who have conditioned their gut
Big days in the mountains require big fuel
How Many Carbs Per Hour? A Simple Fuel Ladder
Rather than jumping straight to 90g per hour because a pro does it, build progressively and match intake to session demand, not ego.
30 minutes: Water is usually enough, as stored glycogen will comfortably cover the work.
60 minutes: Around 20 to 40g per hour is typically sufficient, using simple, real-food sources your body recognises.
90 minutes: Roughly 40 to 60g per hour can support higher intensity, delivered through a natural carb drink, whole-food bar or real-food gel.
2-3 hours+: For longer efforts, 60 to 90g per hour may be appropriate, combining liquid and solid real-food sources for practicality and comfort.
When carbohydrates come from ingredients your body understands, you don’t need to “train” yourself to tolerate them.
So the real question becomes: what do you want that load to be made of?
Real-Food Carb Options That Actually Work
High carb fueling does not need to be complicated or expensive.
Amore Energy Bars deliver real-food fuel for discerning athletes
These all work a charm:
- Banana or small oat-based bar before steady sessions
- Oat and almond flapjack for longer aerobic days
- Rice cake bites for portable solid carbs
- Natural carb drink made from real fruit and sea salt
- Amore Energy Bar for convenient (and delicious) real-food fueling
- Rocket Fuel for stable energy, micronutrients and the ability to customise your carb content
The Carb Paradox - Performance Today vs Health Tomorrow
Modern sports nutrition presents a paradox. People chasing performance are often advised to consume ultra-processed products several times per week. If your goal is long-term consistency and resilience, does it make sense for your fuel to undermine your gut or increase inflammatory load?
High Carb Fueling Isn’t The Problem
Used well, carbs elevate performance and support consistent training - increasing intake is a strategic tool for harder sessions and better recovery.
But as carb intake rises, so does the importance of source, and when you recognise that carbohydrate quality influences not just performance but resilience and long-term health, the standard you expect from your fuel changes.
Would it be unreasonable to expect your carb strategy to support your performance today and your health tomorrow?
Bread, pasta, beans or rice - whichever you choose, pay attention to the source
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