140 grams of carbs or more? Has a former INEOS Grenadiers nutritionist found the perfect fuelling strategy for cyclists?
Cycling
Are the days of 'bonking' over for cyclists? Could this new
approach to fuelling revolutionize the sport?
Former INEOS Grenadiers nutritionist Aitor Viribay Morales
recently spoke with Velo about the rapid advancements in sports nutrition, and
had his say on whether the perfect formula for fuelling has been discovered.
“We still don’t know the carbohydrate ceiling, but 120g is
certainly not the limit,” he stated.
“Every athlete is very individual, so we cannot say 90, 120,
or even 150 grams is the ceiling for the population as a whole,” he added.
“We’re seeing bike riders and runners go to 150g, 160g per
hour. There are examples of those quantities being sustained for eight to ten
hours.”
The figure of 120 grams per hour has been widely accepted as
an optimal carbohydrate intake level for high-intensity endurance efforts.
Consuming this amount equates to approximately 480 calories, often considered
the maximum threshold for efficient sugar intake during a race. However,
experts suggest that this number is more of a guideline than a strict upper
limit.
“There’s nothing special about the number 120,” Tudor Pro
Cycling consultant Tim Podlogar told Velo. “It just came as a natural
progression from 90g per hour, when fuelling was increasing in 30g increments.”
Viribay reinforced this idea, explaining, “120g is a new
reference for fuelling, but the exact number is far above that. There is still
the potential to exploit more from nutrition, but it all depends on individual
capacities to absorb, transport, and oxidize carbohydrates.”
“We pushed higher quantities in the time that I was at
INEOS,” he continued. “We’ve got some cases where we have been up to 200 grams
for certain hours of racing. We’ve averaged up to 160, 170 grams per hour for
more than four hours.”
Seems like an awful amount of carbs? It sure is, but
remember these athletes are superhuman and can absorb more efficiently than
most. Just look at what happened to Tadej Pogacar when he reportedly got his fuelling strategy wrong and was beaten in a sprint finish by Jonas Vingegaard at last year's tour.
“Performance in world-class cycling is a matter of energy.
That’s where watts come from. So energy is becoming a problem,” Viribay said.
“If you are not fuelling above 100, 120, you simply don’t have enough energy to
be competitive right now.”
Given these advancements, one might wonder why athletes
wouldn’t just increase their intake beyond the 120-gram benchmark.
Read also
“Now watts are increasing you need more energy just to match
the demand,” Viribay said. “When you see 400 watts on the Garmin, your body is
probably producing 2,000 watts in total.”
“It’s absolutely decisive to fuel certain moments on huge
amounts of carbohydrates. I’ve seen riders hit their performance limits simply
by using the most carbohydrate possible,” Viribay said. “And that’s only
sustainable thanks to the recovery benefit of this strategy.”
“Our studies show carbohydrate doesn’t only affect
performance on the day. It’s also your long-term, day-to-day recovery, and how
your nervous system is commanding your body thanks to the carbohydrate
availability,” he explained.
Not all riders experience the same benefits from ultra-high
carbohydrate consumption.
“I’ve seen riders jump on the bandwagon at 150-160 grams,
but it doesn’t work for all of them,” Team Visma | Lease a Bike nutritionist Gabriel
Martins told Velo his point of view.
Viribay remains open to individual variation in fuelling
strategies. “I don’t see it as a problem if an athlete is fuelling at 150 and
not immediately using all of that,” he said. “When you are at a high exercise
intensity like a Tour de France stage, it’s not relevant if you are using 100
percent of what you are fuelling.”
“There are other secondary goals that you are aiming for,”
Viribay continued. “That’s recovery for the next day and making sure that
you’re not wholly depleting your glycogen levels in the liver or muscles.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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