Nutrition specialists keep looking for new ways to deliver energy: "Consuming 100+ grams of carb per hour is the new norm in the pro peloton"

The pro peloton is calling for more carbohydrate than ever before, and the nutrition brands that partner cycling’s elite are scrambling to keep up. Carb-specialist sport scientists are locked into their own race to discover new ways to deliver unprecedented levels of carbs to athletes in the fastest, most effective way possible.

"There’s a type of ‘arms race’ right now," Tobias Christensson, head of nutrition at Maurten, joked to Velo. "We are definitely seeing a trend of others following what we’re doing, looking to deliver more carbohydrate, more easily, without any stomach problems."

"Five or six years ago, it used to be 60 grams per hour as a maximum for carbohydrate consumption, then it was 90, now it’s 120," Astana-Qazaqstan trainer Vasilis Anastopoulos told Velo. "Since these extra high-carb drinks and gels were introduced, we’ve seen really positive impacts on riders. It’s a real game-changer."

"Before, you could fuel 120 grams per hour, and people did, but it was so much harder. You might have needed five or six gels for example. It was difficult for the stomach and hard to tolerate, mentally. It’s so much simpler and safer now," Ineos Grenadiers nutritionist Aitor Viribay Morales added.

"Consuming 100+ grams of carb per hour is the new norm in the pro peloton," said Dave Colley of Precision Fuel and Hydration. "We’ve adapted our range in recent years to help make it easier to hit these higher numbers."