Fueling Endurance - Nutrition for Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes

Episode 83A - Is very high carb a thing now? | Aitor Viribay

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Nov 14, 2024

Aitor Viribay, Lead of Human Science at Ineos Grenadiers Pro Cycling Team, dives deep into the high-carb trend in endurance sports. He explains the science behind consuming over 100g of carbs per hour and challenges traditional nutritional guidelines. Aitor discusses when these high carb intakes are beneficial versus unnecessary, and he highlights the importance of personalized nutrition for athletes. The conversation also touches on how social media and innovative products are reshaping carbohydrate strategies in endurance training.

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INSIGHT

High Carb Trend in Endurance Sports

Very high carbohydrate intakes during exercise, exceeding 100g/hour, have become a recent trend.
This trend stems from recognizing that elite athletes' metabolic needs exceed traditional guidelines.

INSIGHT

Symbiotic Relationship Between Power and Carbs

Increased power output in cycling necessitates higher carbohydrate intake to fuel the greater energy demands.
This creates a symbiotic relationship, with higher carbohydrate availability enabling even greater power output.

INSIGHT

Factors Driving the High-Carb Trend

Four factors catalyzed the high-carb trend: research, product development, gut training knowledge, and athlete testing.
Athlete and coach acceptance of these new ideas was also important for widespread adoption.

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You’ve probably come across discussions in the last year or so about the ‘high carb trend’ - taking very large amounts of carbohydrate during exercise, often well over 100g per hour. These levels are significantly greater than official sports nutrition guidelines, so what’s behind the trend? Is it based on new science, product marketing, or is it just another fad that will come and eventually go? And most importantly, is it relevant to you?

In this episode we speak to the Lead of Human Science at the Ineos Grenadiers Pro Cycling Team, Aitor Viribay, who has also worked with some of the biggest names in ultra trail running. He discusses how, when and why these very high carb intakes have become a thing in recent years, the scientific rationale behind it, when it’s used vs when it’s not, and whether non-professional athletes need to worry about these levels of intake.

Podcast Guest:

Aitor Viribay - Ineos Grenadiers Pro Cycling Team

Aitor's online presence:

X/Twitter: @MVAitor
Instagram: @glut4science
Website: GLUT4 Science (in Spanish)
Podcast: 90 Gramos de MetHub (in Spanish)

Aitor's research mentioned:

Viribay, A et al. (2020). Effects of 120 g/h of Carbohydrates Intake during a Mountain Marathon on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Elite Runners. Nutrients. 12(5):1367. DOI: 10.3390/nu12051367

Fuelin:

This episode is supported by Fuelin, the world's first training-based nutrition app. It syncs with your training plan (in TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, and TriDot or Run Dot) and creates a personalised nutrition plan, built around your training schedule and tailored to your goals. You’ll see adjustments in your fuelling both within and outside of training sessions, using a traffic light system to adjust your carb intake to fuel appropriately for your needs.

To get 20% off your first month, go to https://www.fuelin.com/ and enter the code FE20 at checkout.

Fueling Endurance eBook:

At over 260 pages, the Fueling Endurance eBook contains answers to 49 of the most common nutrition questions that runners, cyclists and triathletes ask. Covering the first two years of the podcast, the eBook contains additional insights, tips, and quotes from experts and athletes. Every copy sold helps cover the cost of making the podcast.

Purchase directly from https://fuelingendurance.com/ or search Fueling Endurance on Amazon for the Kindle version.