Successful Fueling

Information is courtesy of Hammer Nutrition.  If you should choose to buy something from Hammer, use my coupon code for 15% off your first order.  Hammer rarely gives discounts so take advantage of it.

Athletes Who Experience Fueling Success: Of the athletes who have contacted us to report success (no fuel-related, performance-inhibiting problems and consistent energy levels), the following factors occur with reliable consistency:

• Fluid intake was under 30 fluid ounces/hour.


• Sodium intake was between 300mg and 600mg/hour, with 400mg/hr being the most often reported dose.


• Caloric intake less than 300 cal/hour.


• Moderate simple sugar intake, favoring complex carbs.


• Body weight at finish decreased no more than 2-3%.

Athletes Who Experience Fueling Failure: Athletes who suffered poor performance due to fueling-related problems reported consumption as follows:

• Fluid intake over 30 fluid ounces/hour.


• Caloric intake exceeded 300 cal/hr.


• Consumed primarily simple sugar-based fuels, causing stomach ailments.


• Sodium intake above 600 mg/hour.


• Body weight at finish was hyper-hydrated with weight gain from 1-2%, or dehydrated at over 3% body weight loss.

What you should derive from this data is that while there is no “one-size-fits-all” fueling formula. When it comes to fueling for endurance performance, less is best.