Carbohydrate is the most misunderstood word in fitness. Carbs have fuelled people for as long as people have been moving. Somewhere along the way they got a bad name. Plenty of athletes still cut them, worried they'll put on weight or that carbs are just bad for you.
If you train for anything longer than an hour, that's backwards. Here's what carbs actually do, and how to use them properly.
Caffeine wakes you up. Carbs fuel you.
Most people reach for caffeine when they want energy. Caffeine makes hard work feel easier, and it helps. It doesn't put fuel in the tank though. That job belongs to carbohydrate.
A stimulant. Sharpens focus and lowers how hard the effort feels. Adds zero fuel.
What your muscles burn at training intensity. Run low and the session falls apart.
Your body's fuel tank
The carbs you eat are broken down into glucose and stored as glycogen, mostly in your muscles with a smaller reserve in your liver. That's your fuel tank. It holds roughly enough for 90 minutes of hard work.
Water, tabs, or both?
Most people keep the tank topped up with plain water. Water keeps you hydrated, but it carries no fuel and doesn't replace the salt you sweat out. Electrolyte tabs fix the salt. They still leave you running on empty.
| Water | Electrolyte tab | Carbs + electrolytes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Replaces sodium | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fuels the session | No | No | Yes |
| Faster absorption | No | No | Yes |
Carbs help you absorb salt
During training, carbs do a second job. In your gut, glucose and sodium are absorbed together through the same transporter, and water follows them in. So a drink with both gets fluid and salt into you faster than either one alone.
It's not one or the other. It's both, in the right ratio.
Fuel and electrolytes in one bottle
Hydrafuel covers both jobs. Each serve has 30g of carbohydrate in a 2:1 blend of maltodextrin (glucose) and fructose. The two carbs are absorbed through different routes, so your gut can take in more per hour without the sloshing. The electrolytes are matched to what you lose in sweat.
How much to take
Aim for 60 to 90g of carbohydrate an hour once a session goes past an hour.
2 serves an hour
About 3 serves an hour
Hydrafuel
30g carbs and 530mg sodium per serve, in a 2:1 maltodextrin to fructose blend.
- Carbs are your main fuel for training. Caffeine helps it feel easier, but adds no fuel.
- Your tank holds about 90 minutes of hard work. Past that, you need to top it up.
- Carbs and sodium together get fluid in faster than water or tabs alone.
Carbs were never the issue. You just needed the right ones.
Just show up.
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Hydrafuel
Pink Lemonade
30G CARBS+ 530MG SODIUM- 27 Servings Hydration Supplement packed with carbohydrates and electrolytes to hydrate, fuel and aid in performance...
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