Research summary · Nutrition and energy
Higher carbohydrate intake is not always better in cycling
An experiment compares carbohydrate oxidation and exercise capacity across four intake rates during prolonged cycling.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Repeated-measures experiment with randomized higher-dose trials
- Journal
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Population / context
- Trained male cyclists
What the publication reports
Eight trained men completed a low-dose familiarization followed by randomized 90, 120 and 150 g/hour trials. Exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rose with dose, but whole-body oxidation did not differ between 120 and 150 g/hour. Exercise capacity did not differ significantly among the three higher rates.
Limits and interpretation
Only eight men participated, and the 10 g/hour condition was always the initial familiarization rather than randomized. Laboratory capacity and model-derived optimal intake estimates should not be treated as universal race-fuelling prescriptions.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Effects of 10, 90, 120 and 150 G.H -1 CHO on Substrate Metabolism, Exogenous Oxidation and Exercise Capacity: Implications for CHO Personalization
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42841531DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000004176Reader discussion
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