Balanced Prep to Set You Up for Success

You’ve put in the work and you’re feeling ready to give your all at your big event. Now it’s time to develop a fueling strategy. The key is to optimize your carbohydrates and electrolyte intake to support maximum performance.

Here’s how evidence-based carbohydrate loading and fueling typically work in real events:

Day Before (Night Before Event)

  • Increase carbohydrate intake (complex carbs like rice, pasta, oats)

  • Consider adding a structured carbohydrate drink the night before — products like the Endurance Pack provide easily digestible complex carbohydrates plus electrolytes that help top off glycogen without heavy meals.

Why Endurance Pack:

  • Maltodextrin provides rapid glucose availability without gastric burden

  • Electrolytes support hydration and neuromuscular function

  • Mixing with water helps replace fluid losses

  • Convenient dosing before carb-rich meals reduces GI stress

Race Morning (2–3 Hours Before Start)

  • Consume a carbohydrate + electrolyte drink

  • Avoid high fat or high fiber within this window

  • A targeted carbohydrate preload sustains blood glucose and delays glycogen usage early in the event

Products like the Endurance Pack are ideal because they simplify fuel without heavy food.

During the Event

  • For efforts >60–90 minutes, consume carbohydrate regularly (e.g., 30–60 g/hour up to 90 g/hour depending on intensity and tolerance)

  • Pair with electrolytes to support fluid balance and reduce cramping risk

When “Bonking” Isn’t Just Glycogen

Bonking is not just “feeling tired.” It is the moment your glycogen stores are depleted to the point that your muscles and brain lack the fuel needed for continued high-intensity work.

However, there’s a second metabolic phenomenon — central fatigue — where the brain’s fuel scarcity (glucose) magnifies perceived effort.

In these cases, carbohydrate ingestion can blunt fatigue even when muscle glycogen isn’t fully depleted.

This supports the idea that carbohydrate drinks serve dual roles:

  • peripheral (muscle) fuel

  • central (brain) signal

That’s why many athletes report sudden sharp improvements in perceived effort after carbohydrate intake mid-event.

Summing It Up: A Simple Framework

If performance matters, your nutrition strategy should:

  1. Maximize glycogen stores before the event
    — Carbohydrate loading
    — Complex carb drinks the night before (like Endurance Pack)

  2. Fuel blood glucose pre-event
    — Carbohydrate + electrolytes ~2–3 hours before start

  3. Maintain carbohydrate availability during the event
    — 30–90 g/hr depending on intensity and duration
    — Pair with electrolyte strategy

  4. Hydrate with intention
    — Electrolytes matter for performance and comfort

Endurance Pack - $19.99

 

References 

  1. Bergström J, Hermansen L, Hultman E, Saltin B. Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 1967;71(2–3):140–150. PMID: 5644767.

  2. Coyle EF. Substrate utilization during exercise in active people. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1995;61(4 Suppl):968S–979S. PMID: 7699970.

  3. Jeukendrup A, Gleeson M. Sport Nutrition: An Introduction to Energy Production and Performance. Human Kinetics; 2010. (Foundational text summarizing carbohydrate fueling science.)

  4. Jeukendrup AE, et al. Effect of carbohydrate electrolyte solutions on gastric emptying and performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 1997;29(4):605–612. PMID: 9142996.

  5. Burke LM, Hawley JA. Swifter, higher, stronger: What’s on the menu? Science of performance nutrition. 2018; Sports Medicine. PMID: 29463001.