The Eat for Endurance Podcast Does Body Weight Affect How You Should Fuel During Exercise?
May 1, 2025
Stevie Lyn Smith, a sports dietitian who fuels endurance athletes in her virtual practice, joins to rethink fueling by body size. They explore how carb needs might scale with body weight. Conversation covers a 2024 cycling study, multiple-transport carbs and absorption, practical testing of higher carb intakes, and fueling strategies for long races and recovery.
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Carb Guidelines Were Time-Based
- Historical carb guidelines during exercise were time-based and not tied to body size.
- Newer evidence suggests body mass may influence how much exogenous carbohydrate an athlete can oxidize.
Use In-Workout Fuel To Prevent Underfueling
- View in-workout fueling as a tool to prevent underfueling and low energy availability.
- Use intra-workout carbs as one strategy among many to support performance and health.
Small Study Links Size To Carb Use
- A 2024 study found larger cyclists oxidized more ingested carbs than smaller peers when given 90 g/hour.
- The study suggested ~0.7 g/kg/hour may better approximate needs than a flat range.