Creating a fuel plan: it can be that simple.
TL;DR — A good fuel plan is simple. Determine your carbohydrates per hour, divide them between sports drink and 1 to 2 fruit performance bars, plan your fluids and sodium, and establish a fixed rhythm of every 30 minutes. The biggest mistake is too many different products and too much mental math on the go, leading to under-fueling. Always test your plan in training, never for the first time on race day. Or let the fuel plan tool create it for you in a few taps.
Many athletes under-fuel, not because they don't want to, but because their plan is too complicated. Too many types of gels, bars, and drinks, each with a different number of grams, and then having to do mental arithmetic on the go. That's where things go wrong. A fuel plan should be so simple that you don't have to think about it during exercise. The complete guide to fueling covers the full theory. Here are the practical five steps.
Step 1: Determine your carbohydrates per hour
This is your foundation. It depends on duration and intensity. Up to an hour, you usually don't need anything; for one to two hours, aim for 30 grams; for two to three hours, 60 grams; and for long or intense efforts, up to 90 grams per hour. Going above 90 grams is pointless. One number—that's your guiding principle for the rest of the plan.
Step 2: Divide between liquid and solid food
Never try to get everything from a single source. A sports drink with 6 to 8 percent carbohydrates already provides 30 to 60 grams with 500 to 800 milliliters per hour. Additionally, plan for 1 to 2 fruit performance bars per hour, each 20 grams in a 2:1 ratio. This combination covers your goal and is gentle on your stomach. For high intensity or running, it leans more towards liquid; for leisurely rides, you can eat more solid food. The trade-off between a bar or gel per moment helps with this.
Step 3: Plan your fluids and sodium
Drink 500 to 800 milliliters per hour, more in hot weather. For efforts longer than 90 minutes or in the heat, add sodium, somewhere between 300 and 700 milligrams per hour, depending on how much you sweat. If you often see white salt rings on your shirt, you're on the higher end. Don't overdo it: it's a guideline, not an exact science, as sweat loss varies greatly from person to person.
Step 4: Establish the timing
Start within the first half hour and maintain a fixed rhythm of taking something every 30 minutes. If you're aiming for 60 grams per hour, that's 30 grams every half hour. If you're aiming for 90, then 45 grams. A fixed rhythm removes the decision-making when you're tired and not thinking clearly. That's precisely where most plans fail.
Step 5: Put it on a timeline and test it
Write out your plan as a simple timeline: what to take when. Save it on your phone or print it on a note. This eliminates all noise. And the golden rule: always test your plan in training first. Race day is not the time to try something new; that almost always ends in an empty tank or an upset stomach. My fuel plan tool creates this timeline for you in a few taps and lets you save it as an image for on the go.
The biggest pitfall: too much variation
The more different products, the more you have to remember and calculate, and the greater the chance of under-fueling. Choose a fixed, limited set of fuel that you trust and stick to it. One sports drink, one type of bar, possibly one gel for the finale. Simplicity wins. My clean label fruit performance bars are consciously built on this: a single fixed amount of 20 grams per bar, no guesswork.
A plan that won't let you down
A fuel plan isn't mathematics; it's preparation. Know your numbers, distribute your sources, establish your rhythm, and test it. Then, during the effort, all you have to do is execute. No gel. No brick. Fuel during exercise. Fuel your flight.
The Science
The carbohydrate targets per hour and the 2:1 ratio this plan is based on come from controlled research on carbohydrate metabolism during prolonged exercise. King and colleagues (2019) substantiate the targets and the upper limit of 90 grams per hour.
Sources
King AJ et al. Liver and muscle glycogen oxidation and performance with dose variation of glucose-fructose ingestion during prolonged exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 2019. doi:10.1007/s00421-019-04106-9
Rowe JT et al. A glucose-fructose hydrogel enhances running performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2022. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002764
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a fuel plan for my ride?
Determine your carbohydrates per hour, divide them between sports drink and 1 to 2 bars, plan fluids and sodium, establish a fixed rhythm of every 30 minutes, and put it on a timeline.
Why do I under-fuel during long efforts?
Usually because the plan is too complicated. Too many products and calculations on the go lead to forgetting or postponing. Keep it simple.
How many different products do I need?
As few as possible. One sports drink, one type of bar, and possibly a gel for the finale is enough for most efforts.
Do I need to test my fuel plan?
Yes, always in training. Never try anything new for the first time on race day.
Can I carry my fuel plan with me while exercising?
Put it on a timeline and save it as an image on your phone, or print it. This way, you don't have to calculate during the effort.
