‘A Massive Change’: How a Carbohydrate Revolution is Speeding up Pro Cycling

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Riders ate unprecedented levels of carbohydrates in 2023 and broke more records than ever before.

from Paris-Roubaix Through the Tour de France, Strava KoM was taken to a new level as power boundaries were broken in a lightning year of pro racing.

How did Proton become so fast?

Advances in bike technology and training contributed. But it was the rocket fuel packed into riders’ gel packs and water bottles that really fueled a record year in cycling history.

“Energy intake has changed a lot in the last five or six years.” Ineos Grenadiers Nutritionist Aitor Bilibey Morales said: Vero. “Riders can now consume almost double the amount of carbohydrates they used to while on the bike. This has a huge impact not only on performance, but also on day-to-day recovery and adaptation.

“This is one of the biggest reasons why cyclists have been able to generate so much power for so long, and how they reproduce it every day.”

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This season, 7w/kg has become the new standard for climbers competing in Grand Tours. The Classic champion pushed 5.5w/kg for hours and the victory was built on a 1,200w attack until the end of the race’s first six hours.

It is no coincidence that the tremendous advances in production have coincided with an increase in carbohydrate intake.

Dietary trends come and go, but carbohydrates will always remain the king of the endurance world. Whether you get it from a bag of raw sugar or a stack of sweet potatoes, carbohydrates are the macronutrients that provide fuel.

From the front of the peloton to the back, riders are currently crushing between 100 and 120 grams of carbs per hour. That’s nearly double the number they could have achieved a decade ago. This is the carbohydrate equivalent of one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola every 20 minutes, or more than 2 cups of white rice per hour.

Nutrition, especially carbohydrates, is now so important that it is considered the third pillar of professional cycling alongside training and technology.

“Carbohydrate tolerance is becoming one of the biggest deciding factors between winning and losing,” said Vasilis Anastopoulos, a former Soudal QuickStep trainer with Astana Kazakhstan.

“While it is impossible for a rider to maintain the same power throughout a long race, riders who are not receiving optimal fueling will notice a sharp drop in their power profile. Carbs are essential to mitigating this drop. . That’s why we now need to constantly supply them with more energy.”

In racing, the more the better

Carbohydrate fueling is nothing new. Top-level cyclists have been eating sweet and starchy things long before downtube shifters and toe-lip pedals came along.

What has changed, however, is the way riders replenish their glycogen.

New formulas from nutrition brands like Maurten, Precision Fuel and Hydration, and Science in Sport mean the long-standing carbohydrate “cap” of 60 to 90 grams per hour has been blown into a different trajectory.

Also read: Ketones, Carbs and Cramp Shots – Pro Cycling’s Easy-Access Performance Enhancers

The consumption threshold has changed, thanks to a “hydrogel” delivery model and a new glucose-to-fructose ratio that ensures what goes down stays down.

The risk of ‘digestive illness’ from overconsumption, including nausea, bloating, cramps and diarrhea, is being reduced by a rocket science concoction that makes ridiculous levels of sugar safe for the stomach.

“With the introduction of new products, more riders are consuming between 120 and 140 grams of carbohydrates per hour,” Bilibey said.

“Before, you might have needed to take five or six gels to get this much, but doing that puts you at a much higher risk of digestive problems.” A few years ago Until now, safer limits were considered to be 60 grams or 90 grams.”

Train to eat, eat to train

Eating hard like a modern proton takes practice. And that practice is where Proton reinvents thinking.

Riders now put as much energy into training as they put into racing.

The low-carbohydrate and fasted training trends are still a “thing,” but they are carefully timed and structured as training programs.

Fasting or low-carbohydrate sessions encourage the body’s use of fat as fuel. This is a rider’s all-day engine polishing exercise. But it’s the carb-rich sessions that build your ability to break through plateaus and make race-winning moves.

With each low-sugar-based training session, riders will endure a top-notch workout filled with gels, bars, and energy drinks. These help riders figure out how much they can bloat, ‘condition’ their gastrointestinal tract for the carb frenzy of the race, and help them hit their intervals at full power.

And that’s how previous power thresholds, Strava KoM, and “fastest ever” records go down.

Eat to train, eat to race, eat to recover

Improved understanding and investment in nutrition is one of the indicators of recent progress at Proton.

In-house chefs, nutritionists, kitchen trucks and bespoke diet apps are as essential to a team’s mobile arsenal as the boxes of mechanics, masseuses and bike mechanics that have tracked racers in recent decades.

result?

Riders are better nourished not only on the bike, but also off the bike.

From breakfast to bed, the modern peloton lives on a 5,000 to 7,000 calorie energy pipeline that provides energy for racing and recovery.

And a better understanding of exercise recovery means the pipeline is never interrupted.

The shift in focus from protein to carbohydrates means riders are tasked with keeping their carbohydrate intake up until the final kilometer of a race or training session.

Ineos Grenadiers staff member Bilibey said: “We know that when you refuel on the bike, there is less protein breakdown and you can maintain your training state better.”

“The better you eat on the bike, the better your chances of recovery the next day. High-carbohydrate sports nutrition will help you not only on that day, but on future days as well.”

self-perpetuating carbohydrate cycle

The World Tour’s increased power output and climbing speed aren’t just due to the recent “carvolution.”

But the ability to tolerate more carbohydrates for training, racing, and recovery is creating something of a self-perpetuating cycle.

Racers who eat more carbohydrates can train harder and recover better.

result?

They race faster.

But ironically, the strength that is possible with more fuel can only be maintained by providing more fuel.

“Increasing carbohydrate intake has a dual effect. Athletes are able to get more high-quality training and compete better. And they are better able to compete in races. “You feel freed up to race harder because you’re better energized,” said Joshua Rowe, performance scientist at nutrition brand Maurten.

“But racing more intensely uses more energy and takes more sacrifices. So athletes need to fuel more during and after the race to maintain their fitness. It becomes self-perpetuating.”

😁😁😁🤣

Tour de France riders need to eat the equivalent of 27 cheeseburgers a day.

I think all I need now is a bicycle. pic.twitter.com/4jmuMWYSzH

— Cynical Analyst (@cynicalanalyst2) May 9, 2022

How far will refueling go? And how fast will the protons move along it?

Physiologists and nutritionists acknowledge that there are limits to “safe” carbohydrate intake, but believe elite sports have not yet found those limits.

Meanwhile, nutritional brands are evolving their product lines to meet more demand, and physiologists are working with test athletes to see how far they can go.

It’s only a matter of time before today’s “carbohydrate ceiling” blows away.