How to Calculate Your Carbs Per Hour for Endurance

coureur consommation glucide effort

The simplified guide to calculating your carbs and nailing your endurance hydration

If you ask three endurance athletes how they manage their nutrition during a 3-hour outing, you'll get three completely different answers. Between powders to measure, gels to time, and salt tablets, sports nutrition often feels like a chemistry lab. Yet performance science comes down to simple numbers. Here's how to calculate your real needs to avoid running out of energy.

1. The golden rule: how many carbs per hour?

For efforts longer than 60 to 90 minutes, your body needs a constant external supply. Sports nutrition studies agree on precise targets:

  • Moderate effort (1h to 2h): 30g to 60g of carbohydrates per hour.
  • Intense or long effort (2h+): 60g to 90g (and sometimes up to 120g for elite triathletes) of carbohydrates per hour.

The trap? If you rely solely on fast sugar (dextrose, maltodextrin), your digestive system gets overwhelmed. That's why using a smart, slow-release carbohydrate like isomaltulose is essential to hit these numbers without discomfort.

2. Why the "mix-it-yourself" system slows you down

Several brands force athletes to buy an electrolyte powder on one side and a pure carb powder on the other to create their own blend. While well-intentioned, this creates two major problems on the ground:

  1. Human error: one miscalculation under fatigue and you end up with a drink too concentrated, blocking digestion.
  2. Heavy logistics: carrying multiple different pouches during a marathon or a long bike ride quickly becomes a burden.

3. Eracer: scientific simplicity

The Ready-to-Drink Can: ideal for immediate absorption, no preparation needed, perfect before heading out or during quick transitions. It gives you exactly what you need in electrolytes, vitamins, and stable energy.

Conclusion

Stop guessing or playing scientist before every training session. By choosing an all-in-one solution built to stabilize your energy from start to finish, you eliminate the mental stress and get to focus on what actually matters: beating your records.

Keep reading:

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a healthcare professional or registered dietitian. Consult a professional before changing your sports nutrition strategy, especially if you have a medical condition.