Training guide
Race fuelling: per hour
The longer the race, the more your fuel decides it. The right amount of carbohydrate, fluid and salt, which your stomach is used to, lets you go the whole way.
Updated
Carbohydrate by the race's length
Sports nutrition guidelines start from how long the race lasts. TriQuest follows them like this:
- Under 45 minutes: no fuel is needed during the race.
- 45–75 minutes: about 20 grams of carbohydrate an hour.
- 75 minutes to 2.5 hours: about 45 grams an hour.
- Longer races: 50–80 grams an hour by how used to it you are. An untrained stomach rarely takes more than 60.
Fluid and salt
- Without a measured sweat rate, about 550 ml an hour is a reasonable starting point, a little more in heat and less in cold.
- Don't drink more than you sweat out.
- Sodium, about 500 mg per litre of fluid, is an estimate unless you have measured your sweat.
Train your stomach
Your stomach can be trained. Eat and drink on long sessions as you plan to in the race, with the same products, so you know what works. Never try anything new on race day.
What TriQuest does
- Race nutrition works out carbohydrate, fluid and sodium for the race, part by part.
- The plan considers what you have practised and warns about too much at once.
- On race day you follow the plan in the app, and after long sessions you can note how it went.
- It is training advice, not medical advice.
Common questions
Common questions about race fuelling
Do I need fuel during a 10K?
Rarely. Most people manage a race under 45 minutes without fuel, and up to 75 minutes a little is enough.
Why doesn't TriQuest suggest 90 grams an hour?
Few stomachs take that much without long practice. You can choose more yourself if you have trained up to it.
More about TriQuest
Training guides
Heart rate zones, tests, long runs, tapering and race fuelling.
Rest and recovery
Fitness is built during rest: lighter weeks, sleep and heart rate.
How many workouts a week?
How much you need to train, and how to split the sessions.
Easy training
Why most sessions should feel easy, and how easy is easy.
Ready to train smarter?
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