Hi all I am coming in at the back end of this but if you need any guidance on the sports nutrition aspect and insight into the various carbohydrate compounds, uses, reasons for uses etc more than happy to give some input. I do need to mention I founded 32Gi but am also very qualified in nutrition, sports nutrition and physiology so will keep my distance from brand association. Based on what I read above in the thread I need to point out that whatever type of fuelling regime you embark on it needs to support the duration and intensity of the session you are doing. Short sessions less than 90min sitting in lower zones will not need much attention to fuelling at all only hydration, higher intensity sessions such as FTP tests, threshold pushes etc for these sessions you will benefit from fuelling correctly to aid performance and aid a better recovery. Longer sessions need more attention to energy and hydration and you always need to distinguish between the two meaning hourly caloric needs and then fluid requirements (hydration) based on weather, temperatures, humidity etc. A long low intensity Z1-Z2 effort again wont need much from a quick releasing carbohydrate perspective mainly due to the fact that you are sitting below aerobic threshold and you want to maximize fat oxidation so this can be done in two ways, firstly fasting in the first 60min of the session then introducing the carbohydrates in small frequent amounts or using a slow releaisng stability carb from the onset. It has been shown that during exercise regardless of carbohydrate ingestion inuslin is pretty much supprressed again this will depend on intensity of the session. Higher intensity sessions over longer perods of time so Z3 or higher efforts will require a higher carbohydrate demand and in this case a multi-transporter carbohydrate would be best to ensure a higher gastric empyting rate and lowered risk of GI distress as well as required energy system support. When going long 3-4hrs or longer I also advocate some protein intake as well in order to help with satiety, reduce the risks associated with muscle fatigue due to gluconeogenesis of muscle protein and overall feeling of stability. It tends to work very well. Most important for any fuelling solution you choose. Digestive comfort, palatability, convenience and the correct amount and type to support your effort should all be taken into account. I did see a mention of dietary fibre on one of the posts this should be avoided as it can lead to the onset of GI (gastrointestinal distress) and it plays no role in the energy system. Hope that helps, ride safe all M
