#Fueling
Articles tagged #Fueling on Vitalspell.
How Many Carbs Do Runners Actually Need in 2026
A new review in Endocrine Reviews argues runners only need 10 grams of carbs per hour during long efforts, challenging decades of sports nutrition guidelines. Five experts weigh in on what the evidence actually says and what everyday runners should do.
Too Many Endurance Athletes Are Racing on Too Few Carbs, Study Finds
A 2025 study found non-elite endurance athletes consume roughly 20 percent fewer carbohydrates on race day than planned, with marathoners averaging just 22 grams per hour against guidelines of 60 to 90.
What Runners Get Wrong About Race-Day Fueling
Most runners under-fuel, mistime their intake, or ignore carbohydrate type on race day. Research on 250-plus London Marathon runners and studies on pre-race timing and multiple transportable carbohydrates show how much performance is left on the table when fueling goes wrong.
Marathoners consume 16 percent fewer carbs than they think during races
A 2025 study in the European Journal of Sport Science found that marathon runners take in 16 percent less carbohydrate during races than they plan to, and overestimate how much they have consumed. The shortfall is driven by gel wastage, poor sleep, and pre-race anxiety, but there is an easy fix.