Category: Guide

Training is only half the story — the other half happens afterwards. Recovery after training is when your body repairs muscle fibres, restores energy stores and comes back stronger. What and when you eat and drink after effort determines how fresh you’ll be for your next session. This guide explains how to speed up recovery after a race or hard training session.

Why recovery is half the progress

Progress isn’t the result of the training itself, but of the adaptation that follows. During recovery your body rebuilds spent glycogen, repairs micro-damage in the muscles and strengthens tissue. Without the right nutrition, the training effect shrinks and fatigue accumulates — eventually leading to stagnation or overtraining.

The recovery window

In the first 0–2 hours after effort, your body is most receptive to nutrients: muscles store glycogen and take up protein more efficiently. The window isn’t as narrow as once thought, but eating sooner is worthwhile — especially if your next session is soon.

Protein: how much and when

To rebuild muscle after effort, take in 20–40 g of high-quality protein (around 0.3 g per kg of body weight). Whey protein absorbs quickly and is ideal right after training — for example Recovery Protein. Through the day, top up with a daily protein.

Restoring glycogen with carbohydrate

Alongside protein, your body needs carbohydrate after effort to restore glycogen. If you have little time until the next effort, aim for 1–1.2 g carbs/kg per hour in the first hours and combine it with protein — the combination speeds up restocking.

Hydration and electrolytes after effort

Replace the fluid you lost. A rough guide: about 1.25–1.5 litres per kilogram of body weight lost, ideally with electrolytes, since sweat also costs you sodium and other minerals. Rehydration is an often-underrated part of recovery.

Overnight recovery

A large share of recovery happens during sleep. To supply muscles with amino acids through the night, a slow-digesting casein protein before bed is ideal — Night Protein feeds the body steadily overnight. Quality sleep is itself one of the most powerful recovery tools.

Amino acids and glutamine

Amino acids support repair and the immune system, often weakened after hard efforts. Amino Shot delivers a fast dose of amino acids, while L-glutamine further supports the natural recovery process.

A practical post-effort plan

• 0–30 min: a protein-and-carbohydrate drink (e.g. Recovery Protein) plus fluid with electrolytes.
• Within 2 hours: a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrate.
• Through the day: adequate hydration and regular protein.
• Before bed: a casein (night) protein.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein should I take after training?

Around 20–40 g of high-quality protein (0.3 g/kg of body weight), ideally in the first hours after effort.

Do I need to eat immediately after effort?

Not necessarily in the first minutes, but sooner is beneficial, especially if your next session follows soon.

Why casein before bed?

Casein digests slowly and feeds the muscles amino acids steadily overnight.

How much should I drink after effort?

About 1.25–1.5 litres of fluid per kilogram of body weight lost, with added electrolytes.

Support your recovery

Faster recovery means more quality training. Find everything for after effort in the Recovery category.

Related guides

• What to eat before a race
• Fuelling during endurance effort

General guidance; individual needs vary — test your strategy in training.

In long training sessions and races, performance often isn’t limited by your legs — it’s limited by your gut. Once glycogen stores run low, the decisive question becomes how much carbohydrate per hour you can take in and absorb. A good fuelling strategy during effort helps you hold your pace, avoid the sudden drop known as “the wall,” and reach the finish with something in reserve. This guide explains how many carbs you need per hour, why the glucose-to-fructose ratio matters, when to take a gel, and how to hydrate.

Why fuelling during effort matters

Your body stores carbohydrate as glycogen in the muscles and liver — but those stores only last around 60 to 90 minutes at intensity. Once they’re empty, blood sugar drops, your pace collapses and focus fades. Taking in carbohydrate during effort spares glycogen, keeps blood sugar stable and maintains power exactly when it matters most. The longer and harder the effort, the more decisive external fuel becomes.

How many carbs per hour?

Your needs rise with the duration of the effort. General guidelines:

For short but intense efforts, a sip of an energy gel can support focus even before stores are depleted. For multi-hour rides and long runs, regular high intake is key. These figures are a starting point — actual needs depend on body weight, intensity and how well you’ve trained your gut. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide on how many carbs per hour of endurance effort.

The glucose-to-fructose ratio

Why can’t you simply take in 120 g of pure glucose per hour? Because your gut can’t absorb it. Glucose is carried by the SGLT1 transporter, which saturates at around 60 g per hour. Take more and the excess sits in the gut, causing bloating and distress.

The answer is fructose, carried into the blood by a different transporter (GLUT5). Using both pathways at once, the body absorbs far more carbohydrate per hour — with less stomach stress. The classic ratio was 2:1 (glucose:fructose) for up to 90 g/hour; modern products with a higher fructose share, such as a 1:0.8 ratio, allow up to 120 g of carbs per hour.

That’s the ratio WINFORCE uses. For the highest intake, CHO Maxxx is built for up to 120 g/hour; for a steady supply, Fast Energy and Carbo Basic Plus work well.

When and how often to take a gel

The most common mistake is waiting too long. Start fuelling early — within the first 20 to 30 minutes, not once you feel hunger or a drop in power. Once you hit the wall, a gel won’t fix it on the move.

Spread your fuel across regular, smaller doses: for example one gel every 30 to 45 minutes, with occasional sips of a carbohydrate drink in between. Take classic (non-isotonic) gels with some water; isotonic gels and drinks can be taken without.

For the final third of the effort, a caffeine energy gel adds an extra lift and sharpness.

Hydration and electrolytes during effort

Fuel doesn’t work without fluid. During effort you lose water and electrolytes (mainly sodium) through sweat. Aim for roughly 400–800 ml of fluid per hour, depending on heat, intensity and your sweat rate. Even a 2% drop in body weight from dehydration noticeably reduces performance.

For efforts longer than one to two hours, or in the heat, add electrolytes. Isotone supplies carbohydrate, minerals and fluid at once, Hydro Energy offers clean liquid energy, and Pure Electrolytes quickly replaces lost minerals.

Training your gut

Your gut’s ability to absorb carbohydrate isn’t fixed — it’s trainable. Practising your planned race fuelling in training increases transporter efficiency and helps you tolerate higher intake with fewer stomach problems. The golden rule: never try new fuel for the first time on race day.

A practical fuelling plan by duration

• ~1 hour, intense: 0–30 g carbs (a gel if the pace is high) plus sips.
• ~2 hours: ~60 g/hour (gel + carbohydrate drink), 500–700 ml fluid/hour.
• ~3 hours: 60–90 g/hour, add electrolytes.
• 5 hours+ / ultra: 80–120 g/hour (e.g. CHO Maxxx), regular electrolytes, caffeine in the final third.

Frequently asked questions

How many carbs per hour do I need for cycling or running?

For efforts up to 2.5 hours, typically 30–60 g/hour; for longer efforts 60–90 g/hour; and up to 120 g/hour on very long efforts with a trained gut.

Can I really take in 120 g of carbs per hour?

Yes, but only with a glucose-and-fructose mix (e.g. a 1:0.8 ratio) and a gut trained in advance. With pure glucose the limit is around 60 g/hour.

Should I take a gel with water?

Take classic gels with a little water for easier absorption; isotonic gels and drinks can be taken without extra water.

When should I use a caffeine gel?

Best in the final third of the effort or when focus drops.

Build your fuelling strategy

Start early, aim for 60–90 g of carbs per hour (up to 120 g on the longest efforts), use a glucose-to-fructose mix, and don’t forget electrolytes. Find everything for during effort in the Energy & Hydration category.

Related guides

• What to eat before a race
• Recovery after endurance effort

General guidance; individual needs vary — test your strategy in training.

A good race doesn’t start at the gun — it starts days earlier, in the kitchen. What you eat before a race or a hard training session determines how full your energy stores are and how steadily you can hold your pace. The wrong or mistimed meal can cost you power in the very first hour. This guide covers pre-effort nutrition step by step: from carbohydrate loading a few days out to the last bite before the start.

Why pre-race nutrition matters

The goal is simple: fill the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver as fully as possible, and keep blood sugar stable at the start. A full tank lets you hold high intensity longer before you have to rely on fuel taken during the effort. Empty stores mean an early drop in power — no matter how well you’ve trained.

Carbohydrate loading

For efforts longer than about 90 minutes, carbohydrate loading pays off. In the one to three days before a race, raise the carbohydrate share of your diet (roughly 8–10 g per kilogram of body weight per day) while easing off training volume. Your muscles then store more glycogen than usual.

In practice: more rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, oats and fruit — and less fatty, high-fibre food that slows loading. A well-tolerated carbohydrate drink is a convenient way to top up carbs.

The meal 3–4 hours before the start

Eat your last large meal 3 to 4 hours before the effort. Make it rich in carbohydrates (about 1–3 g/kg), moderate in protein, and low in fat and fibre, which slow digestion and can cause trouble mid-effort. Examples: oatmeal with banana, white bread with honey, rice or pasta with a light sauce.

The golden rule: never try anything new on race day. Test every pre-race meal in training first so you know how your stomach handles it.

The final top-up 30–60 minutes before

Just before the effort, take a small, fast-acting dose of carbohydrate — around 30 g as an energy gel, a banana, or a sip of carbohydrate drink. This tops up liver glycogen and lifts blood sugar right before the start.

Some athletes are sensitive to sugar taken 15–45 minutes before the start (a rebound drop in blood sugar). If that’s you, take the final gel right at the start or in the first minutes of the effort.

Hydration before the effort

Arrive well hydrated. Drink steadily in the hours before — roughly 400–600 ml two to three hours out, then another 150–300 ml in the last 15 minutes. In heat or before a long effort, add electrolytes or choose an isotonic drink that supplies minerals and carbohydrates together.

What to avoid

• Fatty, fried or very high-fibre food right before the effort.
• New products or foods you haven’t tested in training.
• An oversized final meal — smaller and earlier is better.
• Too much caffeine if you’re not used to it.

A practical pre-race timeline

• 1–3 days out: carbohydrate loading, reduced training.
• The night before: a familiar, carb-rich meal and plenty of fluid.
• 3–4 hours out: the last big meal (high carb, low fat and fibre).
• 60–90 min out: finish hydrating.
• 15–30 min out: ~30 g of fast carbs (gel or drink).

Frequently asked questions

How long before a race should I eat my last meal?

Your last large meal 3–4 hours before, then if needed a small, fast-acting dose of carbohydrate 30–60 minutes before the start.

Is carbohydrate loading really necessary?

For efforts longer than about 90 minutes, yes — full glycogen stores delay fatigue. For short efforts it isn’t needed.

What should I eat if I have a sensitive stomach?

Choose familiar, low-fibre, low-fat food such as white bread, rice or a banana, and test everything in training.

Can I drink coffee before a race?

If you’re used to caffeine, a moderate amount can improve performance. Don’t overdo it, and don’t try it for the first time on race day.

Build your pre-race strategy

A full tank and stable blood sugar are the foundation of a good race. Find everything for before and during effort in the Energy & Hydration category.

Related guides

• Fuelling during endurance effort
• Recovery after endurance effort

General guidance; individual needs vary — test your strategy in training.