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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
→The Problem
==The Problem==
The general recommendation is to consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour as 8-16 oz drink every 10-15 minutes for optimum performance<ref> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2575187/ During exercise, CHO should be consumed at a rate of 30 – 60 grams of CHO/hour in a 6 – 8% CHO solution (8 – 16 fluid ounces) every 10 – 15 minutes.</ref>. More [[The Science of Energy Gels| recent evidence on carbohydrate metabolism]] has shown that up to 60 grams of glucose/[[Maltodextrin]] plus 40 grams of [[Fructose]] can be absorbed and metabolized per hour. There are problems getting this from sports drink in a marathon…
* Aid stations are not 10-15 minutes apart for most runners. If aid stations are 2 miles apart, then only the faster runners will move between them in under 15 minutes.
* It's hard to consume 8-16 oz of drink at each aid station, as each cup provides only ~4 oz, and it's hard to drink it all rather than wear it when running.
* Drinking 8-16 oz every 10-15 minutes under cool conditions can lead to the need to urinate, which impacts finishing time. I would not recommend this approach for hydration - see [[Practical Hydration]].
* I have rarely had a sports drink in a marathon that is well made up. Mostly it is too dilute, and occasionally very strong.
==Carbohydrates from Gels==
