Sports
Marathon Carbs: Strategies and Energy Gel Challenges
Athletes discuss intake frequency, beating late-race nausea, and training the gut for energy gels.
Carbohydrate fueling during a marathon requires testing and adaptation to prevent bonking and nausea. Discover how marathoners fine-tune their timing for energy gels, electrolytes, and liquid carbs.
Carbohydrate consumption during a marathon is a critical factor in sustaining pace and delaying fatigue, but finding the right strategy requires constant individual fine-tuning. On episode #269 of the Stemma Podcast, marathoners Júnior Double and Ed Silva shared their real-world experiences with supplementation routines, fueling intervals, and the gastrointestinal distress common in the final stretch of the 26.2-mile race.
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Nausea and Intake Frequency Challenges
To maintain a steady energy supply throughout the race, the most common strategy involves taking supplements every 20 to 30 minutes. However, accumulating gel packets over hours of running often overloads the digestive system. It is common for runners to experience nausea and flavor fatigue past mile 18 (kilometer 30) or after their fifth gel, making continued fueling difficult. Practical workarounds include sipping a single gel slowly over several minutes or relying on pre-planned liquid carbohydrate solutions when aid stations or personal support crews are available along the course.
Biological Individuality and Gut Training
Metabolic differences between runners also call for distinct fueling strategies. For conditions such as insulin resistance, runners must be especially cautious to prevent sharp energy spikes and crashes—scenarios where salt capsules and electrolyte tablets become essential for hydration and mineral balance. At the same time, maintaining a fast pace requires carbohydrates, making gut training during long runs indispensable to accustom the digestive system to processing higher volumes of gel without stomach distress.
Daily Nutritional Foundations
Daily dietary habits also influence energy availability during competition. Runners who naturally follow carbohydrate-rich diets, such as vegetarian regimens, maintain higher baseline glycogen stores. Regardless of the chosen fueling source—whether gels, drink mixes, or chews—the overarching takeaway from both athletes is the need to carefully design and test every protocol well before race day, leaving nothing to chance.
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