Bicarb Gels Mid-Ride Added 12 W Late in a 3-Hour Cycling Test
What if the best time to take bicarbonate isn't before the race, but during it? A new randomized crossover trial in 11 trained cyclists tested bicarbonate-plus-carb gels across 3 hours of riding. In the fatigued state afterward, 12-minute time-trial power was 12 W higher than with carbs alone, and stomach symptoms didn't differ. But sprints and 2-minute efforts showed no significant gain, the sample was tiny, and the products came from MNSTRY. Here's what the numbers really say.
100 g Carbs an Hour Kept Cyclists Faster—And Glycogen Wasn't Why
Four hours into a hard ride, cyclists who fueled with 100 g of carbs per hour lost less power than those who took 60 g. The surprise is that their muscle glycogen ended up about the same. This randomized, double-blind crossover study of 15 trained men points to something beyond glycogen sparing. We break down the numbers, the 1:0.8 glucose:fructose protocol, and how to apply it. We also cover who should skip it and why the small, male-only sample matters.