{"id":647,"date":"2025-03-04T14:54:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T14:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/?p=647"},"modified":"2025-03-04T14:54:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T14:54:51","slug":"fuelling-for-a-road-or-xc-mtb-race-what-to-eat-and-when-%f0%9f%9a%b4%e2%99%82%ef%b8%8f%f0%9f%92%a5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/2025\/03\/04\/fuelling-for-a-road-or-xc-mtb-race-what-to-eat-and-when-%f0%9f%9a%b4%e2%99%82%ef%b8%8f%f0%9f%92%a5\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuelling for a Road or XC MTB Race: What to Eat and When \ud83d\udeb4\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\ud83d\udca5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever hit the dreaded bonk<\/strong> mid-race? You know, when your legs turn to jelly, your brain feels like it’s lagging, and every climb suddenly looks like Everest? \ud83d\ude35 Yeah, we\u2019ve all been there. The secret to avoiding the wall<\/strong>? Proper fuelling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re hammering the tarmac in a road race<\/strong> or charging through the mud on your XC mountain bike<\/strong>, what you eat and drink matters<\/strong>. Here\u2019s a simple fuelling strategy<\/strong> featuring products from Maurten, Science in Sport, Clif Bar, OTE and Precision Fuel & Hydration<\/strong> \u2013 trusted by pros and weekend warriors alike!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Before the Race: Start with a Full Tank \u26fd<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pre-race nutrition is all about maxing out your energy stores (glycogen) and getting hydration spot on<\/strong>. That way, you hit the start line feeling fresh, not flat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to eat & drink before a race:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2705 Maurten Drink Mix 320<\/strong> \u2013 80g of carbs in an easy-to-digest liquid. No gut issues, just pure fuel.
\u2705 SiS Beta Fuel Drink<\/strong> \u2013 Similar to Maurten, a high-carb drink that won\u2019t sit heavy<\/strong>.
\u2705 Clif Bar<\/strong> \u2013 If you prefer solid food, these are a great mix of slow- and fast-release carbs<\/strong>.
\u2705 OTE Super Carbs<\/strong> \u2013 A liquid alternative<\/strong> to solid food, packing 80g of carbs per serving.
\u2705 Precision Fuel & Hydration 1500 Electrolyte Drink<\/strong> \u2013 Hydration matters too!<\/strong> Especially in warm weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Timing is key!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u23f3 3\u20134 hours before<\/strong>: Have a proper meal \u2013 oats, toast & jam, rice & eggs, etc.
\u23f3 60\u201390 mins before<\/strong>: Top up<\/strong> with a Clif Bar or a high-carb drink<\/strong>.
\u23f3 30\u201345 mins before<\/strong>: Sip on electrolytes<\/strong> (Precision Fuel, SiS GO Electrolyte) so you don\u2019t start dehydrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

During the Race: Keep the Engine Running \ud83d\udd25<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your body only has so much stored energy \u2013 so you need to keep feeding it<\/strong> throughout the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much do you need?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udeb4 Road race (2\u20135 hours)<\/strong>: 60\u201390g of carbs per hour<\/strong>
\ud83d\udeb5 XC MTB race (60\u2013120 mins)<\/strong>: 40\u201380g of carbs per hour<\/strong> (shorter race, but high intensity!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best race fuel options:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd39 Maurten Gel 100 \/ 160<\/strong> \u2013 No added nonsense, just energy.<\/strong> Smooth texture, no gut issues.
\ud83d\udd39 SiS Beta Fuel Gel or Drink<\/strong> \u2013 40\u201380g carbs per serving<\/strong> \u2013 a serious performance booster!
\ud83d\udd39 Clif Bloks<\/strong> \u2013 Chewy, easy to eat mid-ride<\/strong>, and 8g carbs per block.
\ud83d\udd39 OTE Energy Gel<\/strong> \u2013 20g of carbs per gel, light on the stomach<\/strong>.
\ud83d\udd39 Precision Fuel 30\/90 Gels<\/strong> \u2013 Fewer intakes, more fuel.<\/strong> 30g or 90g options!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When to eat & drink during the race:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u23f3 Every 20\u201330 mins<\/strong> \u2192 Take a gel, Clif Bloks, or carb drink<\/strong>.
\u23f3 Every 10\u201315 mins<\/strong> \u2192 Sip your bottle \u2013 ideally with carbs + electrolytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca7 Hydration tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • If it\u2019s hot<\/strong>, use Precision Hydration 1000 or 1500<\/strong> for extra sodium<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • SiS GO Electrolyte or OTE Hydro Tabs<\/strong> work well in milder conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    After the Race: Recover Right \ud83d\udd04<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You\u2019ve smashed it, but don\u2019t slack on recovery. A quick hit of protein + carbs<\/strong> will kickstart muscle repair and prevent sluggish legs tomorrow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Best post-race recovery fuel:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83e\udd64 OTE Recovery Drink<\/strong> \u2013 25g protein + carbs, easy to digest.
    \ud83e\udd64 Science in Sport Rego Recovery<\/strong> \u2013 Carbs + protein to rebuild muscles fast<\/strong>.
    \ud83c\udf6b Clif Builder\u2019s Bar<\/strong> \u2013 Tasty and packed with protein & carbs<\/strong>.
    \ud83e\udd5b Precision Fuel Recovery<\/strong> \u2013 Whey protein + carbs<\/strong> for rapid recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udeb0 Keep sipping on electrolytes<\/strong> if you sweated buckets!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Fuelling Like a Pro: Key Takeaways \ud83c\udfc1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u2714 Pre-load carbs & electrolytes<\/strong> so you start strong<\/strong>.
    \u2714 Hit 60\u201390g carbs per hour<\/strong> during the race.
    \u2714 Stay hydrated<\/strong> \u2013 don\u2019t let dehydration ruin your performance<\/strong>.
    \u2714 Recover properly<\/strong> \u2013 protein + carbs ASAP after finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udd25 Pro Tip:<\/strong> Train your gut!<\/strong> Practice your fuelling in training so your stomach is ready for race day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now go smash that race! \ud83d\udeb4\ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Ever hit the dreaded bonk mid-race? You know, when your legs turn to jelly, your brain feels like it’s lagging, and every climb suddenly looks like Everest? \ud83d\ude35 Yeah, we\u2019ve all been there. The secret to avoiding the wall? Proper fuelling. Whether you\u2019re hammering the tarmac in a road race or charging through the mud<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[34,58,55,56,60,61,57,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hints-tips-and-how-tos","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-maurten","10":"tag-mtb","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-ote","13":"tag-precision-fuel","14":"tag-road-race","15":"tag-sis"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/213\/2025\/03\/Fuelling-Facebook-Post.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Cycle 360","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/author\/cycle360\/"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/224"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=647"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":666,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647\/revisions\/666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.citrus-lime.com\/cyts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}