Role of carbohydrates during the competition
Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for endurance trials. An athlete may try to fill up his reserves to the maximum before the competition, but storage capacities in the muscles and liver are limited. In competitions lasting more than one hour, participants therefore have to rely on a regular intake of carbohydrate.
How many carbohydrates per hour?
For each hour of sport, you should plan for approx. 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight. For an athlete weighting 60 kg, this corresponds to approx. 72 g per hour.
Supplements for an increased carb. requirement
Drinks
Drinks contain approx. 50-70 g of carbohydrates per liter. If you drink approx. 0.8 liter per hour (1 Sponser bottle) of Sponser Isotonic you will obtain approx. 56 g of carbohydrate. An extra carbohydrate supplement in the form of a bar or practical Liquid Gels would therefore be appropriate for the person in the above example.
Bars
Bars supply approx. 30 g of carbohydrate each. They offer an alternative source of energy in disciplines with low stomach stress.
Carbohydrate gels
Carbohydrate gels supply approx. 53 g of carbohydrate per tube (70 g). The tubes must be used as appropriate to the drink!
More hints and tips
A sport drink has to taste nice! But many sportspeople often feel that the sport drinks they use are too sweet, too artificial or too bitter. This means that they take an insufficient dose of their drink, which can promptly trigger an energy deficit.
'Competition' is a mildly flavored, pH-neutral sports drink based on eight different sources of carbohydrate. Its dosage varies according to individual requirements. The benefit is that this drink is still hypotonic even in a dose of 100g per liter, and its good tolerance makes it ideal for use during intensive exertion or while running.
In long-term endurance competitions such as bike marathons, gigathlons and other similar events, an adequate supply of carbohydrates is crucial. This makes it important to keep exactly to the quantity to be drunk and the dosage. If you want to enrich your drink with even more energy, you have a choice of two supplements:
 | Sports drink with very low osmolarity, without acid, unflavored, but enriched with important electrolytes. Basis for producing a sport drink of your own with an individual taste. The very varied sugar spectrum means that the body can already be supplied with sufficient carbohydrates by this drink. | |
 | Maltodextrin is a pure, tasteless carbohydrate powder based on cornstarch; it is very suitable for enriching drinks. Depending on the carbohydrate content you want for your drink, you add the corresponding amount of Maltodextrin to it. |