A Practical Guide to Consuming 120g of Carbohydrates Per Hour While Cycling

Why 120g? The Scientific Background

Research published in 2022 by Professor Asker Jeukendrup’s team overturned the long-held belief that the body can absorb at most 60-90g of carbohydrates per hour. By using a glucose-to-fructose ratio of 1:0.8, the body can bypass the limitations of a single carbohydrate transporter (SGLT1), simultaneously utilising both the SGLT1 (glucose) and GLUT5 (fructose) pathways to push carbohydrate oxidation rates to 120g per hour or even higher.

This is not just a secret weapon for professional teams—squads such as Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma (now Visma-Lease a Bike) have made this strategy standard operating procedure. For amateur riders, mastering high carbohydrate intake can also deliver significant performance gains and delayed fatigue on long-distance rides.

Gut Training: Your Stomach Needs “Practice”

Why Training Is Necessary

The gut’s capacity to absorb carbohydrates is not fixed. Research shows that sustained exposure to high carbohydrate intake can upregulate the expression of intestinal transporters (Cox et al., 2010, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise). An untrained gut suddenly hit with 120g/hr of carbohydrates will almost inevitably suffer from bloating, nausea, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal distress.

Eight-Week Progressive Plan

Key principles: Increase by no more than 15-20g at a time, and test at lower intensity first. During high-intensity efforts, gastrointestinal blood flow decreases and absorption capacity drops, so adapting at Zone 2 intensity first is a wise approach.

Product Combination Strategies: Gels + Drinks + Solid Food

The Golden Combination Formula (Per Hour)

Reaching 120g/hr is nearly impossible with a single form of fuel; you need a multi-source mixing strategy:

Option A: High-Intensity Race Day

• High-concentration carbohydrate drink (750ml bottle, containing 80g carbs) × 1 bottle/hr
• Energy gels (containing 25-30g carbs) × 1-2 sachets/hr
• Total: 105-140g/hr

Option B: Long-Distance Training Ride

• Medium-concentration carbohydrate drink (500ml, containing 40g carbs) × 1 bottle/hr
• Energy gel × 1 sachet (25g)/hr
• Rice ball or energy bar (30-40g carbs) × 1/hr
• Total: 95-105g/hr

Option C: Taiwan Convenience Store Fuel-Up Plan

• Onigiri rice ball (approx. 40g carbs) × 1
• Sports drink FIN or舒跑 (approx. 30g carbs/bottle) × 1 bottle
• Banana (approx. 27g carbs) × 1
• Jelly drink (approx. 25g carbs) × 1 pack
• Total: approx. 122g/hr

Recommended Products (Available in Taiwan)

Practical Points for the Progressive Increment Strategy

1. Set Alarm Reminders

Set reminders on your bike computer every 15-20 minutes. Splitting your hourly intake into 3-4 smaller doses is far easier on the stomach than one large feeding.

2. Watch Osmolality

Drinks with excessively high carbohydrate concentrations (>8%) slow gastric emptying. Keep drink concentration at 6-10%, meaning 6-10g of carbs per 100ml of water. If using a high-concentration drink (such as Maurten 320 = 10.7%), alternate with plain water.

3. Temperature Considerations

In Taiwan’s hot summer conditions, gastrointestinal blood flow is further reduced due to thermoregulation demands. In hot weather, lower your target by 10-15% to 100-105g/hr, and increase the proportion of liquid carbohydrates to simultaneously support hydration.

4. Record Your Gut Reactions

After each training session, log: intake amount, product combination, intensity, temperature, and gut response (1-10 scale). This personal database will prove invaluable when planning race-day strategy.

Common Mistakes and Solutions

Mistake 1: Trying high carbohydrate intake for the first time on race day
→ Begin gut training at least 4 weeks before the event

Mistake 2: Relying only on gels to hit the target
→ 5 gels/hr is nearly impossible to stomach; mixing formats is key

Mistake 3: Ignoring the fructose ratio
→ Ensure products list fructose on the label; pure maltodextrin products cannot exceed the 60g/hr absorption ceiling

Mistake 4: Dehydration reducing absorption
→ Carbohydrate absorption requires water; ensure at least 500-750ml of fluid per hour

Conclusion

120g of carbohydrates per hour is not a magic number, but a target that requires systematic training to achieve. Start at 60g, spend 6-8 weeks letting your gut adapt, choose products with the correct glucose-to-fructose ratio, and test repeatedly in training. Once your body can steadily absorb this amount of carbohydrate, you’ll find that the second half of long-distance rides is no longer a painful struggle, but a steady output backed by continuous energy supply.

References: Jeukendrup, A.E. (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition. Sports Medicine; Cox, G.R. et al. (2010). Daily training with high carbohydrate availability increases exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during endurance cycling. Journal of Applied Physiology.

Related Reading

• Decoding Pro Riders’ 120g-Per-Hour Carbohydrate Strategy: The Latest Sports Nutrition Science
• Fueling Strategies for Long-Distance Rides: How Many Carbohydrates Should You Eat Per Hour?
• The High-Fuel Era of 90-120g Carbs Per Hour: Glucose and Fructose Dual Pathways, Gut Training, and Who Really Needs It
• Downing 120g of Carbs Per Hour? Decoding the Tour de France Riders’ Energy Fueling Tech