Author(s): COOPER-SMITH, N., HARRIS, C.T., ARRELL, A., SUTTON, E., HUNT, L., SHEPHERD, S.O., Institution: PRECISION FUEL & HYDRATION, Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Abstract-ID: 1067

INTRODUCTION:
Current endurance nutrition guidelines recommend athletes consume 60-90 g.h-1 of carbohydrate during prolonged exercise, with emerging evidence supporting higher intakes (>90 g.h-1). The aim of the current study was to characterise carbohydrate consumption practices during middle and long distance triathlon competitions relative to current recommendations, and to examine differences by race segment (cycling and running), sex and competition level.
METHODS:
Race-day carbohydrate intake data were retrospectively collected from triathletes competing in middle distance and long distance events (n = 524; males n = 244, females n = 280; professionals n = 357, amateurs n = 167). Intakes were collected post-event via standardised recall and analysed as absolute values (g.h-1) for overall, bike and run segments. Independent t-tests compared intake between groups; mixed ANOVAs examined segment (bike vs run) interactions with sex, competition level, and distance.
RESULTS:
Across the races, mean carbohydrate intake was 84 +/- 22 g.h-1 (range: 21-147 g.h-1). Half of the athletes (52%) consumed carbohydrate within the guidelines (60-90 g.h-1), with 35% exceeded 90 g.h-1, and 13% consumed <60 g.h-1. Males had higher intakes than females in long (90 +/- 21 vs 74 +/- 20 g.h-1; p<0.001) and middle distance races (94 +/- 21 vs 77 +/- 19 g.h-1; p<0.001). Carbohydrate intake in professionals exceeded that of amateurs in full distance (90 +/- 18 vs 72 +/- 21 g.h-1; p<0.001) but not middle distance (p>0.05). The prevalence of exceeding 90 g.h-1 was higher in males (52%) than females (20%), and greater in professionals (40%) than amateurs (23%). Amateur females showed the highest prevalence of not meeting the baseline recommendations (<60 g.h-1) (39%). Mixed ANOVAs revealed intake was higher during cycling (101 +/- 26 g.h-1) than running (69 +/- 30 g.h-1, p<0.001). Significant segment x distance (p<0.001) and segment x level (p<0.05) interactions showed middle distance amateurs and professionals had larger bike-to-run reductions in carbohydrate intake (36 and 34 g.h-1, respectively) compared to full distance professionals and amateurs (26 and 27 g.h-1, respectively).
CONCLUSION:
During middle and long distance triathlons, real-world carbohydrate intake displays substantial variability, with over one-third of athletes exceeding the current carbohydrate recommendations, particularly males and professionals, alongside persistent underfuelling in amateur females. Marked reductions in carbohydrate intake from cycling to running further underscore segment-specific fuelling constraints unique to triathlon. Together, these findings highlight a misalignment between current carbohydrate intake guidelines and observed race-day practices. This supports the need to re-evaluate recommendations to better reflect sex, competition level, and segment-specific demands to facilitate individualised fuelling strategies.