Confluence Running · Nutrition education
For a super-sprint or sprint triathlon, use total race duration and safe intake opportunities.
Evidence → explanation → your plan
During prolonged exercise, carbohydrate intake helps maintain blood glucose and carbohydrate use. Gels, chews, maple syrup, and drink mixes are delivery formats. The serving and tolerated intake matter more than the format alone.
Read the evidence ↗Glucose-type carbohydrate and fructose use different intestinal transport pathways. Blends help support higher carbohydrate intakes in prolonged exercise. Higher numbers still need a trained, comfortable gut.
Read the evidence ↗Use a familiar carbohydrate-rich meal or snack. Finish eating and drinking with enough time to feel comfortable at swim start. Avoid trying a new gel or supplement in the start area.
Use the race-week and breakfast guide to rehearse your meal timing.
For a race under about an hour, a structured gel schedule is usually unnecessary if you start fed. A hard 45–75 minute event sometimes benefits from a small carbohydrate amount. For races extending beyond about 75–90 minutes, a practiced 30–60 g per hour approach becomes more relevant. Use the bike for safe intake.
For a 90-minute sprint triathlon, two 25 g carbohydrate gels across the bike and early run provide 50 g total, averaging about 33 g per hour over the race. Take them only where you are settled and safe. An athlete finishing much sooner needs a different plan.
Eat a carbohydrate and protein snack or meal after the race and prepare for the trip home. See recovery nutrition.
Practice breakfast before open-water training or a pool session. Rehearse opening your chosen fuel while stopped or in a safe training setting, then test the bike-to-run transition.
Maurten | Gel 100 | Sports NutritionCheck the selected flavor, serving size, caffeine, ingredients, and live availability.
GU | Liquid Energy | 1.7 ozCheck the selected flavor, serving size, caffeine, ingredients, and live availability.
GU | Energy Chews | 2.12 ozCheck the selected flavor, serving size, caffeine, ingredients, and live availability.
