About this episode

The episode discusses the role of carbohydrates in endurance sports and challenges traditional fueling strategies.

In this episode of The Athletes Compass , Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen unpack the current high-carb fueling trend in elite endurance sport, sparked by reports of top marathoners consuming 100–120 grams of carbohydrate per hour. The conversation challenges the traditional idea that carb intake primarily boosts performance by sparing muscle glycogen, instead highlighting emerging research suggesting that even small amounts of carbohydrate may work mainly by protecting blood glucose and preventing hypoglycemia. They explore whether high-frequency carb dosing may act more like a brain signal or “performance unlock,” why everyday athletes should be cautious about copying elite fueling strategies, and why training fundamentals still matter far more than gels, shoes, or marginal gains. Key Takeaways Carbohydrates do improve endurance performance compared with placebo, but the mechanism may not be simple “more fuel equals more speed.” Emerging research discussed in the episode suggests that preventing low blood sugar may be more important than sparing muscle glycogen. Very high carb intakes, such as 90–120g per hour, are being used by some elite marathoners, cyclists, and…

People in this episode

Host: Paul Warloski

Guest: Dr. Paul Laursen

Topics covered

• carbohydrates
• endurance performance
• elite athletes
• fueling strategies
• blood glucose
• glycogen

Keywords

• carbohydrates
• endurance
• performance
• glycogen
• blood glucose
• elite athletes
• fueling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Athletes Compass

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Athlete's Compass podcast page.