The FTP Fuelling Cheat Sheet: 60–90g Per Hour, On One Page

The numbers that stop the bonk

Your body stores roughly 90 minutes of glycogen at race pace. Fuelling replaces what you burn before the tank hits empty. The targets:

Session length Carbs per hour What that means
Under 60 min 0–30g Water or electrolytes only — you have the glycogen
1–2 hours 30–60g Start fuelling at minute 20, not when you feel it
2–3 hours 60–90g 1:1 glucose:fructose lets you absorb past 60g/hr
3+ hours 80–90g Train your gut in the weeks before — see below

What 60g/hr actually looks like

  • One FTP taster pack per hour — each pack is 60g of carbohydrate. Set a timer: 3–4 pastilles every 15–20 minutes. No gagging on gels, no sticky wrappers.
  • Or split it: half a pack (30g) + one bottle of Power Fluids per hour — fuel and fluids in the same 500–750ml.
  • Heat rule: when it's above 20°C or you're a heavy sweater, add electrolytes to every second bottle.

Race-day templates

2-hour ride or long run (60g/hr)

0:20 — first 3 pastilles · then 3–4 pastilles every 15–20 min · 500–750ml fluid per hour. Total: 2 taster packs or ~120g from a 1kg bag.

Marathon (75g/hr for 3:30–4:30 finishers)

Fuel from the first drinks station. 4 pastilles every 15 min, alternate water and electrolytes. Total: ~250g — pre-portion into two pouches, one for each half.

Century ride / 100 miles (80–90g/hr)

Bottles do the heavy lifting: Power Fluids in both bottles (~40g each) + 4–5 pastilles per hour between refills. Refill at the halfway stop. Total: ~450–500g for a 5–6 hour day.

Gut training: the part everyone skips

  • Practise your race-day fuel rate on your two longest weekly sessions, starting 6 weeks out.
  • Build up: 60g/hr for two weeks → 75g/hr for two weeks → 90g/hr race simulation.
  • Never introduce new fuel on race day. Same brand, same doses, same timing you trained with.

Every number above is the protocol we fuel with ourselves — the same 1:1 glucose:fructose ratio in every FTP pastille and every scoop of Power Fluids.