Three key windows: before the start, on the bike, and the first 30 minutes after. Carb type and concrete numbers.
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Most amateurs know they need to eat on the bike. Most do not know WHEN and HOW MUCH within specific time windows. That is the difference between «finishing» and «racing in».
Dylan Johnson pulls together the 2020s scientific consensus on carbohydrate timing in this video and distils it into practical rules you can apply this weekend.
Смотреть на YouTubeCarbohydrate timing for cyclists — Dylan JohnsonThe primary window is the first 30 minutes of the ride. Miss it, and your hourly intake drops by 30% by hour three. The second window is the final 60 minutes before the finish on long rides: fast carbs (maltodextrin, glucose) carry through. The third is the first 30 minutes after the ride — the recovery window.
A carb meal 2–3 hours before riding peaks glycogen at the start line. Standard portion: 1–2 g carbohydrate per kg body weight. For a 75 kg rider, 75–150 g — oatmeal with banana and honey, or white rice with chicken.
What not to do: a carb meal 30–60 minutes before the start. That triggers reactive hypoglycemia in the first hour. If you are riding early morning with no time, going out without a meal beats a «quick breakfast» eaten too close to the gun.
The amateur's classic mistake: start eating only when you feel tired. By the time you feel tired, digestion has slowed and calories arrive too late to matter.
Rule: first gel or bar between 15 and 25 minutes after the start. Steady intake every 30 minutes after that. It is boring and demands discipline — and it works.
Not all carbs are equal:
The strategy: first two hours — gels and isotonic mix (fast transport). After hour two — shift to real food (banana, sandwich, gel with protein).
The paradox: by hour four, most amateurs reduce intake («can't take any more, feeling nauseous»). That is exactly wrong. These hours burn glycogen fastest, and underfuelling the final 30 km turns the ride into suffering.
Strategy: 80–100 g carbs in the final hour through gentle gels or high-concentration isotonic mix. Solid food often won't go down — switch to liquid carries.
The best nutrition strategy is the one you actually execute. The perfect plan does not work if it needs a calculator every minute.
Glycogen replenishment rate in the first 30 minutes after intense riding is roughly double any other time of day. Use the window: 1 g carbs per kg body weight + 0.3 g protein per kg.
For a 75 kg rider: 75 g carbs + 22 g protein. That is a recovery shake plus a banana, or half a pizza with a salad. It is not a rule — it is a scientific consensus, and the window is real.
In Russia almost every major sports nutrition brand is available through sports shops and marketplaces. But Russian alternatives (Geon, Wnest, SportFood) are cheaper and chemically equivalent. The main thing is to check ingredients for pure maltodextrin or glucose+fructose blends. Skip the «detox blends with aloe» from sport supplements — they do nothing for endurance.
Once timing is dialled, fit it to your FTP and pacing. Our «Carbs per hour» guide gives a calculator that outputs grams under your specific parameters. And don't forget: timing is half the equation — total carbs across the whole ride is the other half.
Based on a Dylan Johnson Cycling video. Original: see channel @dylanjohnsoncycling. All rights to the original content belong to the channel author.
