Pedal, Drink, Eat, Repeat: Do Amateurs Need Pro-Level Fuelling?

Words and Photography by James Ion

There is a quiet revolution happening in endurance sport, and it doesn’t sound like carbon rims or aero spokes. It sounds like wrappers, soft flasks, and the soft rattle of chews in a jersey pocket. The new arms race is sugar.

On one side, the classic guideline: about 60 g of carbohydrate per hour to keep a “normal” endurance athlete ticking over. On the other hand, riders like Cameron Jones, winner of Unbound 200, are pouring in something close to 195–200 g of carbs per hour for nearly nine hours – an “eating competition” masquerading as a bike race[8][2][10][1].

Between those two numbers lies the real question: how much do we actually need, and what happens if an amateur rides like a WorldTour buffet on wheels?

I, James Ion, our fearless editor, am going to find out – the hard way. No meticulous gut training. No multi-week build-up. Just a long ride, a pile of Precision Fuel & Hydration products, and a determination to see what happens when a “normal” body tries to swallow a pro-level fuelling strategy. I am doing it for science, so you don’t have to.

The Old Gospel: 60 Grams per Hour

For years, endurance athletes were told a fairly simple story: 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour will see you right on long rides[1].

Precision Fuel & Hydration (PF&H) frame it like this:

• For efforts of 1–2 hours, 30–60 g/h improves performance, with the higher end for harder, fitter athletes[1].

• For efforts over 2 hours, most guidelines move toward 60–90 g/h, assuming you start well-fueled and race hard[1].

This 60 g/h figure became a kind of cultural average – enough to “get round,” enough to avoid the worst bonks, and simple enough to remember. For most amateurs doing fondos, training rides, and even, god forbid, marathons at a moderate intensity, 60 g/h is still a meaningful, workable baseline.

But performance sport rarely settles for “baseline.”

The New Frontier: 90–120 Grams per Hour… and Beyond

As PF&H point out, once rides stretch beyond two hours and intensity remains high, the relationship between more carbs and better performance looks almost linear – until the gut pushes back[1].

Key points from current evidence:

• 60–90 g/h is now widely recommended for events over 2 hours when performance matters[1].

• With multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose + fructose mixes), athletes can often absorb and oxidise up to 90–120 g/h[19][23][25][27].

• A randomised trial in elite runners showed that 120 g/h during a mountain marathon reduced muscle damage markers and internal load compared with 60 or 90 g/h[25][23].

• Observational data from ultra events suggest athletes hitting around 120 g/h tend to finish faster and delay fatigue[23][21].

PF&H are explicit: most amateur athletes underfuel. Many don’t get close even to 60 g/h, let alone 90[1]. For anyone racing hard for several hours, gently pushing intake toward the upper end of that range (and training the gut to handle it) can be a genuine performance upgrade[1][19][25].

Then there are the outliers.

Cameron Jones: Unbound 200 as an Eating Competition

Unbound 200 is already absurd: over 320 km of gravel, wind, heat, and sharp stones. In 2025, Cameron Jones didn’t just win – he smashed the course in about 8 h 40 min, averaging over 37 km/h[2].

His fueling was equally extreme:

• Around 195–200 g of carbohydrate per hour, for almost nine hours[2][8][10][4][11].

• Delivered via homemade carb drinks, jam sandwiches, and assorted sweets – his own budget-friendly take on the modern carb revolution[2][8].

• His rough rule: “pack for an extra hour between each aid station, and then eat it all anyway.”[2]

• On Instagram, he joked, “Did I need to eat so much? Probably not, but it didn’t hurt, and I certainly never ran out of energy!”[1]

Media reports and coaching articles now cite Jones alongside WorldTour riders and Ironman champions as examples of hyper-fueling, where 150–200 g/h is no longer theoretical but practised in the field[8][28][26][10][22].

This is far beyond traditional 60–90 g/h recommendations and well above the “new normal” of 120 g/h seen in some studies[25][27]. It represents the outer edge of what a highly trained gut, optimised transporters, and elite physiology can tolerate.

Pro Teams on the Carb Evolution

The Lotto road cycling team (Lotto Dstny), along with teams in the Tour de France peloton, have also moved towards ultra-high carbohydrate fueling, especially in multi-day and single-day classics. They have worked directly with experts at Precision Fuel & Hydration to individualise athletes’ carb and hydration strategies — sometimes exceeding 100–120g/h during long, hot, high-intensity stages. Recent interviews and product launches show this synergy: pros training their guts to absorb and utilise amounts previously considered “impossible”[1][28][26].

Such strategies are now being adopted across the pro peloton, with top finishers regularly citing high CHO intakes and gut training as foundational to their success.

Pro vs Amateur Fueling: A Tale of Two Numbers

Here’s the contrast in simple terms:

Rider Type	Typical Recommendation	Upper Range Now Explored
“Normal” endurance athlete	~60 g/h (2+ hrs)[1]	60–90 g/h with gut training[1]
Elite / WorldTour / Unbound winners	Historically 60–90 g/h	90–120 g/h in studies[25][21][23], sometimes 150–200 g/h in extreme cases[8][26][10][22]

Table 1: Professional vs amateur carb intake recommendations

The limiting factor isn’t, surprisingly, body size; PF&H emphasise that carbohydrate absorption is constrained mainly by gut transport capacity, which is surprisingly similar across athletes of different masses[1]. Your 50 kg climber and a 90 kg rouleur live under the same basic ceiling, at least in grams per hour.

What separates the pros from the rest isn’t a magical stomach. It’s:

• Years of high training volume.

• Repeated exposure to high-carb intakes in training.

• Carefully built “gut training” blocks where athletes gradually ramp carbs, often by 10–20 g/h at a time, to adapt[1][19][25].

Do We Need to Fuel Like Cameron Jones?

For most riders, the honest answer is: no –, but you probably need more than you’re currently taking.

When 60 g/h makes sense

If you:

• Ride at moderate intensity.

• Ride for 2–3 hours.

• Mostly want to feel decent, avoid bonking, and recover reasonably well.

Then ~60 g/h is a sensible, evidence-based place to sit[1].

It will:

• Delay glycogen depletion compared with water-only or minimal fueling.

• Keep perceived exertion lower for a given effort.

• Reduce the “post-ride hollow” and support better next-day training[1][19].

When 90–120 g/h is justified

If you:

• Race hard for 3+ hours (gravel races, long road events, fast fondos).

• Want to optimise performance, not just survive.

• You are willing to train your gut over weeks, not days.

  
  

Then pushing gradually toward 90 g/h, and perhaps higher if tolerated, is supported by both lab data and real-world elite practice[1][19][23][25].

Higher intake:

• Preserves muscle glycogen longer.

• Lowers internal load and markers of muscle damage at the same external work[25].

• Can make long, hard efforts feel more sustainable.

For 99% of amateurs, the sweet spot is likely well below Jones-level fueling but above what they currently do. There is a vast, productive middle ground between 60 g/h and Cameron’s 200 g/h.

What Happens if an Amateur Tries Pro-Level Fueling?

This is my experiment:

• A 150 km ride (~6 hours) at about 25 km/h.

• Matching Cameron’s intake: about 195 g/h for ~1,150–1,200 g total[2][8].

I'll use:

• Precision Fuel & Hydration Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix.

• PF 30 Gels (30g CHO each).

• PF 30 Chews (30g each).

I’ll record: carb timing, GI symptoms, perceived exertion, hydration, weight, and subjective energy/mood throughout.

1. The upside: If the gut plays along

If my gut tolerates it, I may experience:

• Very stable energy: Consistent power with minimal “dead patches.”

• Lower perceived effort for the same output.

• Better post-ride recovery: Less soreness, as seen in studies pushing 120 g/h.[25][23]

• The limiter becomes muscular or cardiovascular, not fuel.

2. The downside: If the gut revolts

Potential risks:

• Bloating, sloshing, nausea, or GI issues from overloading untrained absorption pathways.

• A paradoxical decrease in power occurs if the GI system can’t keep up.

• The importance of gradual gut training becomes obvious – most studies emphasise building tolerance, which I won’t have. - Seriously, whose idea was this?

The results will be documented for all to see in a probably not very nice video on our Instagram channel!

The Art of Gut Training (And Why Skipping It Is Spicy)

“Training the gut” is progressive overload for your digestive system:

• Start with your current tolerable intake.

• Add 10–20 g/h gradually in key training sessions.

• Hold for weeks, then progress upward[1][19].

Pro teams (like Lotto Dstny and others) now build this into training plans, shifting the pro peloton towards unprecedented carb intakes driven by both science and practical success[1][28][26].

So… Should You Copy me or Cameron?

A simple framework:

1. If your goal is enjoyment and completion:

   Stick to 60–80 g/h. You’ll feel better than on minimal fueling, without pushing GI boundaries[1][19].

   
   

2. If your goal is performance and you’re willing to do the work:

   Gradually work toward 90–120 g/h with gut training[1][19][25][23].

   
   

3. If your goal is to push limits:

   Try what Cameron does — but recognise ~200 g/h is an experiment at the edge, not a baseline. Proceed with caution. - and dont just try it like I will, work up to it first.

Science, Sugar, and the Poetry of the Long Ride

There is something poetic in the fact that the decisive move at Unbound wasn’t only made with watts, but with sandwiches and soft flasks. Sugar is still one of the sharpest tools in the endurance athlete's kit[2][8][10].

Remember:

• Carbohydrate is the main fuel for high-intensity endurance[1].

• Glycogen is not enough past 90–120 minutes[1].

• More CHO per hour, up to your gut’s limit, usually means better performance — but that limit can be trained.

So I will ride out with my bottles and my chews, chasing not just kilometres but a question:

Where does the amateur gut meet the pro-level sugar wave?

For most riders, take this to heart: You probably don’t need to fuel like Cameron Jones.

But you almost certainly need to fuel more than you do now.

If you want to find out how much you need for a ride or a race, here is the best place to start: https://www.precisionhydration.com/planner/

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We do not in any way recommend copying James or any of the PRO. riders, especially without any gut training or actual scientific advice from a professional. James is doing this just to see what happens, and so we can laugh at him when he is probably very sick!

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References

[1] Precision Fuel & Hydration. (2025). How much carbohydrate do athletes need per hour? https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/how-much-carbohydrate-carbs-athletes-per-hour/

[2] Escape Collective. (2025). How Cameron Jones fueled his way to Unbound glory. https://escapecollective.com/how-cameron-jones-fueled-his-way-to-unbound-glory/

[4] YouTube. (2025). Unbound 200 Winner Cam Jones on 200g of Carbs per Hour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4SGTUFwDvY

[8] 4iiii Innovations. (2025). Cameron Jones - From Wildcard to Winner of Unbound. https://4iiii.com/blog/2025-cam-unbound/

[10] CyclingNews. (2025). New test used by WorldTour pros finally sheds light on the individuality of carbohydrate intake. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/new-test-used-by-worldtour-pros-finally-sheds-light-on-the-individuality-of-carbohydrate-intake

[11] Facebook. Velo - How the Unbound 200 men's winner was powered by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. https://www.facebook.com/HelloVeloVeloVelo/posts/how-the-unbound-200-mens-winner-was-powered-by-peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich

[19] Coach Pav. (2023). Maximising Endurance: Training Your Gut for 120g Carbs. https://coachpav.com/cycling-nutrition/fueling-for-performance-how-cyclists-can-train-their-gut-to-handle-120g-of-carbohydrates-

[21] Mysportscience. (2021). 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour in a mountain marathon. https://www.mysportscience.com/post/120-grams-per-hour

[23] Glut4science. (2020). 120 grams of Carbohydrates per hour During Exercise Improve Recovery. https://glut4science.com/publicaciones/entrenamiento-nutricional/120-grams-carbohydrates-per-hour-during-exercise-improve-recove

[25] PubMed Central. Effects of 120 g/h of Carbohydrate Intake during a Mountain Marathon. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7284742/

[26] VeloNews. (2025). Carbohydrate 'Hyper-Fueling' Could Reshape Pro Cycling. https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-training/pushing-the-carbohydrate-revolution-could-reshape-pro-cycling/

[27] EndureIQ. (2023). 120 Grams Per Hour: Deciphering the 'Carbolution' Craze. https://www.endureiq.com/blog/120-grams-per-hour-deciphering-the-carbolution-craze-a-deep-dive-into-physiology-and-research

[28] Precision Fuel & Hydration. (2024). Athlete case studies: Ben's IRONMAN® World Championships. https://www.precisionhydration.com/athletes/case-studies/triathlon/ben-hamilton/26-10-2024/