on·course
Science

The science behind your plan

OnCourse Fueling's defaults come from peer-reviewed sports-nutrition research. Here's what they're based on — and why every number is a starting estimate to individualize, never a prescription.

Carbohydrate5 facts
60–90 g/hintake scaled to ride duration
Hydration2 facts
~78%of sweat rate replaced
  • Sweat rate is typically 0.5–2.0 L/h (endurance avg ~1.28). Variation is huge — measure yours by body-mass change over a timed ride.

  • Over-drinking is the real danger: too much hypotonic fluid causes hyponatremia (blood Na < 135 mmol/L). Aim near sweat loss, not weight gain.

Sodium & electrolytes2 facts
~0.8 g/Laverage sweat sodium
  • Sweat sodium averages ~0.8 g/L (range ~0.25–2) — roughly 1 g/h for endurance athletes. Replace more on long, hot days.

  • Heat acclimatization conserves salt, lowering sweat sodium — so your need tracks heat-adaptation, not just temperature.

Caffeine3 facts
3–6 mg/kgbody mass, ~60 min pre-start
Route time model2 facts
P = f(v, grade)power-balance turns route into time
  • A power-balance model turns the route into time: your power fights air drag (½·ρ·CdA·v³), rolling resistance and gravity on each grade — so climbs stretch the clock, descents compress it.

  • Defaults are typical road values (CdA ≈ 0.32, Crr ≈ 0.005, air 1.225 kg/m³, drivetrain ≈ 97%), fully editable. A safe descent-speed cap keeps downhills realistic.

How we compute your plan5 steps

Five steps turn your route and a few inputs into a timed plan. Every number traces to the research above — these are starting estimates to individualize, not prescriptions.

  1. 01

    Route becomes time

    Your FTP and weight drive a power-balance model (drag, rolling resistance, gravity per grade), turning distance + elevation into a realistic finish time — climbs stretch the clock, descents compress it.

  2. 02

    Per-hour targets

    From the duration we set the hourly goals: carbs ~60→90 g/h, fluid ~78% of sweat rate, sodium ~0.8 g/L, caffeine 3–6 mg/kg.

  3. 03

    Split into drink, food & gels

    Your body only cares about total g/h and carb type — the form (drink, gel, solid) oxidizes the same. So the drink mix carries most carbs (kept to a tolerable ~6–8% / ≤60 g per 750 ml bottle), food fills more, and gels just top up. The split itself is practical preference, not physiology — adjust it freely.

  4. 04

    Placed on the course

    Each goal × your ride time, spread along the route: you carry your bottles and refill where they run out; food and gels every ~25–30 min, pulled earlier before long climbs and kept off descents; caffeine mostly early.

  5. 05

    Checked against the targets

    We sum it back up against every target — guarding gut-clustering, over-drinking (hyponatremia) and a 6 mg/kg caffeine ceiling. Override anything; gut-trained unlocks 120 g/h.

A recommendation, not medical advice

OnCourse Fueling gives educational estimates from population research — not individual medical or dietary advice. Everyone's gut, sweat and tolerance differ. Rehearse your plan in training, and consult a qualified sports dietitian or doctor before relying on it, especially with any health condition.

These are population averages with wide individual variation. Use them as a starting point and dial them in with your own testing (e.g. sweat rate by body-mass change).

References

  1. Jeukendrup, 2014A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During Exercise
  2. Jentjens & Jeukendrup, 2005High rates of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation from glucose + fructose during cycling (Br J Nutr)
  3. GSSI SSE-108Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates and Their Benefits (Jeukendrup)
  4. Jeukendrup, 2017Training the Gut for Athletes
  5. Hearris et al., 2022Exogenous CHO oxidation at 120 vs 90 g/h during prolonged cycling
  6. Baker, 2017Sweating Rate and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Athletes (Sports Medicine)
  7. Baker et al., 2019Normative data for regional sweat rate and sweat sodium (J Sports Sci, n=1303)
  8. Hew-Butler et al., 2017Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia: 2017 Update (3rd Int'l Consensus)
  9. Br J Sports MedSeasonal/acclimatization effect on sweat sodium concentration
  10. Guest et al., 2021ISSN Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise Performance
  11. GSSI / SprietCaffeine and Exercise Performance — An Update (SSE-203)
  12. Talanian & Spriet, 2016Low and moderate caffeine doses late in exercise improve cycling TT
  13. Martin et al., 1998Validation of a Mathematical Model for Road Cycling Power (J Applied Biomechanics)
  14. Pfeiffer et al., 2010CHO oxidation from a carbohydrate gel compared with a drink during exercise (Med Sci Sports Exerc)
  15. ISSN, 2017International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing (Kerksick et al.)
  16. de Oliveira et al., 2014Gastrointestinal Complaints During Exercise: Prevalence, Etiology and Nutritional Recommendations (Sports Med)