Lotto-Intermarché challenge cycling’s 120g carbohydrate limit with new research

Professional cycling has dramatically increased its carbohydrate intake over the past two decades. Where riders once consumed around 60 grams per hour, many now aim for as much as 120 grams. Lotto-Intermarché are investigating whether some riders can go even further.

Working with Ghent University, the Belgian team is testing whether professional cyclists can effectively use 140 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

"Our riders are a special group because they are used to consuming large amounts of carbohydrates during training. We suspect that some of them may therefore be able to go beyond 120 grams per hour," Kobe Vermeire, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University and coach at Lotto-Intermarché, explained on the team's website.

"What we are already seeing in our results is that there are individual differences."

The current 120 gram benchmark is not necessarily a physiological ceiling. Research supporting existing recommendations has rarely involved elite professional cyclists, who are accustomed to consuming large quantities of carbohydrates during exercise.

During the laboratory tests, riders cycle for approximately three hours while consuming a specially prepared drink containing 140 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

Researchers add carbon isotopes to the drink and analyse the riders' exhaled air to estimate how much of the ingested carbohydrate is actually used for energy.

Being able to consume 140 grams per hour does not necessarily mean a rider can use all of it. Excessive intake can also cause digestive discomfort.

"It is important to measure individually how much each rider can handle. If someone consumes more carbohydrates than they can effectively process, this can cause gastrointestinal discomfort," Vermeire explained.

"That is why we want to tailor the nutrition strategy to each rider's individual capacity."

The biggest gains could come during the decisive stages of a race. As carbohydrate stores run low, riders rely more heavily on fat metabolism, making it harder to sustain the intense efforts required for attacks and climbs.

"If we can increase the amount of carbohydrates a rider can absorb and use, they may be able to maintain their performance level for longer, including during the final hour of a race," Ghent University professor Jan Boone explained on the team's website.

"In stage races, this could also have an impact on recovery ahead of the following day."

Researchers have yet to establish whether consuming 140 grams per hour improves performance compared to 120 grams. For now, the focus is on identifying how much additional carbohydrate individual riders can effectively use.

The scientists are also investigating whether differences in the gut microbiome could help explain why some riders process carbohydrates more effectively than others, although that research remains exploratory.

The experiment is part of a broader scientific approach at Lotto-Intermarché. The team extended its partnership with Ghent University for another four years in October 2024, covering research into cooling vests, muscle monitoring, metabolic analysis and altitude training.

Artificial intelligence has also played a role. In 2024, Belgian research organisation imec introduced Brailsports, an AI-powered training platform developed with Lotto Dstny. Using training data, it estimates fitness, fatigue and lactate thresholds, helping coaches adjust training without constantly repeating laboratory tests.