Carb Timing for Workouts: What the Science Says About Fueling Peak Performance

Discover how intra-workout carbs can improve endurance, boost performance, and help you train harder without crashing.

🧠 What Is Carb Timing?

Carb timing refers to strategically consuming carbohydrates before, during, and after your workouts to maximize performance, endurance, and recovery.

While the supplement industry often obsesses over pre-workout stimulants, carbohydrates are still the body’s #1 fuel source for high-intensity exercise — especially when you're lifting heavy, doing CrossFit, or training for endurance.

If you're training hard but hitting a wall midway through your session, poor carb timing might be the problem.

⚙️ Why Carbs Matter During Training

Carbs are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. When you train intensely, your body taps into those glycogen stores to fuel movement, especially for:

• Resistance Training
• HIIT
• CrossFit
• Long-Distance Running
• Hybrid Workouts (Strenght + Cardio)
  

According to a 2018 review published in Nutrients, consuming carbs during exercise improves performance, extends time to exhaustion, and enhances endurance even in workouts under 60 minutes (Nieman & Wentz, 2018).

Without carbs, your body eventually shifts to fat or protein for fuel — but both are slower-burning and far less efficient.

⏱️ When to Take Carbs Around Your Workout

1. Pre-Workout

Consuming 25–50g of carbs 30–60 minutes before training helps:

• Top off glycogen stores
• Improve energy output early in the session
• Prevent early fatigue

2. Intra-Workout (DURING)

This is where many lifters fall short.

By the time you’re 45–60 minutes into a heavy training session, you’re running low on glycogen. Studies show that consuming carbs during training keeps blood glucose levels stable and extends endurance by up to 30% (Coyle et al., 1986).

If you’re training for more than an hour or doing back-to-back sessions, intra-workout carbs are a must.

3. Post-Workout

Carbs post-training help replenish glycogen, but if you're not taking in any carbs during your session, you're already playing catch-up.

🚫 Why Most Carb Supplements Fail

Many older carb products rely on dextrose or maltodextrin — cheap sugars that:

• Spike your blood sugar
• Cause bloating and GI distress
• Lead to a crash during or after the workout
  

These high-glycemic carbs dump glucose into your bloodstream too fast, causing energy fluctuations and digestion issues that derail performance.

✅ Fuel Point: A Better Intra-Workout Carb Solution

Fuel Point by UXO Supplements delivers:

• Cluster Dextrin®
  (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin)
• Carb10®
  (Pea starch isolate)
  

These are low-osmolality, slow-digesting, performance-driven carb sources designed for athletes who train hard and want fuel—not fluff.

🔬 Let’s Break Down the Ingredients

Cluster Dextrin®

• Made for fast gastric emptying
• Sustained energy without the spikes or crashes
• Shown to improve endurance and reduce GI stress
  

In a 2005 study (Takii et al.), athletes consuming Cluster Dextrin® had greater endurance performance and less stomach discomfort than those consuming glucose.

Carb10®

• Derived from pea starch (not sugar)
• Low glycemic index = steady energy
• Minimal impact on insulin and blood sugar levels
• Ideal for steady-state cardio or long-duration strength work
  

Together, these ingredients create a dual-phase fueling system that keeps you performing at your peak from your first set to your last.

🎯 Who Should Use Intra-Workout Carbs?

• Endurance athletes:
  Runners, cyclists, hybrid athletes
• Lifters training 60–90+ minutes
• Athletes cutting or in a deficit
  who want to preserve strength
• Anyone experiencing fatigue, crashes, or loss of performance mid-session

🥤 How to Use Fuel Point

• Mix 1 scoop in 12–16 oz cold water
• Sip during your workout
• Optional: stack with Pump Action or SEND IT for pump and energy

💥 Final Thoughts: Carb Timing = Better Training

You don’t need a sugary sports drink to fuel your workout — and you definitely don’t need to crash halfway through your session.

Smart carb timing, especially during training, can dramatically improve your output, endurance, and recovery. Fuel Point gives you the performance edge without the gut rot or insulin spike.

🔗 Ready to Fuel Like an Athlete?

👉 Grab Fuel Point and train without limits