Carbohydrate Consumption on Rides - Any Downsides

Are there any downsides to consuming too much CHO whilst doing a workout/ out on a ride.
With the power outputs I can kick out I am no where near 90g/hr CHO utilisation. - Its more like 40/45g using the Xert app. At the moment I am concentrating on weight loss but do not want to underfuel my riding so If I consume more carbs than I am using on the workout, where do they go? Fat, glycogen storage or somewhere else?

You can pinpoint the exact location in the mirror :smiley:

(non consumed/stored CHO is transformed into fat. Long slow distance rides will help you burn the fat you want to loose. This can be combined with high intensity to burn through your CHO’s. Just make sure you go long enough). I’d say: go as long as you can, then switch gears and again go as long as you can. Take the bus home.)

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The first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that consuming too much of CHO may mess with your gut and lead to stomach problems. That’s probably the case why hypertonic beverages are not recommended for endurance athletes, who are usually at least a little dehydrated while on a long workout.

But speaking specifically about your case (i.e. weight loss goal) I’m not sure if there would be an issue if you overconsume CHO (meaning eating more than you use for a given workout but still less than 90g/h) as long as you keep your daily and weekly calories’ intake in control.

The calories you eat when riding are (as far as I know) used immediately by the working muscles, sparing the fat and glycogen you store. But that’s nothing to worry about when in general you are keeping the calorie intake a bit lower than needed to maintain body mass.

So I’d suggest you still eat your 40-45 g of CHO when riding, if that makes your workout high quality, and not worry whether you use it all during that single session.

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