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For long marathon-training runs, carbohydrate gels or chews and carbohydrate-containing drink mix are practical ways to take in fuel. But no product can be claimed to keep an unnamed runner going—or to improve recovery—without confirmation of what that runner actually uses and experiences. The useful approach is to match fuel and fluid to the session, conditions and personal tolerance, then rehearse the plan in training.
What products can support long training runs?
Distance-running guidance recognizes gels, confectionery such as chews, and carbohydrate-containing drinks as ways to deliver carbohydrate during endurance events. They are options, not a prescribed product list: the right format depends on what you can carry, access along your route and tolerate while running. No particular brand or formula is established as best.
- Gels or chews: Portable sources of carbohydrate that can be scheduled during a long run.
- Carbohydrate sports drink mix: A way to take in carbohydrate with fluid. The amount of fluid and the mix’s composition still need to fit your plan.
- Recovery drinks: A possible convenience, not a demonstrated necessity. The available evidence does not show that a particular recovery supplement causes better recovery.
Compare products by carbohydrate and sodium per serving, whether they provide fluid as well as fuel, portability, flavor and texture, packaging, cost per serving, and—most importantly—your own tolerance. Check the label: products in the same category can have different formulations. World Athletics discusses fuel formats and endurance nutrition in its distance-running guidance.
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How much carbohydrate should you plan for?
World Athletics’ 2019 guidance gives 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for prolonged events. For events lasting more than 2.5 hours, athletes may consider intakes up to 90 g per hour. These are planning guidelines, not a guaranteed target for every runner; event duration, training, pace and gut tolerance matter.
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Turn the hourly range into a plan using the carbohydrate listed on each product’s label. For example, if a product provides a known amount per serving, calculate how many servings would fit your intended hourly intake, then test the timing and total during training. Do not assume that every gel, chew or drink provides the same amount, or that the highest guideline applies to every long run.
How to test a fueling and hydration plan
- Start with the session. Consider its duration and intensity, the weather, what you can carry, and whether water or aid stations will be available.
- Read product labels. Note carbohydrate and sodium per serving, and whether the product is intended to be taken with fluid.
- Choose a workable format and schedule. Use products you can carry and access on the route; account for any carbohydrate you get from a drink as well as from gels or chews.
- Rehearse during training. Try the planned timing, flavor, texture and fluid arrangement on long runs rather than introducing an untested setup on race day.
- Adjust based on tolerance and conditions. If a plan is difficult to tolerate or impractical to carry, change the format or timing and test the revision. Avoid turning a general hourly range into a rigid target.
How much should you drink, and when do electrolytes matter?
Fluid needs vary with conditions and individual losses. World Athletics’ 2019 paper advises runners to aim to keep net fluid deficit below 2% to 3% of body mass, especially in hot weather. This is a guidance target, not an instruction to force fluids or drink a fixed amount regardless of conditions.
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Sodium loss also varies. ACSM’s 2025 hydration guidance says heavy sweaters might lose about 500–700 mg of sodium per hour of vigorous exercise. That figure describes a possible loss for heavy sweaters; it is not a measurement of your own sweat or a universal sodium prescription. A drink mix’s sodium content should therefore be considered alongside your personal fluid plan, not treated as a reason for everyone to take the same amount.
See ACSM’s hydration and electrolyte guidance and the World Athletics distance-running paper for the underlying recommendations. ACSM reported in June 2026 that an update to its Nutrition and Athletic Performance position stand had been approved and a writing group was being assembled; that announcement does not itself establish new replacement recommendations. See its June 2026 update.
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What the headline can—and cannot—establish
The 80-mile-per-week training claim and the phrase “keeping me going” describe a particular runner’s experience. General guidance cannot verify that the runner reached that mileage, used any named product, or recovered or performed better because of one. Those personal details need confirmation from the runner before they can be presented as fact. The guidance supports discussing product categories and individualized planning, not claiming a product caused an outcome.
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