{"id":18034,"date":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/?p=18034"},"modified":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:00:00","slug":"fuelling-the-vuelta-a-espana-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scienceinsport.com\/sports-nutrition\/fuelling-the-vuelta-a-espana-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuelling the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Few sporting events are physically as demanding as a Grand Tour. Be it the Giro d\u2019Italia, Tour de France or Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, a single stage is enough to separate even the most accomplished cyclists. Over three consecutive weeks, however, most of us can only marvel at a spectacle where machine-like athletes burn monstrous amounts of energy to keep up with their extreme work ethic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Vuelta, as in the other Grand Tours, riders don\u2019t have the luxury of devouring platefuls of complex carbs when they\u2019re in the saddle \u2013 they need convenient high-carb formats that can be carried easily and taken-in quickly with the least amount of gastrointestinal discomfort. Most importantly, their amounts need to be optimised for peak performance output.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

FUELLING FOR ENDURANCE<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

When a team\u2019s ability to perform rests heavily on your shoulders, the greatest challenge for its nutritionist is finding the right fuelling solution to cover the high energy demands from the start to finish.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Science in Sport\u202f<\/span>BETA Fuel range<\/span><\/a>\u202fis the perfect solution for INEOS Grenadiers\u2019 Performance Nutritionist, Dr Marc Fell, providing a dual source energy with ratio of maltodextrin to fructose of 1:0.8.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 1:0.8 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose increases the percentage of ingested carbohydrate that is oxidized (known as efficiency) from 62% to 74% when compared with the original ratio of 2:1.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SiS Beta Fuel can be used to provide a flexible approach to fuelling to deliver 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour and maintain high carbohydrate availability during prolonged endurance exercise. The previously recommended intake for endurance fuelling was 90g per hour.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simply put, this has changed the game for riders in the peloton.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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A WHOLE FUELLING SOLUTION<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The BETA Fuel range comes in a variety of feeding formats, from solid (chews), semi-solid (gels) and drink that are all in the correct carbohydrate formulation to optimise cycling performance for riders, making the planning and execution of a race day nutrition strategy for Marc, and the INEOS Grenadiers cyclists, even easier.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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BETA FUEL & THE INEOS GRENADIERS<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Below Marc outlines his fuelling choices from the BETA Fuel range, showing when the riders will best utilise them, during all the different stage types of the 2023 Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a Grand Tour:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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FLAT STAGES<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n