• Use pre-exercise: provides a low fibre carbohydrate source to assist the pre-event fuelling goals of athletes who are unable to tolerate regular foods and fluids
• Use during exercise: can supply carbohydrate to the muscle and central nervous system
• Use post-exercise: can contribute to post-exercise refuelling. Note that other foods/sports products should also be considered in post-exercise meals/snacks to address total recovery needs.
• Travel: Provides a compact and convenient option while travelling either locally or internationally for training or competition, with the extended shelf-life and portability making access to trialled and familiar fuelling options easier.

Sports bar ingestion during exercise provides an additional fuel source for the muscle according to the requirements of each sporting activity. Performance benefits have been clearly demonstrated in a range of sporting events as a result of this strategy4,5. Furthermore, exposure of receptors in the mouth/oral cavity to carbohydrate creates a favourable response in the brain and central nervous system (CNS), decreasing the perception of effort and pacing strategies⁶. Delivery of carbohydrate consumed during exercise to the muscle is largely influenced by the rate at which it can be absorbed by the small intestine. Typically, ingesting glucose-based carbohydrates (e.g. sucrose, glucose polymers, maltodextrin) at rates in excess of ~ 60 g/h during exercise does not lead to additional performance benefits. In fact, because intestinal glucose transporters (called SGLT1) are saturated at this level, excessive carbohydrate intake can cause gut discomfort/problems that impair performance. See Table 1 for guidance on carbohydrate ingestion rates during exercise.

• The gut can be ‘trained’ by consuming carbohydrates during exercise to maximise the number and activity of the SCGT1 transporters, thus enhancing glucose uptake and reducing gut symptoms^7,8.
• In addition, some newer sports foods contain ‘multiple transportable carbohydrates’ - a blend of carbohydrates such as glucose and fructose which are absorbed via different transporter molecules in the intestine to overcome the usual bottleneck of a single transport system.
• Studies have shown that when carbohydrates are consumed at high rates (> 60 g/h) during exercise to meet new guidelines for prolonged strenuous events, sports foods containing multiple transportable carbohydrates are more effective than glucose-based products in maintaining gut comfort, promoting muscle carbohydrate oxidation and enhancing performance⁹.

Table 1: Guidelines for carbohydrate intake during sporting activities¹⁰