Free Shipping
on all orders
Delivery TimeShipping Method
1 - 5 business daysFREE Standard Delivery
2 business daysFedEx 2Day
1 business dayFedEx Overnight

Carriers

fedex shipping logoups shipping logousps shipping logo
Orders under 1lb or to APO/FPO & PO Box destinations: These orders will ship with USPS and typically take 1 to 2 days longer than the Standard Delivery estimate. Free Shipping Offers: Only valid within the contiguous USA. Future subscriptions will renew with free shipping if the renewal amount is $49 or higher otherwise shipping will cost $7.95.
 
  • Hydration
    Hydration
    • All Hydration
    • Workout
      Workout
      • All Workout
      • Caffeinated
      • High Carb (>60g)
      • High Flavor
      • High Sodium (>750mg)
      • Low Flavor
      • Low Sugar (<5g)
      • Neutral
    • Daily
      Daily
      • All Daily
      • Caffeinated
      • Effervescent
      • High Sodium (>750mg)
      • Powder
      • Stevia Free
    • Pre-Workout
      Pre-Workout
      • All Pre-Workout
      • Caffeinated
      • Caffeine Free
    • Electrolyte Boosters
    • Cramp Solutions
  • Carbs
    Carbs
    • All Carbs
    • Gels
      Gels
      • All Gels
      • Caffeinated
      • High Carb (>40g)
      • High Sodium (>100mg)
      • Isotonic
      • Maple Syrup
      • Neutral Flavor
      • Nootropic
      • Real Food
    • Drinks
      Drinks
      • All Drinks
      • Caffeinated
      • 40g to 79g of Carbs
      • Over 80g of Carbs
    • Chews
      Chews
      • All Chews
      • Caffeinated
      • High Sodium (>100mg)
      • Neutral Flavor
      • Sour Tasting
    • Bars
      Bars
      • All Bars
      • Gluten Free
      • High Carb (>40g)
      • Kids
      • Meal
      • Nut
      • Oat
      • Protein (>10g)
      • Real Food
      • Rice
    • Waffles
      Waffles
      • All Waffles
      • Gluten Free
      • Thin
  • Protein
    Protein
    • All Protein
    • Whey
      Whey
      • All Whey
      • Chocolate
      • Vanilla
    • Clear Whey
    • Collagen
      Collagen
      • All Collagen
      • Peptides
      • Skin & Nail Health
    • Isolate
      Isolate
      • All Isolate
      • Clear
      • Whey
    • Protein Bars
      Protein Bars
      • All Protein Bars
      • Low Sugar (<4g)
      • Plant Based
      • Vegan
      • Workout (>20g)
    • Plant
      Plant
      • All Plant
      • Brown Rice
      • Hemp
      • Pea Protein
      • Soy
      • Vegan
    • Night Protein
    • Recovery Shakes
    • Blenders & Shakers
  • Supplements
    Supplements
    • All Supplements
    • Formulas
    • Vitamin & Minerals
      Vitamin & Minerals
      • All Vitamin & Minerals
      • Vitamin B
      • Greens & Reds
      • Gummies
      • Immune Support
      • Iron
      • Magnesium
      • Multi-Vitamins
      • Omegas
      • Vitamin C
      • Vitamin D
      • Women Specific
      • Zinc
    • Creatine
    • Athlete Performance
      Athlete Performance
      • All Athlete Performance
      • Adaptogens
      • Beta-Alanine
      • Bicarb
      • Caffeine
      • Creatine
      • Ketones
      • Nitric Oxide
      • Pre-workout
    • Strength
      Strength
      • All Strength
      • Aminos & BCAAs
      • Peptides
    • Sleep
      Sleep
      • All Sleep
      • Go to Sleep
      • Magnesium
      • Melatonin
      • Stay Asleep
    • Recovery
      Recovery
      • All Recovery
      • Aminos & BCAAs
      • Beets
      • Collagen
      • Injury
      • Joint Support
      • Tart Cherry
      • Turmeric
    • Gut & Biotics
      Gut & Biotics
      • All Gut & Biotics
      • L-Glutamine
      • Lactic Probiotics
      • Probiotics
    • Longevity
      Longevity
      • All Longevity
      • Brain Health
      • Glutathione
      • Heart Health
      • Liver Health
      • NAD
      • Resveratrol
      • Stress
    • Focus
    • Hormone Support
    • GLP1 & Weight Loss
      GLP1 & Weight Loss
      • All GLP1 & Weight Loss
      • Blood Sugar Regulation
      • Metabolism
    • Other
      Other
      • All Other
      • Apple Cider Vinegar
      • Copper & Silver
      • Energy
      • Keto
    • Ketones
      Ketones
      • All Ketones
      • Bulk Bottles
      • Ready to Drink
      • Shots
  • Gear
    Gear
    • All Gear
    • Packs & Vests & Belts
      Packs & Vests & Belts
      • All Packs & Vests & Belts
      • Accessories
      • Bladders
      • Hydration Pack
      • Insulated
      • Running Belts
      • Running Vests
      • Soft Flasks
    • Technology
      Technology
      • All Technology
      • Cooling
      • Headphones
      • Heat Sensor
      • Hydration Sensor
      • Sleep
      • Swim Goggles
      • Watches
    • Recovery Gear
      Recovery Gear
      • All Recovery Gear
      • Accessories
      • Back
      • Compression
      • Cooling
      • Cupping
      • Feet
      • Heat
      • Massage & Percussion
      • Muscle Stim
      • Red Light
      • Rollers
    • Bottles
      Bottles
      • All Bottles
      • Branded
      • Cleaning
      • Daily Hydration
      • Insulated Bottles
      • Running
      • Shaker
      • Soft Flasks
      • Water Bottles
    • Socks
      Socks
      • All Socks
      • Compression
      • Feed Branded
      • Run & Ride
    • Hats & Headgear
      Hats & Headgear
      • All Hats & Headgear
      • Beanies
      • Bucket Hats
      • Cooling
      • Headbands
      • Running Hats
      • Sweat Trapping
      • Visors
    • Bags
      Bags
      • All Bags
      • Bike
      • Day & Gym
      • Hike
      • Medical
      • Travel
    • Body
      Body
      • All Body
      • Anti-Chafe
      • Foot Care
      • Pain Relief & Recovery
      • Shaving
      • Skin & Hair
      • Sun Protection
    • Feed Gear
      Feed Gear
      • All Feed Gear
      • Clothing
      • Cycling Kits
      • Training Gear
  • Superfoods
    Superfoods
    • All Superfoods
    • Super Drinks
    • Functional Gummies
    • Mushrooms
    • Beets
    • Tart Cherry
    • Meat Snacks
    • Bone Broth
    • Snacks
    • Oatmeal
    • Pancakes
    • Granola
    • Baking
    • Coffee
  • Feed Prime Day
    Feed Prime Day
    Shop All Hot Deals
  • Insider
  • New
    Shop All New
  • Brands
    Top Brands at The Feed
    View All 175+ Brands
Top Brands
Feed Prime DayInsiderNewBrands
LoginCreate an account
Change country
All undefined
All undefined
The Feed Insider
Cycling
Running
Triathlon
How to Fuel
Feed News
Training Tips
Athlete Stories
Product Highlight
Background
  1. Home
  2. The Feed Insider
  3. Feed News
  4. Carbs Fuel: Reshaping Effective Fueling
Jan 10, 2024

Carbs Fuel: Reshaping Effective Fueling

By Carson Beckett

Writer, Pro Cyclist

On a mission to help more athletes effectively fuel their sport, Carbs Fuel was born out of the belief that fueling should be easier, simpler, and cheaper than it is. They were able to produce one of the best carb-per-dollar gels out there, allowing anyone to carry less and get more.

We were fortunate to talk with two members of the Carbs Fuel team: Gabe, the Chief Executive Officer who, “Lives and breathes carbohydrates,” and the Chief of Product, Aaron, who deals with all product development.

Origin Story

Gabe: Aaron and I are both from Santa Cruz, California. We grew up together going to the same schools, but we didn't become friends until later on during college. I was always a bike rider and Aaron picked it up a little bit later – that's how we ended up meeting. My whole dream was to be a pro.

Gabe dreamt of becoming a World Tour Pro road racer - intensely focused during his junior years on racing. After years of pursuit of that dream, it began to fade as he accepted he didn't have what it took to be at the top level of the sport.

“…over the years I've gradually found myself coming back to the sport and being really into bike riding and bike racing – more specifically within the last couple of years. For instance, I did events like Unbound and Leadville. However, recently I've kept an eye on what's happening in the sport as well as the developments that pros are making… and the big subject is fueling.”

The high-carb Revolution 

“I know it's not a new thing to fuel with high amounts of carbohydrates,” says Gabe, “but I feel like carbohydrates are getting their moment in the light.”

Pros are leading the way by showing what fueling limits actually look like. The “new standard” is 90 to 120 grams of carbs per hour. Not only is that a lot, is that just something for the pros or should every athlete pay attention?

“So I kept paying attention to this and I was like, ‘I'm going to try to shoot for a 100 grams an hour and make an impact on my performance.’ While I started trying to figure out how to do it, I realized it is so unbelievably expensive and so incredibly complicated to meet that fueling goal. If you're expanding that over a six or eight-hour event, and a typical gel is 25 grams of carbs, you're talking about four gels an hour – 24 gels over the course of a race.

You can't carry that much. You can't afford that much. You're not going to eat that much.

We realized most people under-fuel and aren’t hitting that mark, but the people that do generally, are doing it through their bottles by making ‘super gels’ in their bottles – highly concentrated drink mixes.”

Like many, Gabe was “a super salty sweater”, and so he wasn’t hitting his hydration goals along with his fueling because he was missing out on adequate fluid. He didn't really like that as a fix.

Then, he thought, “Why wouldn't we be able to make a more carbohydrate-dense product? There's no way it costs that much money. At the end of the day, the ingredients in these products are commodities.”

And Carbs Fuel was born.

Sort of.

“It's basic sugars, if you really boil it down (as well as some supplemental ingredients). It's ridiculous that some gels [cost] so much. I had this idea and that sparked a conversation, which led to many conversations with Aaron because I was like, “How would I go about doing this? Am I crazy?” I knew Aaron was getting his PhD in human bioenergetics, so I figured he was going to be able to rein me in, but he confirmed what I was assuming. So, we got super excited by it and decided to build this brand.

“

In short, the whole purpose of the brand is to help more athletes effectively fuel their sport.

Miley

“We're trying to make products that are carb dense and at a price point that people can palette – this means that more people feel okay with fueling more. Not every athlete is going to be fueling a 100 grams per hour. Still, by offering a more dense product that's more affordable, our goal is to help people notch up towards that because it has a huge effect on their success in their training and their events and their longstanding love for the sport. They're not bonking every single long ride."

Q: What was the main focus behind creating Carbs Fuel?

"From the onset, we wanted to make a really simple and effective product. Now, something that was critical in the development of this was to ensure that our product was not inferior to other products in any sort of way – especially from a brand perception standpoint.

One of the main parts of developing this was ensuring that this product was just as good as that of a [high-level] brand."

Chief of Product, Aaron, adds, “We didn't just simply just mix together what other people were doing. We exhausted the science as a guide for what we chose; the specific carbohydrates we chose, the specific ratios that we chose, etc. We wanted to make a product that was not only equivalent to but better than others out there.”

They had a few core goals for their product, these were the standards they wanted to meet regardless of anything else.

“It needed to be 50 grams of carbs, it's going to be $2, and it's going to be a really thin consistency. Those were the three core things.”

Q: Is there anything in particular that sets Carbs Fuel apart from a nutritional perspective?

"Three noteworthy things make a difference from a nutritional breakdown perspective.

Q: What are a few key areas in which you feel this gel can make an impact?

"While it is nice from a convenience perspective, the current research even suggests that taking less frequent doses at higher volumes of carbohydrates is actually allowing your body to increase the amount of carbohydrates you can oxidize per minute. So, it's also more effective having to do it in fewer intervals at higher volumes.

The other really big thing is the price. I don't like to lean into the price too much because I want people to process this as a great product [first]. ‘Oh my gosh, it's 50 grams of carbs and wait, what? It's only $2?’

Naturally, the price point is going to be a key advantage. It's making it more accessible to all sorts of folks. In terms of the future and where we can thrive, it's across all endurance sports. Anytime someone's pushing the limits (cross-country mountain bike racing or marathon distance, running to ultra events) things of that nature. Our general mindset is to focus on carbohydrates and let's focus on fueling. But there is an intent to expand into other areas that kind of help the athlete in all forms of workout."

The Feed.
About Us
Careers
Feed Insider Blog
NSF Certified for Sport®
All Products
Mobile App for Android
Socials
Instagram
YouTube
Strava
TikTok
Facebook
Twitter
Policy
Privacy Policy
Satisfaction Guarantee
Returns & Exchanges
Subscription Policy
Terms of Service
Cookie Policy
Email Us
hello@thefeed.com
Text Us*
+1 (720) 864 0086
Call Us
+1 (720) 864 0086

Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm MT

Address
12303 Airport Way #350,
Broomfield, CO 80021
USA

*By texting us, you consent to receive texts messages from The Feed at the mobile number you used to text and you are opting-in to receive future messages or a phone call at the number you provided. Message and Data rates may apply. Reply STOP anytime to opt-out.

About The Feed

We are athletes like you. We have experienced how eating smarter can make a meaningful difference in our training. Improving your nutrition is one of the quickest ways to see meaningful improvements in performance.

Subscribe

Get the latest new products, pro tips and be first to know about sales and special offers.

Change your country
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. (FDA Disclaimer)
image