Don't wait until you're tired. Take your first gel 15–20 minutes into your effort and continue every 20–30 minutes depending on intensity. David specifically recommends the caffeinated Enervit Cola at the 15-minute mark on hard days for what he describes as a mid-effort superboost.

Absolutely — that's exactly how David uses them. He takes 2–6 gels daily during heavy training blocks, with the primary goal being better adaptation and recovery, not just race-day performance. Fueling well in training is how you come back to the next session ready to go.

Your gut uses two separate transport systems to absorb carbohydrates — one for glucose and one for fructose. By combining both in the right ratio, you can absorb significantly more carbs per hour (up to 90–120g) without GI distress. David uses the 2:1 ratio on moderate training days and shifts to 1:0.8 for race-day maximum fueling.

David targets 75–90g per hour on moderate training days and pushes toward 90–120g on race day. Start on the lower end if you're new to high-carb fueling and give your gut time to adapt over several weeks of training.