Prevent Hitting the Wall

Gatorade Sports Science Institute

Q: Will drinking sports drinks and eating energy bars during exercise prevent me from "hitting the wall"?

A: There is little question that ingesting 30-60 g of carbohydrate during each hour of exercise is usually sufficient to sustain normal blood glucose and delay fatigue. Carbohydrate can be replaced using energy bars and sports drinks. During exercise it is particularly important to replace fluids lost through sweat. Inadequate fluid replacement can decrease performance. Thus it is recommended that during prolonged exercise, a sports drink should be included, regardless of other carbohydrate sources.

-- Bill Prentice, Ph.D., P.T., A.T.C., Professor, University of North Carolina