Kovr blog · Nutrition
Carbs, protein, fluid and sodium, in grams per kilo — and what to do with the number.
Nutrition
Do Runners Need Electrolytes? What Sodium Actually Does
Sodium matters for runs past two hours, especially in heat. It does not prevent cramps or protect against overdrinking. When electrolytes help, how much, and the research.
Nutrition
How to Fuel a Marathon: Carb Loading, Gels Per Hour, Breakfast
Marathon fuelling in three phases: 8–12 g/kg carb loading for 36–48 hours, a 1–4 g/kg breakfast, and 60–90g of carbs per hour on course. Worked example and gel arithmetic.
Nutrition
How Much Fluid Do You Lose Running?
Measured loss over an hour: 1,353ml. What the runners guessed: 686ml. What actually drives sweat rate — and why replacing every drop is the more dangerous mistake.
Nutrition
Carb Loading for a Half Marathon: How Much You Actually Need (and When to Skip It)
Most half-marathoners either overload and feel heavy or undereat and hit the wall. The evidence-based number is 8–10g of carbs per kg across a single day — when it helps, when to skip it, and the mistakes that backfire.
Nutrition
How to Fuel a Long Run: What the Research Actually Says (and Where Most Runners Get It Wrong)
A 2025 study tracked sixty endurance athletes through real races. Marathoners ate just 21.7g of carbs per hour. The target is 60–90g. Here’s why the gap exists — and the four-week protocol that closes it.
Nutrition
How Many Carbs Do Runners Need Per Day? (The Numbers Most Runners Don’t Know)
Most recreational runners eat like sedentary people but train like athletes. Here are the actual targets — and how to hit them without weighing everything you eat.
Nutrition
How Much Protein Do Runners Actually Need? (Most Athletes Underestimate This)
The target for endurance athletes is nearly double the general population recommendation. Here are the numbers, the timing, and the best value food sources.
Nutrition
Cheapest Carbs for Runners: Best Value Fuel Sources (Rice, Oats, Pasta Ranked)
Marathon runners need 490–700g of carbohydrates per day. Here are the five staples that cover it — ranked by value per gram of carbohydrate.
Nutrition
Should Endurance Athletes Take Creatine? Dosing, Timing & the Weight Gain Question
The weight gain question answered, the right dose for runners, cyclists, and triathletes, and why the offseason is the window that matters.