Triathlon
You cannot eat while swimming, eating is easiest on the bike and hardest on the run. That is why triathlon nutrition is planned by discipline.
Before the swim and on the bike
Eat your last larger meal a few hours before the start so your stomach is calm in the water. Eating and drinking is easiest on the bike, so most triathletes take in most of their carbohydrate there, following the general guidance for effort duration (Thomas et al., 2016).
During exercise: general guidance
For efforts of about 1 to 2.5 hours, general guidance lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour, and up to 90 g per hour for longer efforts, from any source (Thomas et al., 2016). For efforts under an hour, carbohydrate during exercise is usually not needed. Always try the amount and type of food in training first.
After exercise: recovery
According to the label, the Honey Bee Power gel is taken after exercise or physical exertion: 1 serving of 40 g. The authorised claim says carbohydrates contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function after very intensive or long-lasting exercise, with a total of 4 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight from all sources, in doses, within the first 4 hours (no later than 6 hours). One gel provides 29–32.8 g; the rest comes from food and drinks.
Carbohydrate for recovery
Enter your body weight and see how much carbohydrate you need in the first 4 hours after exercise, following the condition of the authorised claim.