Science in Sport’s Beta Fuel system: developed for elite athletes, available to all
With its range of Beta Fuel products, Science in Sport has turned the world of sports nutrition on its head. The world leader in endurance nutrition is trusted by elite athletes, and developed the Beta Fuel range for the Ineos Grenadiers pro team, helping fuel them to stage wins, podiums and overall victories in the Tour de France – the world’s biggest bike race – since 2018. The key to that success? A revolutionary approach…
How does it work?
Studies carried out by SiS upturned accepted wisdom that athletes could only tolerate 90g of carbs per hour, instead revealing that not only was 120g possible but that this increase delivered a sizeable boost in performance. At the heart of Beta Fuel is a combination of maltodextrin and fructose, which use different transporters to carry glucose from the gut to the bloodstream. Combining the two at a ratio of 1:0.8 allows for greater carbohydrate delivery to muscles during exercise, therefore increasing how much carbohydrate is available to use.
Ready for some stats? This ratio has been proven to enhance total exogenous carbohydrate oxidation by 17%, boost average power output during 10 maximal sprint efforts by 3% and increase the percentage of ingested carbohydrate oxidised from 62% (in a 2:1 ratio) to 74%. So how do you achieve 120g of carbs per hour? Simply by mixing and matching from the four Beta Fuel products.
Fuelling Tour de France wins
It’s a no-brainer that the world’s leading sports nutrition brand should partner with the dominant team in 21st century pro cycling – Ineos Grenadiers. Their partnership has been a gamechanger. Chris Froome’s epic 80km solo ride on Stage 19 of the 2018 Giro d’Italia? Powered by Beta Fuel. Geraint Thomas’s heroic Tour de France victory in the same year? You guessed it… Beta Fuel.
Ineos stalwart Luke Rowe sums up the benefit: ‘Nutrition has evolved massively in recent years, and the biggest change is the knowledge behind what the individual athlete needs. The quality of SiS products is clear to see, plus they taste better.’
During the Tour de France, riders and teams scrutinise every millisecond, milligram and millilitre over 21 gruelling days of racing. Which is why Science in Sport’s own professionally accredited high-performance nutritionist Dr Marc Fell, is embedded with the team, with the job of making sure its riders are fuelled optimally throughout the race.
Energy, bottled
The key product used by both pros and everyday endurance riders is SiS Beta Fuel 80, an isotonic drinks powder that del
