Avoid These 4 Common Fueling Mistakes

Whether you're pushing watts, chasing miles, or grinding through intervals, your body needs the right fuel to perform at its best. But even the strongest athletes can sabotage their efforts with poor fueling choices. The good news? Avoiding these common mistakes is easier than you think. Here’s how to fuel smarter, stay energized, and keep your gut happy with a little help from Skratch Labs.

Mistake #1: Under-Fueling and Bonking Hard

You’re deep into your ride or run, feeling good—until you’re not. Your legs turn to lead, your brain gets foggy, and suddenly, every mile feels impossible. That’s bonking, and it happens when you don’t give your body enough carbohydrates to sustain your effort.

How to Fix It:

• Start fueling early and consistently. Aim for 30-90g of carbohydrates per hour, depending on intensity and duration.
• Use real food and simple, ingredients to keep your gut happy and your energy steady.
• Skratch Labs Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix is an easy way to hit your carb targets without gut distress.

Cyclist-Specific Fix: If you're heading out for a long ride, stash a mix of Energy Chews or some Homemade Rice Cakes in your jersey pocket. Plan to take in fuel every 15-20 minutes instead of waiting until fatigue sets in. Pair your fuel with a scoop of our Hydration Sport Drink Mix to keep both your energy and fluid levels stable.

Runner-Specific Fix: Running with a full stomach is uncomfortable, but waiting too long to refuel can lead to a crash. Try sipping on Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix in a handheld bottle or fueling with Energy Chews every 30-40 minutes. For marathon training, practice your fueling plan on long runs to avoid surprises on race day.

Mistake #2: Over-Fueling and the Gut Bomb

Too much of a good thing can wreck your performance. Overloading on gels, candy, chews, or sugary drinks or even other foods can leave you bloated, nauseous, or worse—running for the nearest porta-potty.

How to Fix It:

• Fuel gradually—don’t slam all your carbs at once.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners and excess sugar that can cause GI distress.
• Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix provides the right balance of electrolytes and natural ingredients to keep hydration levels up without the sugar overload.

Cyclist-Specific Fix: If you're experiencing gut distress on long rides, try switching to a lower concentration of your drink mix and spacing out solid food intake. Alternate between Hydration Sport Drink Mix and water to prevent overloading your stomach, and opt for smaller, more frequent bites of real food like Homemade Rice Cakes instead of consuming large amounts all at once.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Hydration Until It’s Too Late

Dehydration sneaks up fast, and once you’re behind, it’s tough to recover. Even a 2% loss in body weight from sweat can tank performance (1). If you’re feeling sluggish, cramping, or lightheaded, dehydration is likely the culprit.

How to Fix It:

• Preload hydration before long workouts or races.
• Sip fluids consistently instead of chugging.
• Use Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix or Everyday Drink Mix for a light and effective way to stay ahead of dehydration.

Cyclist-Specific Fix: If you’re heading out for a ride lasting over two hours, start hydrating well the day before with Everyday Drink Mix. On the bike, aim to sip 16-24 oz of Skratch Hydration Sport Drink Mix per hour, adjusting for heat and sweat rate. If you tend to forget, set a timer on your cycling computer as a reminder.

Runner-Specific Fix: Runners can’t always carry large amounts of fluid, so plan ahead. For long runs, stash bottles along your route or plan stops at water fountains. For everyday hydration, incorporate Skratch’s Hydration Everyday Drink Mix to ensure you’re starting workouts in a well-hydrated state. On long runs, use a soft flask with Hydration Sport Drink Mix and take small sips frequently. If you can’t carry much, plan to loop past hydration points or coordinate with a training partner to have fluids available when needed.

Mistake #4: Waiting Too Long to Refuel After a Hard Effort

Your workout doesn’t end when you stop moving—recovery starts the moment you finish. Delaying refueling can lead to prolonged muscle soreness, slower glycogen replenishment, and suboptimal adaptations. Your body is primed to absorb nutrients immediately after exercise, making it the perfect time to kickstart recovery.

How to Fix It:

• Aim to refuel within 30-60 minutes post-workout.
• Focus on a mix of carbohydrates and protein to replenish glycogen and support muscle repair.
• Skratch Labs Recovery Drink Mix provides the ideal ratio of carbs and protein to jumpstart recovery without artificial additives.

Cyclist-Specific Fix: After a long ride, rehydrate with Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix, then follow up with a Recovery Drink Mix or a whole-food meal with lean protein and complex carbs. Prepping a post-ride snack in advance ensures you don’t skip refueling.

Runner-Specific Fix: Running can be tough on muscles, making protein intake essential post-run. If solid food isn’t appealing right away, sip on Recovery Drink Mix for an easy, digestible option. Pair it with Everyday Drink Mix throughout the day to maintain hydration and optimize muscle repair.

Training isn’t just about logging miles—it’s about fueling them. Mess up your hydration or under-fuel, and suddenly, you're running on fumes. But get it dialed? That’s when the magic happens.At Skratch Labs, we keep it simple: real ingredients, real science, and no-nonsense—just the fuel your body actually needs. Whether it’s Hydration Sport Drink Mix, Super High-Carb Drink Mix, or Everyday Hydration, we’ve got you covered from start to finish. Dial in your nutrition plan with guidance from our Performance Dietitian Team, and explore our full lineup of hydration and fueling solutions - shoot them a message [email protected].

Citations:

Armstrong et al. 1985; Craig and Cummings 1966; Maughan 1991; Sawka and Pandolf 1990

Burke L, Deakin V, Minehan M. Clinical Sports Nutrition. McGraw-Hill Education/Australia; 2024.

Décombaz, J., R. Jentjens, M. Ith, F. Scheurer, T. Buehler, A. Jeukendrup, and C. Boesch (2011). Fructose and galactose enhance postexercise human liver glycogen synthesis. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 43:1964-1971.

Jeukendrup AE, Gleeson M. Sport Nutrition. 4th ed. Human Kinetics; 2025.

Jeukendrup, A.E. (2011) Nutrition for endurance sports: Marathon, triathlon, and road cycling. J. Sports Sci. 29:S91-S99.

Karpinski C, Rosenbloom C. Sports Nutrition: A Handbook for Professionals. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; 2017.

Podlogar T, Wallis GA. New horizons in carbohydrate research and application for endurance athletes. Sports Med. 2022 Dec;52(Suppl 1):5-23. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01757-1. Epub 2022 Sep 29. PMID: 36173597; PMCID: PMC9734239.

Podlogar, T., and G.A. Wallis (2022). New horizons in carbohydrate research and application for endurance athletes. Sports Med. In press.

Podlogar, T., S. Cirnski, S. Bokal, N. Verdel, and J. Gonzalez (2022a). Addition of fructose to a carbohydrate-rich breakfast improves cycling endurance capacity in trained cyclists. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. In press.

Podlogar, T., S. Bokal, S. Cirnski, and G.A. Wallis (2022b). Increased exogenous but unaltered endogenous carbohydrate oxidation with combined fructose-maltodextrin ingested at 120 g·h-1 versus 90 g·h-1 at different ratios. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. In press.

Sawka M.N., Burke L.M., Eichner E.R., Maughan R.J., Montain S.J., Stachenfeld N.S. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2007;39:377–390. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597.