{"podcast":{"title":"The Athlete's Compass","slug":"the-athlete-s-compass-6705232","podcast_index_feed_id":6705232,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-athletes-compass/","website_url":"https://athletica.ai/the-athletes-compass-podcast/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4dbd3845-ccb9-4e3d-b182-c607e86995df/E6BVQxOpbOH8MGosAXCNjhy4.jpg","author":"Athletica","episode_count":138,"summary":"The Athlete’s Compass Podcast is your compass for navigating endurance training and health. In this show, we explore the cardinal directions of training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset, delving into the dynamic relationship that drives athletic success. Athletes are more than numbers; they're individuals with unique lifestyles and mindset challenges. Coaches who understand these personal nuances play a vital role in their athletes' journey. While training details and data are important, tools like Athletica provide a solution to streamline the technicalities, allowing coaches to focus on the human connection which makes the human coaches the best they can be. Each week, renowned sports scientist and researcher Paul Laursen will be our teacher and guide as we break down training principles so you can understand how best to train for your sport! We take a no-bullshit and practical approach to support age-groupers, masters, and everyday cyclists, runners, and triathletes like you as you find your direction as an athlete. The hosts are Paul Laursen, sports scientist and founder of the Athletica.ai training platform, Marjana Rakai, coach, sports scientist, and triathlete, and Paul Wa…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-24T08:21:02.703077+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-athlete-s-compass-6705232"},"episode":{"title":"Carbs for Endurance: How Much Do You Actually Need?","slug":"carbs-for-endurance-how-much-do-you-actually-need","published_at":"2026-05-07T19:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-athlete-s-compass-6705232/carbs-for-endurance-how-much-do-you-actually-need","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-athlete-s-compass-6705232","url":"https://athletica.ai/the-athletes-compass-podcast/carbs-for-endurance-how-much-do-you-actually-need","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/3962dda2-70f0-4bde-b713-b4fed277f80c.mp3","summary":"In this episode of The Athletes Compass , Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen unpack the current high-carb fueling trend in elite endurance sport, sparked by reports of top marathoners consuming 100–120 grams of carbohydrate per hour. The conversation challenges the traditional idea that carb intake primarily boosts performance by sparing muscle glycogen, instead highlighting emerging research suggesting that even small amounts of carbohydrate may work mainly by protecting blood glucose and preventing hypoglycemia. They explore whether high-frequency carb dosing may act more like a brain signal or “performance unlock,” why everyday athletes should be cautious about copying elite fueling strategies, and why training fundamentals still matter far more than gels, shoes, or marginal gains. Key Takeaways Carbohydrates do improve endurance performance compared with placebo, but the mechanism may not be simple “more fuel equals more speed.” Emerging research discussed in the episode suggests that preventing low blood sugar may be more important than sparing muscle glycogen. Very high carb intakes, such as 90–120g per hour, are being used by some elite marathoners, cyclists, and triathletes, but that does not automatically mean they are right for everyday athletes. High carb dosing may have a brain-mediated or mouth-rinse-like effect, potentially signaling that energy is available and allowing athletes to access another “gear.” More carbohydrate can sometimes increase glycogen use rather than spare it, which complicates the traditional fueling model. High doses of carbohydrate may increase the risk of gastrointestinal distress, especially when not practiced in training. For many age-group and masters athletes, a more moderate fueling approach may be safer and more practical. Th…","meta_description":"In this episode of The Athletes Compass , Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen unpack the current high-carb fueling trend in elite endurance sport, sparked…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2154,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-athlete-s-compass-6705232/episodes/carbs-for-endurance-how-much-do-you-actually-need/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-athlete-s-compass-6705232/carbs-for-endurance-how-much-do-you-actually-need.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}