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Running
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Vic Johnson shares the practical limits of high-carb strategies, discusses how carbohydrate needs can exceed what the gut can absorb, especially under heat and high intensity. Vic shares typical successful ranges, why hotter races and faster pacing worsen digestion, and emphasizes consistent intake over large boluses that can trigger GI issues. They discuss individualizing targets for mid-pack runners, finding a personal carb "cap" in training then scaling back for race day, sex differences (body size, culture, psychology), links between GI issues and disordered eating, the role of day-to-day carb intake in building intestinal transporters, and practical choices between drink mix vs gels.
Vic Johnson: mountainsportsnutrition.com | IG: @mountain.sports.dietitian
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Listen guide
"Episode 496: Fueling Your Ultra: Strategies & Challenges | Vic Johnson" is an episode of Human Performance Outliers Podcast with Zach Bitter. Runtime 1 hr 9 min. Published August 7, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.