Why Topping Up Your Carbs Is the Key to Better Recovery and Fresher Miles

The secret to staying fresh: Carbs before, during, and after your workouts

If you’ve ever wondered why some runs feel smooth and strong while others feel like a grind, the answer often comes down to one thing: carbohydrates.

For endurance athletes, carbs aren’t just race-day rocket fuel. They’re the foundation of day-to-day energy, training quality, and recovery. When you regularly “top up” glycogen stores—before, during, and after your workouts—you stay fresher, bounce back faster, and build the consistency that leads to real performance gains.

To dig deeper into why carb timing matters, we talked with athlete and coach Josh Rogerson from Tailwind Nutrition. Josh ran D1 cross country and track at the University of Northern Colorado and now races everything from ultras to 5Ks. He’s also a coach with the Kokopelli Racing Team, where he’s helped guide athletes to state and national titles. 

His philosophy is simple: the more consistently you can train, the better you become—and there’s no consistency without carbohydrates.

Why carbs count:

Glycogen is your body’s preferred fuel.

When glycogen dips, power, mood, and recovery all decline. Staying topped up prevents the “low-carb spiral” many athletes mistake for overtraining.

Carb timing matters. 

Simple carbs before training, a steady flow during, and replenishment afterward keep energy stable and improve workout quality.

Stay fresh, not fried. 

Consistent fueling reduces fatigue and injury risk and helps athletes feel sharp for the next session.

Tailwind’s simple, full-system fueling approach

• Pre-run: Half-serving of Endurance Fuel or High Carb Fuel for a light carb top-off.

• During: Endurance Fuel delivers steady, easy-to-absorb carbs to keep glycogen from nosediving.

• Post-run: Recovery Mix provides quick carbs + complete protein to refill and repair.

Before your workout: Prime the engine 

Starting a run under-fueled makes even easy miles feel harder than they should. Josh sees it constantly with athletes juggling work, school, and training. Luckily, there’s an easy fix. 

“For morning runs I like to sip on Endurance Fuel so I’m not training fasted. About half a bottle—4 to 6 oz—gives me a little carb top-off without any stomach sloshing,” he said.

A small pre-run dose of carbs helps:

• Improve endurance

• Reduce perceived effort

• Preserve glycogen

• Set you up for a more stable day afterward

During your workouts and long runs: Keep calm and carb on 

Once you hit 60–90 minutes—or high-intensity intervals—your body burns through glycogen fast. Without carbs, energy drops and both your form and pace can suffer significantly. 

“I sip on Endurance Fuel between intervals during jogging or standing rest,” Josh said. “It fuels the workout and jumpstarts recovery by keeping glycogen stores topped up.”

While running for the University of Northern Colorado, Josh learned how to fuel his workouts and long runs the hard way—by hitting the wall several times on his 20 mile long runs.

“At the time, I didn't know the importance of fueling and would not take carbs during these runs,” he said. “Some days I would barely survive and sometimes I would bonk, that feeling when your body runs out of carbs and slowing down or even walking is not a choice. I was often unable to train due to injuries.”

The fix for Josh turned out to be simple. He now fuels all his long runs with 30-60 grams of carbs an hour, which has kept him healthy, consistently putting up big miles and faster than ever. 

After your workout: Recover and refill the tank

Fun fact: Carbs matter just as much post-run as they do before and during. Replenishing glycogen helps reduce soreness, repair muscle, and stabilize energy through the rest of your day. When paired with protein, post-workout carbs not only accelerate repair, but increase your readiness for the next session.

The importance of post-workout carbohydrates goes beyond athletic performance. Athletes that incorporate 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight in the first 30-60 minutes post workout experience improved focus, energy levels and mood throughout the day, meaning they’re better able to accomplish their non-athletic goals as well. Cha-ching!

Josh said, “I work with athletes that have school or work after training, and it is very important that these athletes set themselves up for success with proper fueling for both their athletic and daily successes! Tailwind Endurance Fuel or Recovery Mix can be great tools to support an athlete's nutrition to help keep them fueled until they are able to get to their next meal.”

Consistency is the secret sauce 

At every level of the sport, success comes from stacking good days—not hammering one big workout.

“The most important thing in endurance sports (and maybe in life as well) is consistency,” Josh said. “No single workout is the most important, but rather stringing together consistent training over weeks, months, and years. The best way to get consistency is to fuel training and life. By making sure we fuel our bodies we decrease injury risk, increase performance, and definitely make the sport way more fun!”

Carbs make that possible. And Tailwind makes it easy to stay topped up—before, during, and after every run.