Before
Easy-to-digest carbs, sodium, and fluids so you start topped off.
Fuel your long sessions cleanly
Homemade endurance fuel for real-food athletes.
Gluten-free, seed-oil-free, no-refined-sugar recipes for before, during, and after workouts—with calories, carbs, sodium, potassium, and practical fueling notes.
Carbs per hour calculator
Find your starting fuel target.
Endurance fueling is personal, but most athletes do better with a clear range to practice. Enter your workout details and use the result as a training starting point—not a race-day surprise.
General sports nutrition guidance commonly starts around 30–60g carbs per hour for exercise beyond 60–70 minutes, with higher intakes practiced for longer or harder events.
Built for the sport
Fuel content that feels like it belongs in transition.
The site now leans into real triathlon energy: race mornings, long rides, finish lines, and the tiny decisions that keep an athlete moving when the session gets honest.
What this is
Clean fuel for the work around the workout.
During
Homemade bottles, bites, gels, and chews for long rides and runs.
After
Recovery meals with carbs, protein, minerals, and real ingredients.
Practice
Simple notes help athletes train their gut before race day.
Inside each recipe
Photos and videos can drop in later. The fuel system starts now.
Carb targets
Each recipe shows estimated carbs per serving so athletes can stack fuel intentionally.
Sodium
Electrolyte estimates for hot, sweaty, or long sessions.
Potassium
Whole-food mineral support from coconut water, fruit, potatoes, and more.
Gluten-free
Built without gluten-containing grains or additives.
No seed oils
Real-food fats like avocado, butter, ghee, coconut, and olive oil.
Swaps
Notes for texture, flavor, tolerance, heat, and race-day practice.
Media-ready
Recipe cards include placeholders for your future photos and videos.
Starter recipe library
Before, during, and after workout fuel.
Nutrition estimates per serving
The recipes here are original starter concepts. Exact nutrition depends on brands, measurements, and serving size.
Fuel formats
Homemade options for every kind of session.
Build a bottle for the bike, a soft bite for a long ride, a gentle pre-run smoothie, or a recovery bowl that actually feels like food.
Carb bottles
Coconut water, fruit purée, maple, honey, citrus, and salt.
Real-food gels
Date, banana, maple, and sea salt blends for flasks.
Bike snacks
Rice cakes, date bites, salted potatoes, and soft bars.
Pre-workout
Simple carbs with low fiber when digestion needs to be calm.
Recovery
Carbs plus protein to replenish, repair, and get ready for the next session.
Coming next
A weekly clean-fuel guide for training blocks.
Keep the $8.99/month structure if you want: subscribers can receive weekly recipe drops, long-session bottle formulas, grocery lists, macro breakdowns, and race-prep fuel practice notes.
“The goal is fuel that performs well and still feels like food.”
The Clean Prep Hour Athlete Fuel
$8.99/month
- Weekly clean-fuel recipe guide
- Before / during / after workout options
- Calories, carbs, sodium, potassium
- Long-ride and long-run bottle ideas
- Grocery and prep notes
- Photo + video recipe slots
- Ingredient links as available
Payment link placeholder for now.
Lead magnet
Get a free long-ride fuel guide.
Offer a sample PDF with three homemade bottle recipes, sodium notes, and a printable workout fueling chart.
A note from Melanie
For athletes who want performance without the mystery packet.
I built this because I wanted clean, practical fueling options that fit the way I actually eat: gluten-free, seed-oil-free, no refined sugar, and focused on real ingredients.
Sports nutrition can feel either ultra-processed or wildly vague. The Clean Prep Hour is meant to sit in the middle: simple homemade fuel, useful numbers, and enough structure to practice before race day.
Melanie
Good to know
Fuel questions, answered.
Is this actually sugar-free?
For endurance fuel, the site avoids refined and processed sugar but still uses performance carbohydrates from fruit, coconut water, maple syrup, honey, dates, rice, potatoes, and similar real-food sources.
Is everything gluten-free and seed-oil-free?
Yes. The recipes are designed without gluten or industrial seed oils. Always verify individual packaged ingredients if cross-contact matters for you.
How accurate are the nutrition numbers?
They are estimates based on typical ingredients and serving sizes. Final published recipes should be recalculated with exact brands and measurements.
How many carbs per hour do triathletes need?
It depends on duration, intensity, size, gut tolerance, and race goals. Many athletes start around 30–60g/hour for longer sessions and practice higher intakes for longer or harder events.
What about sodium?
Sodium needs vary dramatically by sweat rate, heat, and how salty your sweat is. The calculator gives a starting range, but real-world testing matters.
Can I use this for race day?
Only after practicing in training. Nothing new on race day, especially with homemade fuel.
Do you use affiliate links?
Some links may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Is this medical advice?
No. It is general education for healthy athletes. Work with a qualified sports dietitian or clinician for personalized needs.
Not ready just yet?
Join the athlete fuel list.
Get occasional clean fueling ideas, recipe drops, and launch notes.