AUTHOR=Reinhard Corinne , Galloway Stuart D. R. TITLE=Carbohydrate Intake Practices and Determinants of Food Choices During Training in Recreational, Amateur, and Professional Endurance Athletes: A Survey Analysis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.862396 DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.862396 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT=Carbohydrate (CHO) intake during exercise can optimize endurance performance. However, there is limited information regarding fueling practices of endurance athletes during training. Accordingly, an anonymous German-language online survey was circulated examining the determinants of CHO choices, and intake practices among runners, triathletes, and cyclists during training. Survey questions included predefined answers, and a Likert scale with response of CHO food choice intakes from 1=never to 5=always. 1081 endurance athletes (58.0% male, 68.6% aged 18-39 years) of varying competitive levels were included in the analysis. Overall, most athletes consumed a combination of commercial sport nutrition products and everyday foods (67.4%, n=729) with their primary reason that food-first was preferred, but in some exercise scenarios, commercial sport nutrition products were deemed more convenient (61.3%, n=447). Athletes consuming commercial sport nutrition products only (19.3%, n=209) most often valued their ease of intake during exercise (85.2%, n=178). Among those consuming everyday foods only (13.2%, n=143), the most common reason was the perceived importance of eating wholesome foods/natural ingredients (84.6%, n=121). Between the most frequently consumed CHO sources during training at low-to-moderate intensities (n=1032), sports drinks (mean±SD; 2.56±1.33) were consumed significantly more often than bananas (2.27±1.14, p<0.001), with no significant difference in intake frequency between bananas and traditional muesli/fruit/energy bars (2.25±1.14, p=0.616). Whereas during high intensities (n=1077), sports drinks (3.31±1.51) were significantly more often consumed than gels (2.79±1.37), and gels significantly more often than energy bars (2.43±1.28), all commercial sport nutrition products (all, p<0.001). Overall, 95.1% (n=1028) of all athletes consumed CHO during training at all exercise intensities, with males (n=602; 2.35±0.70) consuming significantly more often commercial sport nutrition products than females (n=424; 2.14±0.79, p<0.001); females consumed significantly more often everyday foods than males (1.66±0.47 vs. 1.54±0.42, p<0.001). Most athletes used mixed CHO forms during low-to-moderate (87.9%), and high exercise intensities (94.7%). 67.6% (n=731) of all athletes reported guiding their CHO intake rates during training by gut feeling. These large-scale survey findings suggest a preference of endurance athletes’ CHO intake during training in liquid form independent of exercise intensities and offer novel insights into CHO intake practices to guide sports nutrition strategies and education.