An ongoing Université de Montréal study tests maple syrup as a high carbohydrate endurance fuel. Learn how older athletes should evaluate these new findings.
On August 18, 2026, the Université de Montréal reported on an ongoing study testing maple syrup as a high carbohydrate endurance fuel. Jonathan Tremblay, a professor at the school of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, leads this research effort. The trial investigates whether diluted maple syrup can effectively meet the physiological demands of intense cycling. Rather than focusing on simple taste preferences, the project examines exact carbohydrate oxidation rates under heavy physical stress.
This research addresses a practical challenge for endurance athletes looking for natural food options. Historically, experts recommended an intake of approximately 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour for many trained athletes. Today, several international sports federations recommend 90 to 120 grams per hour during high level competition. The Union Cycliste Internationale is among the governing bodies formally supporting these higher targets for competitive events.
The primary mechanism being investigated involves the specific chemical composition of maple syrup. Maple syrup consists mainly of sucrose, which contains one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. It also provides smaller amounts of free glucose and fructose. After digestion, these sugars use completely separate intestinal absorption pathways. This dual pathway mechanism may allow greater total carbohydrate delivery than relying on a single glucose source.
Understanding how different sugars work together helps explain why athletes can potentially absorb more energy using mixed sources. Tremblay explained that increasing carbohydrate availability gives working muscles much more fuel. This metabolic process potentially reduces the need for the liver to release glucose from its own limited reserves. The ongoing research asks whether maple syrup provides these distinct physiological advantages during maximum effort events.
It is highly important to note that this is a dose response and oxidation study. It does not represent a direct head-to-head trial against specific commercial gels or sports drinks. A previous cross-sectional analysis from this exact laboratory in 2018 tested maple syrup at 60 grams per hour. That earlier analysis found no difference in time-trial performance between various carbohydrate sources, but participants were recreational athletes with widely varying responses.
The current research takes place at the Montreal Heart Institute EPIC Centre. The study successfully recruited 32 elite male cyclists through the Fédération des sports cyclistes du Québec. Each athlete must complete a strict laboratory protocol consisting of six total sessions. These required visits include a baseline glucose tolerance test, a VO2-max and familiarization session, and four weekly experimental rides.
During the rigorous experimental sessions, cyclists ride for two hours at exactly 65 percent of their VO2-max. Immediately after this sustained endurance effort, they complete a maximal 20-kilometre time trial. The researchers provide four randomized experimental conditions for these rides. The control condition utilizes sweetened water, while the experimental conditions use diluted maple syrup providing 60, 90, or 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
The research team uses a carbon-13 tracer to track energy usage precisely. They carefully analyze the exhaled carbon dioxide from each cyclist during the sustained effort. This sophisticated method allows them to distinguish carbohydrate consumed from the maple drink from carbohydrate drawn from the athletes own internal stores. The research funding comes from Producteurs et productrices acéricoles du Québec, Mitacs, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
For ambitious athletes over 35, evaluating new scientific findings requires a highly strategic mindset. Hitting my forties brought a harsh reality check regarding physical recovery limits. The track workouts were not getting slower, but the days after them felt significantly heavier. Respecting these physical changes is absolutely critical for long term athletic longevity.
Instead of forcing my old Tuesday and Thursday intensity schedule, I looked at the data on Masters athletes and muscle protein synthesis. I pushed my second hard session to Friday, allowing an extra forty-eight hours of low intensity recovery. My total weekly volume stayed the same, but the quality of my intervals skyrocketed.
That same deliberate adjustment applies to how we manage our endurance nutrition. The trend toward massive carbohydrate intake is tempting, but a recent review summary provides crucial context. The review reports that trained athletes may increase exogenous and whole body carbohydrate oxidation at intakes up to 120 grams per hour. Conversely, it explicitly states that intakes of 120 to 200 grams per hour currently lack scientific substantiation.
You should carefully consider the 120g per hour limit before adopting it for your own racing calendar. The Montréal researchers clearly state that evidence for benefits above 90 grams per hour remains mixed. Some recent studies have found no clear additional performance benefit beyond that specific level. The study team is explicitly looking to see if the performance response plateaus at these higher carbohydrate doses.
If you plan to experiment with real food for endurance, progressive physical testing is absolutely essential. The researchers note that 90 to 120 grams per hour is generally well tolerated by athletes who are already accustomed to consuming carbohydrate during exercise. A cyclist who rarely consumes fuel during training should definitely not jump to the 120 gram condition immediately. The research team is actively examining whether higher intakes create severe digestive tolerance problems.
Masters athletes should also remember that the reported participants are exclusively 32 elite male cyclists. These physiological findings may not transfer directly to recreational athletes, female competitors, or older adults. You must also consider the broader logistical needs of long distance endurance events. The available scientific reports focus on carbohydrate oxidation rather than a complete electrolyte replacement plan, meaning a diluted maple syrup drink would likely require added sodium.
Maple syrup is a scientifically plausible carbohydrate option that warrants careful testing, but older athletes should validate its digestive tolerance in training rather than treating it as an immediate replacement for proven commercial fuels.
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