Hill intervals are where your heart rate rises, your legs work, and you train your ability to sustain a high effort when the road goes uphill. It can feel hard, which is why it can be beneficial to plan your energy intake so you can better maintain a steady effort from the first to the last repetition.
Here you get a concrete guide to how you can plan your energy before, during, and after hill intervals. The goal is to have a practical strategy so you can keep even pressure on the pedals and have enough energy left for the final repetitions.
Why hill intervals require extra energy
Hill intervals are targeted, intensive training. You work against gravity at high intensity and often close to your VO2 max or FTP. This means, among other things, that:
- The body primarily uses carbohydrate as fuel
- Calorie expenditure per minute is typically higher than during easy riding on flat roads
- Each repetition can help reduce glycogen stores in the muscles
Intervals around 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, which you often reach on longer hills, can help develop your aerobic capacity and your ability to work at high intensity when you can keep the intensity stable throughout the entire session. That is why it can be relevant to have an energy plan that matches the workload.
If you get too little energy along the way, you will typically experience:
- Decreasing watts, especially in the final sets
- Heavy legs and more difficulty increasing the pace at the top
- Less stable technique, for example fluctuating cadence or more riding out of the saddle, which can increase the load
That is why it often comes down to two things: carbohydrate for the work in the muscles as well as fluid and electrolytes for fluid balance.
Before the hill interval session
What you do in the hours before training affects how you experience the session when the road points upward. A suitable intake of carbohydrate can make it easier to maintain a consistent effort during the intervals.
How to eat 1 to 3 hours before
If you have eaten a regular meal two to three hours before training, for example rye bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes combined with a little protein and fat, your glycogen stores are usually well supported for a 45 to 75-minute hill interval session.
If you train early, or if a long time has passed since your last meal, you can benefit from:
- Eating a smaller carbohydrate-rich snack meal 60 to 90 minutes before, for example fruit, a bun with honey, or oatmeal
- Supplementing with liquid carbohydrate in the hours leading up to training, for example a light mix of energy powder in your drinking bottle
A concrete choice could be Carbo Race Electrolyte in your bottle if you want a practical way to get carbohydrate and electrolytes in connection with a hard session. You can see options for carbohydrate-based energy products.
Caffeine used thoughtfully
For some, caffeine can contribute to increased alertness and make the perceived effort feel lower at the same wattage. Many choose caffeine 30 to 60 minutes before the first interval.
- Start cautiously if you are not used to caffeine in connection with training
- Practice both with and without caffeine so you find out what suits you
Energy during hill intervals
During the session itself, it may be relevant to aim for a steady intake of carbohydrate while also getting fluid and electrolytes. This can help you more easily maintain a consistent effort in both the first and last interval.
Gels for quick energy on the hills
Energy gels can be practical for hill intervals because they contain rapidly available carbohydrates and are easy to consume, even when the pace is high. They take up minimal space in your pockets and can be taken both before and between intervals.
A simple plan could be:
- One gel 5 to 10 minutes before the first hard interval
- Then approximately one gel every 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the length and intensity of the session
You can find different variants of energy gels for hill intervals.
Chews as energy in small bites
If you prefer to chew your energy or prefer small doses at a time, energy chews can be an alternative. They are easy to handle on the descents between intervals.
- Eat one to two pieces on each descent as part of the active recovery
- Use them as a supplement to or instead of gels, depending on what your stomach handles best
A concrete example is PurePower Chews, which are developed to be easy to chew, even when your heart rate is high: energy chews you can dose between intervals
Sports drink when you want to combine energy and fluid
If you are doing many repetitions or riding in warm conditions, a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink can be a practical solution where you get carbohydrate, fluid, and salts in the same drink.
- Drink small sips during the breaks to support a steady intake of fluid and carbohydrate
- Replace some of the salt you sweat out through the electrolyte content
Carbo Race Electrolyte is an example of a sports drink that can suit both short and longer sessions where you ride intensively on the hills.
If you want a more general strategy for short and hard cycling sessions, you can read this guide: guide to cycling under 60 minutes
Example energy plan for 60 minutes of hill intervals
Below you can see an example of how a hill session of about one hour can be structured, and how you can place your energy intake along the way.
- 15 minutes easy warm-up
- Six repetitions of three minutes uphill at 90 to 100 percent of FTP with three minutes of easy descending between each
- 10 to 15 minutes cool-down
A simple energy plan could look like this:
Before training
- Light meal one to three hours before training
- 250 to 500 milliliters of water or mild energy drink before you get on the bike
Warm-up from 0 to 15 minutes
- Small sips of water or Carbo Race during the warm-up
- One gel about 5 to 10 minutes before the first interval, if you use gels
During the intervals
- Drink small sips on the way down the hills
- Choose either one to two gels spread across the whole session or one pack of chews, where you take two to three pieces during each or every other break
After the last interval
- Drink the rest of the bottle during your cool-down
- Plan a good meal after training so you support normal recovery for your next training session
If you only want to bring one type of energy, you can for example:
- Use only gels, with one before the first interval and one halfway through, plus water or a light electrolyte drink in your bottle
- Use only sports drink with a slightly higher concentration of carbohydrate and take small sips at each break
If your stomach reacts along the way, you can:
- Reduce the amount per intake and instead take smaller amounts more often
- Avoid mixing too many products at once until you know what works best for you
You can read more about how to plan your energy for different types of cycling training here: how to plan energy for cycling
Fluid and electrolytes for the final repetitions
On hot days or on the indoor trainer, you may find that you lack surplus energy even though you have consumed both food and gels. In some cases, this can be connected to fluid and electrolytes.
- You lose fluid through sweat
- You lose electrolytes such as sodium and magnesium
Low fluid and salt intake can be associated with, among other things:
- A greater feeling of fatigue
- Higher heart rate at the same wattage
- More tendency toward cramps in some people
Here, products with electrolytes can be included as part of your plan. For example, you can:
- Mix water with Hydro Tabs if you primarily get energy from gels or chews
- Use a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink if you want both carbohydrate and electrolytes in the same bottle
See the selection of electrolytes for fluid balance.
If you want to dive deeper into what electrolytes mean for your training, you can read this guide: everything you need to know about electrolytes
After the hill interval session
When you have finished a hard hill session, you have typically used both energy and fluid. The next step is to prioritize food and fluid so you are ready again.
- Eat a meal with both carbohydrate and protein within a couple of hours after training
- Top up your fluid balance again with water and possibly electrolytes if you have sweated a lot
- Listen to your body and plan an easier day after particularly heavy interval sessions to support an appropriate training load
If hill intervals are a regular part of your training, it can make sense to look at your overall sports nutrition for cycling. Here you will find sports nutrition for cycling and other endurance athletes.
How to get stable energy for hill intervals
An energy and hydration strategy for hill intervals does not have to be complicated. The most important thing is that you have a plan you have tested in training and that suits you and your stomach.
- Make sure you have a solid carbohydrate foundation before you start
- Use fast-absorbing carbohydrates such as gels or chews when the intensity is high
- Combine with fluid and electrolytes so you can better maintain a consistent effort on the final repetitions
- Keep your energy plan simple and adjust it as you get to know your body better
With a well-thought-out plan for energy and fluid, you can complete your hill intervals with good quality and work purposefully toward your sporting goals.