189 - How CARBS Fuel is Reshaping Sports Nutrition

Can a $2 Gel Revolutionize high-carb fueling for athletes? In today’s episode of the Dialed Health podcast, I dive into the story behind CARBS Fuel, a company that's making waves in the sports nutrition industry with their $2, 50-gram carbohydrate gel. Co-founders Gabe Multer (CEO) and Aaron Gouw (Chief Product Officer) share their journey of creating a product that aims to simplify and optimize high-carb fueling for athletes.  CARBS Fuel is on a mission to make effective fueling accessible and straightforward for athletes of all levels. By offering a high-quality, 50-gram carbohydrate gel at an affordable price point, they're challenging the notion that proper fueling has to be expensive and complicated. Overall, our conversation shows that you could change the way you think about fueling your athletic pursuits. CARBS Fuel is striving to help more athletes perform at their best. Find more from CARBS Fuel: Website: https://carbsfuel.com/  Instagram: @carbsfuel Find more from Derek Teel: Website: https://dialedhealth.com/  Instagram: @dialedhealth Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialedhealth  Thank you ⁠⁠⁠Buycycle.com⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this episode!Use code "DIALEDHEALTH" at checkout to save $100 on your purchase. What We Discuss:  01:42 - The start of CARBS Fuel and cracking into a competitive space 07:02 - Gabe and Aaron's connection before starting CARBS Fuel 09:10 - The starting point for formulating the gel 12:37 - Gabe's reasoning behind the $2 price point 15:12 - Aaron's process of formulating and testing the gel 21:02 - The two-year shelf life of CARBS Fuel gels without preservatives 26:40 - Balancing time between product improvement, packaging, and branding 29:53 - The team behind CARBS Fuel and Gabe's role as the only full-time employee 31:59 - Distribution through The Feed and direct-to-consumer sales 35:36 - The reasoning behind the 75g carbohydrate serving size for the drink mix 37:47 - The challenges of determining individual sodium needs 48:34 - Recommendations for implementing CARBS Fuel products into training 54:04 - The importance of training the gut to tolerate high carbohydrate intake 58:24 - The challenges of packaging design and form factors Key Takeaways: CARBS Fuel aims to make effective fueling more accessible and straightforward for athletes by offering a high-quality, 50-gram carbohydrate gel at an affordable price point of $2 per gel. Their goal is to challenge the notion that proper fueling has to be expensive and complicated. It’s important to gradually train your gut to tolerate high carbohydrate intake during exercise.  Creating the perfect gel formula and packaging involves overcoming numerous hurdles. From finding the right blend of ingredients to achieve the desired texture, flavor, and shelf life, to navigating the limitations of packaging options and patents, the co-founders share their insights into the complex process of bringing a new product to market in the competitive sports nutrition industry.