The Candy Calculator You Didn’t Know You Needed
After a long season of training, choking down another gel can feel a little grim. Luckily, brightly colored good news is lining your local grocery store aisles! With a little preparation, candy can absolutely stand in for sports fuel—gummies, jelly beans, chewy candies, you name it. Take advantage of the post-holiday sales, the trick or treating haul you’ve been “protecting”, and the rampant circulating holiday sugar that we’ll all encounter over the next few months. Now is the perfect time to try a few new options during your training sessions and see what brings you joy (and what your gut can really tolerate). If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “Wait, how many nerd clusters make up 60 grams of carbs?” — congratulations, you’re my kind of athlete.
I built the Candy Carb Calculator to make fueling simpler and a little more fun. It’s a spreadsheet that lets you set your hourly carb target, plug in your favorite ride or run fuels, whether that’s precision-engineered gels or neon-colored worms from the gas station, and instantly see how many pieces it takes to hit your goal.
Because let’s be honest: sometimes the hardest part of training isn’t the workout itself… it’s trying to do nutrition math mid-ride while sticky, sweaty, and slightly feral.
How It Works
Set your hourly target — pick your magic number (60, 75, 90g/hour).
Add your favorite products — gels, chews, candy, maple syrup packets… whatever fuels your fire.
Let the calculator do the math — it’ll show you how much you need per hour to stay fueled and happy.
Add notes — things like “tastes like victory”, “sticky mistake”, or “perfect for cold rides.” Your future self will thank you.
It’s simple, colorful, and almost definitely the most fun spreadsheet you’ll use this season.
Why I Made It
Athletes are great at precision — sometimes to the point of making things complicated that don’t need to be. Fueling shouldn’t feel like another endurance event.
Yes, we’re talking about glycogen, absorption rates, and fueling windows.
But we’re also talking about gummy butterflies.
The Candy Carb Calculator is a small reminder that performance and joy can (and should) coexist. It helps you learn what actually works for your body.
Ready to Play?
If you want access to the Candy Carb Calculator — along with more Red Arrow tools, training insights, and the occasional well-timed snack recommendation —
Join the Red Arrow Newsletter
Because fueling should be fun, training should make sense, and spreadsheets should absolutely include candy.
