Label math · Sport & Movement
Read the Carbohydrate Concentration
A label gives grams and milliliters. A small calculation makes formats easier to compare without guessing from the package.
Different bottles list carbohydrate in different serving volumes. The grams alone do not show concentration. The volume alone does not show the amount consumed.
Use the published calculation
USADA’s 2026 guide gives this formula: grams of carbohydrate divided by milliliters of serving, multiplied by 100. Its worked example is 25 g in 340 ml, which equals 7.4%.
To see what the volume changes, hold the carbohydrate amount still in an illustrative calculation: 25 g in 500 ml would be 25 ÷ 500 × 100 = 5.0%. The first figure belongs to USADA’s example. The second is arithmetic only, not a second product label or a suggestion to change the mixing instructions. Same grams, different concentration.
Compare the prepared drink
For a powder or concentrate, use the manufacturer’s prepared serving volume. Changing the water amount changes the concentration, so an unprepared scoop is not a comparable finished drink.
Keep the conclusion narrow
The result describes carbohydrate concentration. It does not establish that a product will improve an individual’s performance, comfort, or health.
Keep the denominator attached
Copy the carbohydrate grams and the volume that belongs to those grams. If the panel gives two servings per bottle, decide whether you are comparing one serving or the whole bottle before doing the division. Do not divide the bottle’s total grams by one serving’s volume.
For powders and concentrates, the final drink is the relevant object. Use the manufacturer’s stated prepared volume before calculating. A scoop in a tub is not a beverage, and changing the water amount creates a different concentration from the one in the instructions. This arithmetic describes the drink on paper; it cannot tell you which concentration suits a person or an event.
Calculate the prepared serving
Use the prepared drink’s carbohydrate grams and prepared serving volume in the same calculation. This puts unlike package sizes on a comparable basis without making a claim about what any individual should drink.
- Carbohydrate grams for the stated serving
- Prepared volume in milliliters
- Manufacturer’s mixing direction for powder or concentrate
- A calculation kept separate from a personal performance claim
Concentration is a label calculation, not a recommendation. It helps a reader see the format more clearly and nothing more.
- USADA — Fueling for Performance, 2026 Nutrition Guide