Carbo Loading Simplified

T-5 days until the big show and we all know what that means. It's time to carbo-load. We're talking bout just gormandizing bagels, breads, rice, cereals and the best part, pastas. Gormandize?

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be eating so I asked my cousin who is studying to become a registered dietitian (RD) and writes the Foodie Balance. I told her I was regularly consuming between 2500 and 3000 calories/day. (Really? Gormandize?) She advised that I aim for 3000 calories, regular food groups but with heavy doses of whole grain pastas and bread. I found a real science-y article called the Science of Carbohydrate Loading. Without getting too deep in the weeds. Here's my take:

-The benefit: Muscles and the liver store carbs as glycogen and use it as a fuel reserve for extended (2+ hours) exercise.


-Risk if you don't: Unconditioned athletes can become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) in about 1 hour, 45 minutes if glycogen is not replaced during the exercise. Peterson also sites Prof Tim Noakes who claimed, "liver glycogen depletion and subsequent hypoglycemia [are] the primary factors affecting fatigue and performance during extended duration races and especially in instances where muscle glycogen levels are low as well." 


-A nutritional benefit of training: Conditioned athletes are able to hold more glycogen, increasing time to hypoglycemic fatigue. So if you haven't started training by this point, better get on that.


-When to start: Runners can start carbo-loading 2-3 days in advance of the race and carbohydrates should make up about 75% of the runner's diet. 


-The downside: The extra stored glycogen requires additional water, making the runner heavier, requiring more energy, slowing the runner down. A method to avoid this is to load to a lesser extent and drink carb/electrolyte loaded drinks during the race. 


-The other downside: Consuming a lot of carbs could upset your stomach. Not something you need on the road so eat small doses frequently.

So there you go. Sounds like you're going to need this glycogen one way or another. Hopefully your race has organized some Gatorade stations along the route or you can stop at a convenience store along the way. However you want to get that glycogen to your muscles is up to you. If you don't, this could be you.

Keep Training,
LSF