Carb Loading.
Carbohydrate loading (carb loading) is a method that has been practiced by endurance athletes for a few decades now. The idea behind carb loading is to increase carbohydrate consumption, usually complex carbohydrates, 12-72 hours prior to competition.
Carb loading can improve performance during high-intensity endurance exercise. If you are competing for 90 minutes or more, carb loading could possibly improve your performance.
Carbohydrates: Fueling the body.
Foods that you eat contain a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All three of these nutrients supply the calories your body uses for energy, but carbohydrates is the primary source of energy.
Carbohydrates can be found in grains, vegetables and legumes, and are also found in sweets including fruits and dairy products. A gram of carbohydrate contains four calories.
During the process of digestion, your body takes carbohydrates and converts it into sugar. The sugar then enters the blood stream and is transferred in to individual cells to provide energy. Your body may not require all the energy immediately, so extra sugar is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen.
Carb-loading: Storing extra energy for endurance.
The muscles in your body usually store small amounts of glycogen which is used as energy for you to perform your day to day functions. When you start exercising at high-intensity or for periods longer than 90 minutes, your muscles start to run out of glycogen, and your stamina and performance diminish.
By increasing the amount of carbohydrates intake while decreasing the amount of exercise you do, it forces your muscles to store more glycogen. An increase in glycogen stores in your muscles results with a boost in your endurance.
Carb Loading: Improve performance.
Like training for each individual sport in a triathlon, nutrition is something that also needs to be incorporated throughout your training and not just the week before your competition. When you are swimming in a pool doing drills, your body learns and recognizes each movement through muscle memories and that allows you improve and become more efficient in your strokes. By having a carbohydrate-rich diet throughout your training, this allows your body to learn to use the carbohydrates more efficiently. The rule of thumb is to aim for a daily diet containing about 3 grams of carbohydrates for every pound you weigh.
During the week before your event:
1. Reduce exercise. In order to retain the a large amount of glycogen in your muscles, endurance athletes start to taper the amount of exercise leading up to race day. This doesn’t mean quite all exercise. By gradually decreasing the amount of exercise you do throughout the last week will help to avoid any muscle stiffness. The last day – day and a half you can be a “rest” day, depending on the distance of your completion.
2. Carb-Load. Here where you want to increase your carbohydrates to maximize the glycogen stores in your muscles for race day. The key is to increase carbohydrates while decreasing foods higher in fat to compensate for the additional carbohydrates. Aim for 60-70% carbohydrates; 15-20% fat; 10-15% protein. Foods you want to eat: whole-grain pastas and breads._______________________________
Even if you’ve loaded up on carbohydrates, you still need to keep them coming while you’re exercising to maintain your blood sugar levels. Try to drink 5 to 8 ounces of a carbohydrate-containing sports drink every 15 minutes while you’re exercising; drink more if it’s hot outside.
Carb Loading: Potential drawbacks.
Things to look out for when carb loading are:
1. Weight gain. You are slowing down on you exercise while increasing your carbohydrates intake. While consuming more carbohydrates you are increasing the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles, but it also helps the body retain extra water.
2. Change in Digestion. Foods high in fiber should perhaps be avoided the last couple of days leading up to race day. These foods then to encourage bowl movements, and might also cause gassy cramps and bloating discomfort.
3. Blood sugar changes. Since the body converts the carbohydrates into sugar it can affects the blood sugar levels if you are diabetic. Consulting a doctor or dietitian can be extremely beneficial where they will be able to create a program that is specifically tailored to you.
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