Carb loading

Dazzza

How do you go about doing this, i have an event coming up sunday and im thinking about starting on the friday. Does this sound good?

Anonymous

No.

Eat a bowl of porridge or other low GI breakfast 3 hours before the event starts and keep refuelling little and often (once an hour works for me) during the event.

YMMV.

oldwelshman

Don't over do it, just have a pasta meal night befoe and like Nap said for morning.

softlad

Dazzza wrote:

How do you go about doing this,

1. lift spoon to mouth
2. open mouth
3. shovel food in

that's generally how it's done...

Pokerface

The 'theory' goes that you starve yourself of carbs for a few days, then pile them on right before your event.

Complete waste of time.

Eat smart and healthy up to the day of your event and have a good breakfast on the morning. As NapD suggested - porridge is great as it will release carbs slowly over the next few hours and keep refueling during your event.


"Several methods for carbohydrate loading have been described in the literature. The most familiar method is the traditional “glycogen stripping” or carbohydrate-depletion/carbohydrate loading method.

This method basically involves the athlete exercising to exhaustion the sixth day before a major competition and for the next three days consuming a high protein-fat, low carbohydrate diet (less than 10% total energy). On day three the athlete again exercises to exhaustion but for the following three days consumes a high carbohydrate diet (90%).

The aim of this method is to severely deplete the glycogen reserves of the body to cause a “super compensation” effect in carbohydrate stores. Research has demonstrated however, that this glycogen stripping method may not in fact be necessary to achieve optimal carbohydrate saturation in well-trained individuals and that this super compensation effect may not even occur.

Studies have demonstrated that athletes simply consuming a high carbohydrate diet (75%) for three days prior to competition resulted in carbohydrate stores comparable to those individuals who performed the glycogen stripping method. In addition, the amount of training performed before the start of the traditional regime has little effect on the resulting carbohydrate stores. Therefore, a well-conditioned athlete may need to do little more than consume a higher quantity of carbohydrates in the three days before competition to receive full benefit."

Dazzza

That's the answer i was looking for pokerface, that was exactly what i had in mind.

So it's all a muchness then, good job i have all that riding to fall back on then.

Nice reply softlad.

SteveR_100Milers

I have the following carbo load the day before a race is

water before
2 mins 30 at L4/L5
30s at L6
Consume electrolyte / carb drink during

Post event 3:1 carb / protein smoothie, then a consume carbs over following 24 hours.

JabbaTheHut

NapoleonD wrote:

porridge

I think we have a winner!

JimmyK

JabbaTheHut wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

porridge

I think we have a winner!

but porridge tastes horrendous, how do you make it appealing ?

Dazzza

JimmyK wrote:

JabbaTheHut wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

porridge

I think we have a winner!

but porridge tastes horrendous, how do you make it appealing ?

Cinnamon, nutmeg, nesquik take your pick.

Well event is tomorrow, and im well rested lets hope the weather holds.

SteveR_100Milers

well, my version seemed to have worked ok...

stratcat

JimmyK wrote:

JabbaTheHut wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

porridge

I think we have a winner!

but porridge tastes horrendous, how do you make it appealing ?

spoon of honey and a handful of dried fruit 8)

Anonymous

Agave nectar.

Low GI

Perfect in porridge.

AntiShaver

Carb loading needs to start a couple of days before not the night/morning of the race. A good link I have come across is on the AIS website and have used its advice effectively for races up to 24hrs.

Dazzza

NapoleonD wrote:

Agave nectar.

Low GI

Perfect in porridge.

Oddly tastes like rust to me.

+1 on the honey, i get it local, far far better than shop bought.