CARBOHYDRATE LOADING IN PERFORMANCE
Written by Anmol Rai. 22th February 2020
Editor: Apsana Rai
Dietary preparation is crucial, especially when you’re preparing for a strenuous physical event or sport. Carbohydrate loading’s significance especially lies in endurance events & sports. As an athlete who have played competitive football at high level for years, I understand how important carbohydrate loading preparation is for endurance based athletes. It is the right dietary preparation that will take your performance to another level.
What is Carbohydrate-loading?
Carb-loading in simple terms is basically increasing your intake of carbohydrate (main source of energy) to improve your athletic performance mainly for an endurance event or sport lasting 90 minutes or more. It is a diet strategy used predominantly by endurance athletes such as marathon runners, swimmers, triathlon athletes and sporting athletes such as footballers.
How does it work?
The aim of increasing intake of carbohydrate is to increase your carbs (energy) storage for you to be able to last the event without greatly affecting your performance. This ‘carbohydrate storage’ is called ‘Glycogen’.
During digestion, these carbohydrates are broken down into sugar. Then, sugar enters your bloodstream, after which it is transferred to individual cells to provide energy. The main source of energy is stored in the liver and muscles.
For day to day recreational activities, your body uses its existing energy stores, however, when you’re participating in a longer and more intensive endurance event, your body needs extra energy to keep you going. Makes sense, right?
Carbohydrate: Glucose & Fructose
In this context, it’s important to understand that carbohydrate consists of varying proportions of two main simple sugars, ‘Glucose’ and ‘Fructose’.
Main source of fructose (fruit juice) usually comes from plants, especially fruits and its well known quality is sweetness. Although fructose is metabolised in liver glycogen, it shows ineffectiveness in increasing muscle glycogen level. Carbs high in starch (a polymer of ‘glucose’) are usually the go-to and most effective option for carb-loading.
Other examples of high starch carbs are pasta, rice, potatoes, oats and bread, etc.
How to?
There are several types of carb-loading with different processes but all of them share the same concept of increasing carbohydrate intake. The most common and followed strategy is the “Classic 3 Day”:
Few days before the event, increase your carbohydrate intake by roughly 8-12 gram per kilogram of body weight. For example, I weigh 75 kg therefore if I increase it by 8 gram per kg of my body weight, I would have to consume 600gram of carbs a day, at least as close to that amount.
During this phase, cut down on foods high in ‘Fat’ in order to compensate for the amount of carbs you will be consuming. Avoid eating food that is high in both carbs and fat such as pasta sauces, cakes, cookies, etc.
Also during this phase prior to the event, cut down on your training level as effectiveness increases when tapering activity level and increasing carb intake.
Other Information
Carb-loading is not for everyone considering each individual’s dietary and physiological differences. If you’re unsure, consult with your GP or dietician to make sure if this is the right diet for you, especially if you suffer from certain conditions or diseases.
Do not rely just on carb-loading for your performance as there are many other factors that influence your athletic performance, such as your training, sleep, other dietary needs, hydration, etc. This is just A PART of the big preparation.
Reference:
Grant Tinsley, Phd. Carbs loading: How to do it + Common mistakes. Healthline Nutrition [Online]. 11 Feb, 2018. Available from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/carb-loading#section3. [Accessed 24 February 2020].
Carbohydrate-loading Diet. Mayo Clinic Staff. Nutritionist Pro 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrate-loading/art-20048518. [Accessed 24 February 2020].
Anmol Rai, Kinetic Steps
Personal Trainer & Online coach
Surrey, England, UK.
Phone: (+44) 7525293182
Email: [email protected]