Carbohydrate Loading

Endurance athletes, e.g. marathon runners, rely on their stores of glycogen as a source of energy during competition. Carbohydrate loading is a legal method of boosting the amount of glycogen in the body prior to a competition.

What is the process?

Six days prior to a competition, the process begins.

• For the first three days the athlete consumes minimal carbohydrate and exercises so as to deplete the bodies glycogen stores
• In the last three days the athlete consumes primarily carbohydrate and reduces the training load

So what is the theory?

At the end of day three, the body will think that there is a problem with its glycogen stores and that it should store more glycogen than normal.

In the last three days, when the athlete consumes carbohydrate, the body will replenish the glycogen stores and top them up with a little bit extra.

Caution

In the first three days, ensure adequate carbohydrates (about 60grm per day) are consumed to maintain the functioning of several important system in the body.

In the last three days the diet should be primarily carbohydrate, do not over eat, but you do need to consume adequate protein, minerals, vitamins and fluid. You will find that you will need to consume larger amounts of fluid than normal. Monitor your urine, it should be clear, to ensure you are drinking sufficient.

If you decide to try carbohydrate loading then try it in stages during your training. Start with depletion, low carbohydrate diet for one day, high carbohydrate diet. If no adverse effects then extend the period of the low carbohydrate diet to a maximum of three days. Keep a detailed log of what you do and what happens.

The bad news

Some potential side effects are:

• Muscle stiffness
• Diarrhea
• Chest Pain
• Depression
• Lethargy

Carbo Loading for that Extra Edge If someone claimed you could gain an immediate increase in energy and performance simply by altering your daily diet, would you believe them? Well, if it were me, I would ask for more details. Suppose they offered to back their claim with scientific evidence from Scandinavian clinicians and physiologists? What if this diet was tested by several groups of Swedish cross-country skiers who used it to trounce other teams in the winter Olympics? Wouldn`t this energy diet be worth a try? Select this link to order your copy of Carbo Loading for that Extra Edge.

Associated Pages

The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:

• Articles on Endurance training
• Continuous and Interval Training
• Cross Country Training
• Endurance Training
• Fartlek Training
• vV02 max Training

• Training Books
• Training Products

Associated Books

The following books provide more information related to this topic:

• Advanced Studies in Physical Education and Sport, P Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 4482345
• Physical Education and the Study of Sport, B. Davis et al., ISBN 0 7234 31752
• Essentials of Exercise Physiology, W.D. McArdle et al., ISBN 0 683 30507 7
• Physical Education and Sport Studies, D. Roscoe et al., ISBN 1 901424 20 0
• The World of Sport Examined, P. Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 438719 9
• Advanced PE for Edexcel, F. Galligan et al., ISBN 0 435 50643 9
• Examining Physical Education, K. Bizley, ISBN 0 435 50660 9
• Sport and PE, K Wesson et al., ISBN 0 340 683821
• PE for you, J. Honeybourne, ISBN 0 7487 3277 2