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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.
Six days prior to a competition the process begins.
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 hopefully top them up with a little bit extra.
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.
Some potential side effects are:
The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:
The following web sites contain more information on this topic:
The following journals and books contain more information on this topic:
If you would like any further details or help on this topic then please email me .
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