By: Christine Catalano What is Carbohydrate Loading? Many athletes may be familiar with carbohydrate loading (carb loading) to help with athletic performance. Once you know the how and why behind carb loading, you will be on your way to peak performance! It is important to remember that carb loading allows you to maintain your pace for longer periods before feeling fatigued. Athletes that benefit the most from carb-loading are those that participate in exercise lasting an hour or longer. These include soccer players, long-distance runners, swimmers, and cyclists to name a few. One study found, “Improved exercise performance is recognized by high carbohydrate diets and is attributed to maximizing muscle glycogen stores” (Michalczyk et al., 2019). Carbohydrate loading is a strategy used to increase muscle glycogen stores. When eating carbohydrates, the body will use what it needs for energy and store the rest as glycogen in the muscles and liver for use later. This is important for an athlete because you burn a lot of energy while competing. If you fuel with carbohydrates correctly before a competition, you should have enough glycogen stored to provide your body with enough energy for exercise. During the competition, glycogen will break down to glucose, giving you the energy you need. So how many carbs does an athlete need to consume? Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition recommend increasing your carbohydrate intake up to 7-10 grams per kilogram of your body weight (Hedrick Fink, H., & Mikesky, A. 2021). Use the following equation to calculate your carb needs pre-competition/practice: body weight in pounds/2.2= body weight in kg. Body weight in kg x 7= minimum carbs needed. Bodyweight x 10= maximum carbs needed. Let’s say an athlete weighs 150 pounds. 150 divided by 2.2 equals 68 kg. Multiply the 68 kg by 7 grams and you will get 477g of carbohydrates. Then multiply 68 kg by 10 and get 682 g CHO. So, for a 150-pound athlete, it is recommended you consume between 477-682 grams of carbohydrates before a competition or training. For a sample meal plan, check out the article “A Guide to Carbohydrates: Part 2” You will want to start carb-loading 24-48 hours before a big competition you have coming up. It is important to understand the different types of carbohydrates and when to consume them, especially when it comes to competition. Carbs have a glycemic index (GI), which is a rating system based on how fast or slowly the carbohydrate affects your blood sugar (glucose). Carbohydrates that are broken down fast and spike your blood sugar levels are categorized as high GI foods, or simple carbohydrates. High GI foods include sugary foods/drinks, white bread, potatoes, white rice, etc. Alternatively, foods that are broken down slowly and have a gradual increase in your glucose levels are considered low GI foods, or complex carbohydrates. Low GI foods include most fruits, green vegetables, lentils, and whole grains. Carbohydrate loading has been shown to increase muscle glycogen stores allowing athletes to keep their pace longer through a competition or intense practice before experiencing fatigue. To attain maximal muscle glycogen storage, a couple of days (24-48 hours) before your competition, increase your carbs by 7-10 g/kg body weight. Give carbohydrate loading a try for your next hard practice, and even competition, and see how it goes! References Hedrick Fink, H., & Mikesky, A. (2021). Practical applications in sports nutrition (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. (SM) Michalczyk, M., Chycki, J., Zajac, A., Maszczyk, A., Zydek, G., & Langfort, J. (2019). Anaerobic performance after a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) followed by 7 days of carbohydrate loading in male basketball players. Nutrients, 11(4), 778. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11040778 (AL)
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April 2023
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