It is also normal to gain some weight over this period. For every gram of glycogen, your body stores around 2. Additionally, if you maintain adequate hydration then glycogen storage is more efficient.

It is important to understand that every individual athlete is unique. Therefore, carbohydrate loading can be an effective performance-enhancing strategy for some endurance athletes but perhaps not others.

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back Male crossfitter Female crossfitter. back Total Testosterone Free Testosterone Advanced Testosterone RED-S Test MyFORM®. Nutrition What Is Carbohydrate Loading? Published on. Share this article. THE CLASSIC 6-DAY CARB LOADING METHOD The classic 6-day carb loading method is the most well-known technique.

THE MODIFIED 3-DAY CARB LOADING METHOD The modified 3-day carb loading method is a variation of the classic 6-day carb loading method. THE 1-DAY CARB LOADING METHOD The 1-day carb loading method is a last-minute carb loading technique that can be used for athletes who cannot afford to undergo a longer period of preparation, such as during a multi-day event.

COMMON CARB LOADING MISTAKES TO AVOID There are some common mistakes that athletes make when carb loading, which can negatively impact their performance.

WHEN NOT TO CARB LOAD While carb loading can be beneficial for many athletes, it is important to understand when it might not be appropriate for your body and your sport.

FINDING THE RIGHT CARB INTAKE One of the biggest mistakes athletes make when carb loading is consuming too many or too little carbohydrates. STICK TO FAMILIAR FOODS The carb-loading phase is not the time to experiment with new foods or supplements that the body may not be used to.

BALANCING EXERCISE AND REST When carb loading, it is important to balance exercise and rest. WHAT FOODS ARE BEST FOR CARD LOADING? Blood test for Runners. sports doctor review. Results in 2 working days. Flexible subscription.

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When consumed, carbohydrates are converted and stored as glycogen in our muscles. When we maximize this by increasing the amount of carbohydrates we consume, we can maximize the amount of energy and reduce the amount of fatigue we have over long stints of exercise.

The number of days prior to competition to begin carb loading has been researched for decades. Keep in mind this range is for athletes that are preparing to compete in an endurance-based event that lasts ninety minutes or longer.

If their event is on a Saturday morning, then they will want to begin carbohydrate loading as early as Thursday morning or as late as Thursday night. For example, if they started on Thursday morning then they would want to be consuming approximately grams of carbohydrate from Thursday morning to Friday morning and another grams of carbohydrate from Friday morning to Saturday morning.

Their first 24 hours may look like this:. Dinner: Spaghetti with marinara sauce and chickpeas and steamed broccoli on the side ~80g. Snack: Smoothie with serving of frozen fruit, banana, spinach, choice of milk, and a side of crackers ~86g.

This athlete would then repeat this level of carbohydrate intake again for the next 24 hours before competition. There are plenty of high-carbohydrate foods to choose from, so take your pick!

As always, it is important to focus on whole grain sources of carbohydrates to meet many nutrient needs on a daily basis; however the important part is getting enough carbohydrate to fill your energy stores for competition.

Athletes who have more sensitive digestive systems may benefit from choosing more refined choices of grains and other low fiber carbohydrate options as they get closer to the night before or the morning of competition.

This is because carbohydrates that are higher in fiber, like beans and cruciferous vegetables, take longer to digest and may cause GI distress if consumed the day before competition.

Easier to digest options include white rice, white pasta, potatoes, tortillas, and fruit! A good rule of thumb is to shoot for half of your plate as carbohydrates, a quarter of your plate as a source of protein, and the last quarter of your plate reserved for fruits and vegetables.

This will ensure plenty of carbohydrate intake at any meal. When it comes to carb loading for endurance athletes, there are a few key considerations. Carb loading is a technique used to enhance performance in training or competition that lasts 90 minutes or longer.

Study designs with both time and power outcomes where assigned to all applicable groups. Two articles presented their outcomes as work [ 13 , 31 ], which was converted into power prior to analyses by dividing work by the required time.

Results for group 1 and 3 were subdivided based on the administered carbohydrate concentrations, results for group 2 and 4 were subdivided based on exercise duration. Two studies tested the advantage of carbohydrates during a running exercise and were not included into one of the four groups because of considerable physiological differences between this and the other types of exercise [ 28 , 29 ].

In addition, the study by Clarke et al. Subjects were male with the exception of two studies [ 29 , 34 ] enrolling both genders. For each of the four groups, results of both comprehensive as well as subgroup meta-analyses are given in Figs. Please note that classification into subgroups was performed for every group independent of resulting numbers of studies.

Effects of carbohydrate interventions as compared to placebo on time required to finish a time trial. Subgroup analyses show the results for exercise duration shorter than 90 min or longer than 90 min, respectively.

Effects of carbohydrate interventions as compared to placebo on mean power output. Group 1 included six studies [ 34 — 39 ] with 13 interventions in total. Pooled estimates of the effects size for the effects of carbohydrate interventions as compared to placebo on time required to finish a TT are presented in Fig.

Group 2 included seven studies [ 40 — 46 ] with seven interventions in total. Average cycling time was faster in subjects ingesting carbohydrates as compared to placebo, however, without being statistically significant [mean difference 2. Subgroup analysis including only studies with an exercise duration shorter than 90 min revealed a marginally higher average cycling time in the carbohydrate groups [mean difference 0.

Group 3 included five studies [ 13 , 31 , 37 — 39 ] with nine interventions in total, results of which are summarized in Fig. Mean power output was significantly more pronounced in participants subjected to a carbohydrate load as compared to placebo [mean difference Group 4 included four studies [ 42 , 45 — 47 ] with four interventions in total.

Meta-analytical data are depicted in Fig. Mean power output turned out to be significantly increased in volunteers following a carbohydrate intervention [mean difference 8. Concerning subgroup analysis, performance tended to be higher in both studies with an exercise duration greater than 90 min [mean difference Based upon the recent systematic review by Colombani et al.

Due to the in-between heterogeneity of trials with respect to study design, we decided to evaluate only studies choosing cycling as the mode of exercise. Moreover, four groups of carbohydrate interventions with respect to test and performance measurement were classified in order to achieve a better comparability of results.

Taken together, all four groups indicated an improved performance following carbohydrate intervention as compared to placebo with differences being statistically significant in group 1 submaximal exercise followed by a time trial measuring time needed to cover a fixed distance or a fixed set amount of work , group 3 submaximal exercise followed by a time trial measuring power W accomplished within a fixed time or distance , and group 4 time trial measuring power W accomplished within a fixed time or distance , respectively.

These findings seem to be in contrast with studies reporting an improved performance via carbohydrate mouth rinsing [ 10 , 48 — 54 ]. It has been suggested that oral receptors within the mouth and the digestive tract sense carbohydrates and activate brain regions associated with reward and pleasure which may lead to enhanced performance [ 5 , 10 , 48 ].

However, most mouth rinse studies were conducted in a fasted state [ 48 , 50 , 52 , 53 ] or had other limitations such as lack of or improper randomization [ 51 , 54 ] or uncertain time of last ingested meal [ 49 ]. In our systematic review, three studies [ 27 , 33 , 38 ] with an exercise duration less than 90 min could not be included in either groups 2 or group 4.

Beelen et al. Likewise, Acker-Hewitt et al. Therefore, it seems premature to finally evaluate the potential benefit of ingesting carbohydrates in short-term exercises less than 90 min , further trials reflecting realistic conditions are necessary.

Subgroup analysis of five trials with a duration time higher than 90 min in group 2 resulted in a trend towards a decreased time needed to cover a fixed distance or a fixed set amount of work. A similar trend could be observed in group 4, albeit with only two trials included in the subgroup. Taking all results under consideration, a performance benefit through carbohydrates might be possible when exercise duration exceeds 90 min.

Irrespective of specific carbohydrate concentrations, meta-analytical results of both groups 1 and 3 yielded statistically significant benefits for carbohydrate supplementation. In general, this might be due to multiple factors including maintenance of blood glucose [ 55 — 57 ] and high levels of carbohydrate oxidation especially towards the end of exercise [ 58 , 59 ], thus sparing liver glycogen [ 60 — 63 ], as well as a central effect of carbohydrates [ 48 , 52 ].

Therefore, one might speculate an impact of the administered carbohydrate type becoming more effective at higher concentrations.

A high dose of ingested carbohydrates while exercising may cause gastrointestinal discomfort [ 64 ] which subsequently may decrease performance [ 65 ].

The protocol of the present systematic review was designed to summarize the available evidence on the ergogenic effects of carbohydrate supplementation as an expansion of the results by Colombani et al.

Moreover, we decided to categorize trials with respect to types of test and performance measurements. This rigid protocol allows for better comparison between the different trials, it is associated with a number of limitations as well.

First of all, the number of studies suitable for meta-analyses turned out to be rather low. All of the 16 trials providing extractable data for meta-analyses used cycling as their exercise mode. Although this might be another aspect increasing the homogeneity of the results, it is not possible to draw any conclusions for other types of exercise such as running.

Data on the content of the last meal prior to trials suggest heterogeneous pre-exercise carbohydrate intake between studies. Another common limitation of performance studies is the only low to average power with respect to the number of participants ranging between 16 and 32 volunteers in the present meta-analyses.

Since only one trial [ 39 ] enrolled subjects with a mean VO 2max that would classify them as elite endurance athletes, the results are most likely not affected by heterogeneity between baseline capacities of study participants. In addition, with the exception of References [ 29 ] and [ 34 ], all trials were performed with male volunteers hampering transfer of results to female athletes.

Following conversion of absolute values into percentage data, results were widely spread yielding improvements in assessed outcomes between 0. This may serve as a potential indicator for the heterogeneous study designs. Due to lack of sufficient data, it is difficult to extrapolate this result to elite or generally female athletes.

Moreover, further research is needed to gain additional information on exercise durations lower than 90 min and in a wider variety of types of exercise.

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Urgent Care Centre. Browse Topics From A-Z. About Health Plus. Gleneagles Hospital. Words of Appreciation. Carb loading is a dietary approach used by athletes that involves consuming a high-carbohydrate diet, usually 1 — 3 days prior to a long-duration endurance event to increase glycogen stores in their muscles as part of the preparation process.

Such events include marathons, long-distance road cycling, long-distance swimming, or if athletes are playing a tournament with back-to-back games, such as during basketball championships or soccer tournaments.

Modifying diet and exercise routines aims to create a larger "fuel tank" of stored muscle glycogen, our body's preferred energy source during prolonged, high-intensity activity. Carbohydrates, often referred to as carbs, are one of the primary macronutrients, alongside proteins and fats, vital to our bodily functions.

They are the body's main energy source, supplying the energy that our cells require to carry out their daily functions. Carbohydrates are made up of small molecules of sugars, or saccharides, that when combined in various ways form different types of carbohydrates.

Based on their structure and complexity, carbohydrates can be divided into 3 main types. Simple carbohydrates sugars. Simple carbohydrates, also known as sugars, consist of one or 2 saccharides — monosaccharides or disaccharides. Examples of sugars include glucose, sucrose, and fructose. They are quickly absorbed and provide a rapid source of energy.

Sugars are found naturally in fruits, milk and milk products, and simple sugars are also added to a variety of processed foods and drinks like sweets and soft drinks. Complex carbohydrates starches. Complex carbohydrates, or starches, consist of many saccharide units linked together and are found in foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta.

These carbohydrates are digested more slowly than simple sugars, providing a more sustained energy release due to their lower glycaemic index. This is particularly true of starches that contain fibre e. wholemeal bread, potatoes with skin, and brown rice.

Dietary fibre. Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate that our bodies cannot digest. There are 2 types of fibre: soluble, which dissolves in water and can help lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels, and insoluble, which can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation.

It is important to understand the different types of carbohydrates and their roles to better optimise dietary strategies such as carb loading, to improve athletic performance. Carb loading is primarily intended for endurance athletes preparing for prolonged, intensive events, typically those lasting 90 minutes or longer.

This is because such strenuous activities deplete glycogen stores in muscles, which could result in fatigue and reduced performance. By carb loading, athletes aim to maximise their glycogen storage, which can enhance their endurance and delay the onset of fatigue.

Examples of activities where carb loading may be beneficial include marathon running, long-distance cycling, triathlon events, and long-distance swimming. However, it's less relevant for sports involving short bursts of activity, such as sprinting or weightlifting, and for activities of a lower intensity or shorter duration.

While carb loading can be beneficial for endurance athletes, it's important to note that it should be approached with care. Not every endurance athlete will respond to carb loading in the same way, and individual dietary needs can vary widely.

Carb loading primarily benefits athletes by enhancing their endurance. By maximising muscle glycogen, the body's preferred form of carbohydrate during exercise, athletes can maintain a high level of exertion for longer periods during endurance events, thus delaying the onset of fatigue.

Consuming glycogen after exercise helps replace muscle glycogen depleted during exercise, and aids in storing more glycogen as an adaptation to training. This is especially beneficial when events are spaced closely together — generally, if events are less than 8 hours apart.

The importance of carbohydrates extends beyond physical performance to mental acuity as well. Sufficient carbohydrate intake fuels the brain, aiding in maintaining focus and decision-making during endurance events.

Research suggests that consuming a high carbohydrate intake prior to a long-duration endurance event may delay the onset of fatigue and reduce risk of injury, further boosting the athlete's capacity for sustained performance.

However, carb loading strategies should be personalised, as individual needs and responses can vary greatly. Timing is crucial when it comes to carb loading. Begin the process approximately 36 — 48 hours prior to your event. This timeframe allows your body to store glycogen, the primary fuel source during prolonged exercise.

To determine the right amount of carbohydrates to consume, it's advisable to consult with a sports dietitian. They can assess your individual needs and recommend a specific daily intake. Generally, athletes are advised to consume around 8 — 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day during the carb loading phase.

In conjunction with increased carbohydrate consumption, it's important to implement an exercise taper during this period. Reducing the intensity and volume of your workouts allows your muscles to recover and glycogen stores to be maximised.

A useful tip would be to practise carb loading as part of training prior to the actual competition or event. This will allow you to experiment with different strategies, gauge their effectiveness, and make any necessary adjustments.

By doing so, you can optimise your performance and fuel your body effectively for the endurance challenge ahead. It's important to note that carb loading protocols may vary among athletes.

To develop a personalised plan, it is recommended to discuss your specific needs with both a sports dietitian and physical trainer. They can guide you through the process, fine-tuning the dietary and training aspects to suit your individual requirements. Carb loading doesn't mean you should increase your total daily calories.

Rather, it involves adjusting the proportion of your calorie intake that comes from carbohydrates. Overeating can lead to weight gain and feelings of heaviness or discomfort, which are not conducive to optimal performance.

Do not neglect to consume sufficient fluids prior to an endurance event to ensure that you are adequately hydrated. Failing to properly hydrate can lead to dehydration and negatively impact your performance and recovery.

Another common mistake is not consuming enough carbohydrates to maximise glycogen stores. For effective carb loading, aim for 8 — 12 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight each day. The exact amount of carbohydrates required prior to an event should be discussed with a sports dietitian, as this will vary across different individuals and different types of sport.

This can come in the form of refined carbohydrates like bread, rice, and noodles. Although foods and drinks high in refined sugars, such as smoothies, cereal bars, and flavoured milks are generally not recommended on a regular basis, it is acceptable to use these foods and drinks to meet the higher-carbohydrate demands of carb-loading prior to endurance events.

Some athletes consume too much fibre while carb loading, leading to gastrointestinal discomfort. In the final days leading up to the event, switching to low-fibre carbohydrate sources such as white bread instead of wholemeal bread, or regular pasta rather than wholegrain pasta can help alleviate potential digestive issues.

Some people make the mistake of consuming high-fibre or fatty foods during their carb loading phase. Fatty foods can displace the carbs needed to fill glycogen stores, and while high -fibre foods like vegetables, whole grains and fruit are healthy and recommended on a regular basis, these should not be overconsumed during the carb loading phase because they can cause digestive discomfort especially if consumed in large amounts.

While the focus of carb loading is on carbohydrates, protein should not be completely overlooked. Including a moderate amount of protein in your meals can aid in muscle repair and recovery. Speak to a sports dietitian to understand your individual protein needs and how adequate protein can be incorporated into a high-carbohydrate diet.

The days leading up to a race are not the time to try a new dietary strategy. Every athlete is unique, and you should use your periods of training to trial and fine-tune your carb loading plan. When carb loading, you should avoid high-fat and high-fibre foods and alcohol.

Instead, what you should go for are foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fibre to maximise glycogen storage and minimise digestive discomfort.

These include:. Refined grains. Choose white bread, white rice, or pasta. While whole grains are generally healthier, they're higher in fibre, which can lead to digestive discomfort when consumed in large quantities.

Refined grains, on the other hand, are more easily digested, and are therefore more appropriate to meet the high carb needs during carb loading. Starchy vegetables.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes without skin, as well as taro are some good choices. Fruit juices and canned fruits.

These are high in simple sugars which are more carbohydrate-dense than fresh fruit. However, it is probably not effective for shorter durations of exercise or types of exercise that involve short bursts of activity, including weight training 7 , 8 , 9.

Summary Your body stores carbs in the form of glycogen. Carb loading is a strategy to increase your glycogen stores and improve exercise performance. There are a few different types of carb loading, but all strategies involve increasing the number of carbs you eat and temporarily decreasing the amount you exercise.

Each of these programs is designed to be completed in the days immediately prior to an athletic event or competition. Here are several specific protocols that have been developed over the last 50 years You also reduce exercise on day four and perform no exercise on days five and six.

Throughout these six days, you gradually decrease the amount you exercise. During days four to six, you only perform 0—20 minutes of exercise per day. At the beginning of the three days, you perform one exercise session until your body is exhausted This program is identical to the classic three-day program, but you do not perform the exercise session at the beginning.

Instead, you simply do not exercise for three days, while increasing the number of carbs you eat Research on this program used a carbohydrate intake of 4.

This would be about grams of carbs if you weighed pounds 70 kg. You do not exercise for one day, and you consume a high-carb diet of about 4. Summary There are several specific carb loading programs.

The major differences between them are their durations and the amounts of exercise they include. All programs use a short-term high-carb diet while temporarily decreasing exercise.

Before you start a carb-loading program, there are several common carb-loading mistakes you should be aware of. Research has found it can be beneficial for exercise lasting more than 90 minutes 3.

However, there may be no benefit for slightly shorter durations of exercise, including events lasting 60—90 minutes 7 , 8. Some research found that carb loading with 3 grams per pound 6.

Other studies showed that carb loading did not improve performance during high-intensity cycling lasting less than 20 minutes 14 , While fat can be part of a balanced diet , it may be beneficial to limit how much of it you eat during carb loading Eating too much could cause weight gain or leave you feeling sluggish.

Some people make the mistake of choosing foods that are high in both carbohydrates and fat, rather than just carbs. For example, many desserts such as chocolate, ice cream and cookies fall into this category, as well as creamy pasta sauces and buttery breads.

Checking the nutrition information of foods you eat can help. Eating high-fiber foods could also be detrimental. Although fiber is part of a healthy diet , too much fiber during carb loading can cause stomach discomfort in some individuals Carb loading is a unique time when it could be better to choose white bread or pasta over whole wheat.

During this time, you should probably also avoid high-fiber foods like beans. Overall, it may be best to choose lower-fiber carbohydrate sources to avoid the possibility of fullness or stomach discomfort during exercise.

Another possible mistake is not knowing if you are eating the right amount of carbohydrates. Without recording what you eat, you may be eating too much or too little. Experts often recommend that people who are carb loading eat 2. Recording your food intake can help you make sure you are eating the right amount 3.

However, if you eat more carbs than necessary, you may have changed your diet too much or simply eaten too many calories. As your experience grows, you may not need to do this anymore. However, it is a good idea for beginners. The days before your event or competition are important, and having an upset stomach due to unfamiliar foods can spoil your experience and exercise performance.

Because of this, you should choose foods that are familiar to you — in addition to being high-carb, low-fat and low-fiber. If you are considering using carb loading before an upcoming competition or athletic event, there are a few things you should think about. Before you launch into carb loading, consider whether the type and duration of exercise you are doing requires it.

If you will be performing exercise lasting more than 90 minutes without breaks, such as running or cycling, you may benefit from this nutrition strategy. If your exercise is shorter or involves many breaks, such as weight training, carb loading is probably not necessary. If you record all the food you eat for several days using a food-tracking app or the nutrition labels on your food, you can calculate your current daily carbohydrate intake.

Then you can divide the grams of carbs you eat each day by your weight to compare your current intake to carb loading recommendations. For example, if you weigh pounds 70 kg and you normally eat grams of carbs per day, then you are consuming 1. People who are carb loading may eat 2.

That said, experts often recommend a more limited range of 3. Based on these recommendations, you would need to eat approximately double the amount of carbs you would normally. Avoid choosing foods that are high in both carbs and fats, such as desserts, pasta with creamy sauce, pastries and similar items.

As discussed, carb loading programs can last from one to six days. It may be a good idea to start with a simple program lasting between one and three days. For example, you could simply increase your carb intake to around 3.

You could also practice several different types of carb loading during training and keep notes to decide which helped you feel and perform your best.

Generally, it is best to experiment during your training rather than right before a real competition. That way, you can decide what will work best before your big event. Lastly, it may be best to focus on familiar foods during carb loading.

Unusual foods could upset your stomach and impair your performance. Commonly recommended foods include pasta, bread, fruits and fruit juices, smoothies, cereals and other high-carb, low-fat foods.

Once you have your nutrition plan set, you need to remember to taper your exercise in the days leading up to your event or competition. Summary Before you start carb loading, consider whether you will benefit from it.

You should also figure out how many carbs you normally eat so you know how much to change your regular diet. Deciding the right duration for carb loading is also important. Of course, it is also important to have protein to support your muscles.

Try to focus on lean protein sources, such as fish, lean cuts of meat or poultry and fat-free dairy. Try to find the best compromise between the recommendations and foods you enjoy. Many people eat high-carb foods that are high-fat too. It is best to avoid these during carb loading.

Below are some examples of foods that may seem high-carb but are also high-fat and therefore inappropriate for carb loading.