Muscular fatigue is closely tied to muscle glycogen depletion. Using the practice of carbohydrate loading to maximize these stores may enable an individual to perform at a higher submaximal intensity longer before reaching muscular exhaustion.

Carb loading can improve athletic performance in sports such as marathons, triathlons, ultramarathons, ultraendurance events, Nordic skiing, and long-distance swimming or cycling. In addition, it has been suggested that mid- to late-game performance in intermittent high-intensity sports, such as soccer and football, might be improved by glycogen loading, specifically when starting levels are low.

Whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables are ways to meet this goal. A glycogen-loading meal may include baked chicken, a baked potato, one whole wheat dinner roll, roasted vegetables, a glass of milk, and a side of fruit salad.

Two studies assessed the impact of dietary changes on athletic performance. In the first study, hockey players were split into two groups, one given a high-carb meal and the other a normal mixed food meal. The high-carb group showed improvement in speed, distance, and time skating compared with the control group.

The second study focused on mountain bikers. The study found that the lower-carb group was faster for the first lap of the race, but by lap four all high-carbohydrate racers were ahead of the control group. These studies showed improved performance in endurance athletes who invest in carbohydrate loading before their event.

Educating patients on the difference between high-quality carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates can be helpful in dispelling any food fears or myths. White believes in the power of health and fitness and has founded a nonprofit organization, the LIFT Fitness Foundation, which focuses on creating a core of wellness to empower individuals in need.

References 1. Clark N. A low-carb diet for athletes? Separating fact from fiction. American Fitness website. Published Accessed April 2, Hawley JA, Leckey JJ. Carbohydrate dependence during prolonged, intense endurance exercise. Sports Med. Ivy JL. Regulation of muscle glycogen repletion, muscle protein synthesis and repair following exercise.

J Sports Sci Med. Kanter M. High-quality carbohydrates and physical performance. Nutr Today. Kressler J, Millard-Stafford M, Warren GL. Quercetin and endurance exercise capacity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. Smith-Ryan AE, Antonio J. Ronkonkoma, NY: Linus Learning; Mueller A, Reek A, Schantzen J. Effects of carbohydrate loading on high performance athletics. Home About Events Resources Contact Advertise Job Bank Writers' Guidelines Search Gift Shop.

click to enlarge Carbohydrate Loading Carbohydrate loading is a dietary practice used to enhance athletic endurance performance by supplying adequate glycogen to the muscles for stored energy. The ketogenic diet is the most prevalent of the low-carb diets today.

Some athletes seek to burn more fat during activity to improve performance; however, most studies show no benefit to ketosis during activity. Fat compared with carbohydrates requires more oxygen to produce energy. This means low-carb athletes would have to work at a higher level to uptake more oxygen to produce comparable energy levels as those achieved with a higher-carbohydrate diet.

This means a lb male athlete would need anywhere from to g carbohydrates per day. Benefits Adequate carbohydrate intake can prevent muscle breakdown from glycogen depletion and prevent hypoglycemia, both of which have been independently proven to reduce athletic performance.

Once this happens, the body needs alternative fuel sources and will turn to protein and fat in a process called gluconeogenesis.

Having enough glycogen on board before exercise and refueling during workouts can help preserve skeletal muscle integrity during exercise.

And as exercise intensity is increased, glycogen becomes progressively more important as a fuel source. During strenuous exercise, muscle tissue damage occurs and can continue after exercise. Due to the anabolic nature of insulin, it increases muscle amino acid uptake and protein synthesis while decreasing protein degradation.

After exercise, raising the plasma insulin level within one hour is key for limiting muscle damage. They can enhance muscle glycogen storage significantly by adding protein to a carbohydrate supplement.

This reduces the amount of carbohydrate required to maximize glycogen storage. If athletes consume both a protein and carbohydrate supplement post workout, they should consume 0. Downside to Low-Carb Diets Though growing in popularity, long-term low-carbohydrate diets are deemed potentially harmful to athletic performance.

Research suggests that low-carb diets can lead to a decline in cognitive performance and mood, perceptions of fatigue, and lack of focus. Other data suggest a stronger risk of skeletal muscle damage during training or competing in individuals following a low-carb diet.

Due to increased reliance on carbohydrates for energy during dehydration and decreased exercise economy from a low-carb diet, researchers are clear that low-carb diets make it difficult to sustain the intensity levels required for competitive and serious athletic performance.

Fueling and Refueling To ensure proper muscle energy stores for sports performance, fueling and refueling before, after, and sometimes during a workout is imperative. Examples of balanced preworkout fuel are egg whites with breakfast potatoes and strawberries, Greek yogurt with berries and granola, or an apple with almond butter and a serving of whole grain crackers.

Within 30 minutes post workout, 1 to 1. An example of a refuel meal would be steak, potatoes, and a side of asparagus or a protein shake with protein powder, fruit, milk, and oats. click to enlarge. Carbohydrate Loading Carbohydrate loading is a dietary practice used to enhance athletic endurance performance by supplying adequate glycogen to the muscles for stored energy.

Muscular fatigue is closely tied to muscle glycogen depletion. Using the practice of carbohydrate loading to maximize these stores may enable an individual to perform at a higher submaximal intensity longer before reaching muscular exhaustion.

Carb loading can improve athletic performance in sports such as marathons, triathlons, ultramarathons, ultraendurance events, Nordic skiing, and long-distance swimming or cycling. In addition, it has been suggested that mid- to late-game performance in intermittent high-intensity sports, such as soccer and football, might be improved by glycogen loading, specifically when starting levels are low.

Whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables are ways to meet this goal. A glycogen-loading meal may include baked chicken, a baked potato, one whole wheat dinner roll, roasted vegetables, a glass of milk, and a side of fruit salad. Two studies assessed the impact of dietary changes on athletic performance.

In the first study, hockey players were split into two groups, one given a high-carb meal and the other a normal mixed food meal. The high-carb group showed improvement in speed, distance, and time skating compared with the control group.

The second study focused on mountain bikers. The study found that the lower-carb group was faster for the first lap of the race, but by lap four all high-carbohydrate racers were ahead of the control group.

These studies showed improved performance in endurance athletes who invest in carbohydrate loading before their event. Educating patients on the difference between high-quality carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates can be helpful in dispelling any food fears or myths. White believes in the power of health and fitness and has founded a nonprofit organization, the LIFT Fitness Foundation, which focuses on creating a core of wellness to empower individuals in need.