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Race Week -
Carb Loading?
One of the more common questions we receive is on “Carb Loading”
and do I need to carb load and if so how much? So, before I answer
that, let's see why we need Carbs at all…
WHY WE NEED CARBS?
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that fuel our bodies, much
like petrol fuels your car. Each gram of carb contains 4 calories
worth of fuel. The human body stores this fuel as glycogen in both
our muscles and liver. These glycogen reserves are relied upon to
stabilize blood sugars and allow optimal muscle function. Runners
who can balance out 45-65% carbs per meal will store up to
2 carbs per pound of muscle tissue and an additional 100-125
grams within the liver. This amount will keep a runner going for up
to 2 hours at a moderate intensity, make the consumption of additional
carbs necessary for races lasting longer in an effort to avoid
muscle depletion, consequent dizziness (aka Boking) and profound
muscle fatigue (aka the wall).
RACE WEEK
rIn the week leading up to your race (if its over the 3 hour marker),
you will need to start “carb loading”. You will need to consume
4-5 grams of easy to digest (low fibre) carbs per pound of lean
body mass each day up to the 72 hour marker. Such easy to digest
carbs might be bananas, plain bagels, white rice, potato, rice based
cereals, sports drinks and energy bars. A single-day or 48-hour
carb-loading protocol may be effective for shorter races, especially
if the athlete is training through the race meaning no reduction in
training volume is being implemented pre-race.
WHY WE NEED CARBS?
Aim for about 100-150 grams of easy to digest carbs in the 2-3
hours leading up to the race, Be sure to about an hour digestion
time for every 200-300 calories consumed. A sample pre-race
meal to be consumed in the 2- 3 hours leading up to race start
would be a plain bagel topped with a smear of peanut butter and
honey plus 20-24 ounces of sports drink.
DURING RACE
Aim for approximately 25-33% your body weight in grams each
hour of racing beyond 45 mins. E.g. 180lb racer should look at
consuming 45-60 grams of carbs each hour of racing. To maximize
carb absorption into the muscles and extend your endurance,
choose products whose ingredients list include multiple types of
carbs. e.g. glucose/dextrose, sucrose, maltodextrin and fructose.
These are commonly found in energy gels, energy bars, sports
drinks and energy chews.
AFTER RACE
Aim for 50-100 grams of carb, preferably in liquid form to promote
quicker re-hydration.
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