With carboloading, you consume as many carbohydrates as possible shortly before a sporting activity. This is to delay fatigue. You can find out here whether the concept actually works.
If you have ever taken part in a longer running competition, a cycling race or a triathlon, you have probably come across the term carboloading. The Association for Independent Health Advice (UGB) describes it as a short-term, significantly increased intake of carbohydrates shortly before the start of the relevant competition.
The purpose of the method is to fill the glycogen stores in the muscles beyond what is actually appropriate and thus postpone signs of fatigue. Suitable foods for this are rice, potatoes, oatmeal or pasta.
Exactly how carbo-loading is supposed to work and how efficient it actually is is still a matter of debate.
The classic method of carboloading
According to the UGB, the glycogen stores in the muscles are usually almost empty after about 90 minutes of training with an average diet. Therefore, carbo-loading is particularly useful for sporting activities that last more than 90 minutes and/or involve particularly intense stress. This applies, for example, to a marathon or a triathlon. Carboloading can also be suitable before competitions that last several days.
For a successful competition, athletes should increase their carbohydrate intake three days beforehand. The UGB recommends aiming for eight to ten grams of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight per day. For a body weight of 70 kilograms, the daily required amount would be 560 to 700 grams of carbohydrates. You can cover this requirement with a combination of carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, potatoes, rice and other cereals, muesli and (dried) fruit. For example, 100 grams of pasta (dry weight) provides around 60 to 80 grams of carbohydrates, 100 grams of raw potatoes 15 grams. So you see: With conventional portion sizes you will not get the carbohydrate amount required for carbo-loading. At the same time, you should significantly reduce your training in the three days before the competition.
On the day of the tournament itself, you should eat another 80 to 120 grams of carbohydrates three to four hours before the start of the competition. This corresponds to about 100 grams of rolled oats and two bananas, for example.
Carboloading: criticism and alternatives
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Carboloading can be done in many different ways. With the so-called saltin diet, athletes increase their training volume and intensity before carbo-loading and hardly eat any carbohydrates for a few days. This is how the glycogen stores are emptied so that they can fill up again during the carbo-loading. According to the UGB, however, this method often leads to digestive problems and reduced well-being.
The sports scientist Dr. Katrin Stuch considers this option to be less advantageous. So it is a strong intervention in the usual eating and training behavior. This can have a negative effect on the performance of athletes on a psychological level.
She thinks the so-called tapering makes more sense. Athletes gradually reduce the amount of training over a week. During this period, the carbohydrate intake is slightly reduced for three days. This is followed by carboloading for three days.
How useful or necessary carbo-loading is in general is a matter of controversy. The sports scientist Krista Austin explains, for example, that the concept is outdated and can no longer be supported according to current scientific knowledge. It is much more important to eat a balanced diet throughout the training period.
Carboloading recipe ideas
So it remains unclear whether carbo-loading will actually do you any good for your competition. However, if you would like to give it a try, look out for dishes with carbohydrate-rich and healthy ingredients and little fat. Examples of suitable meals are:
-
homemade porridge and oatmeal
- Banana Smoothie
- Smoothies with oatmeal
- homemade mashed potatoes
-
homemade hash browns from potatoes
- Pasta with zucchini
- Fried vegetable with rice
- One pot rice
Especially if you are struggling with digestive problems, you should generally not expect your body to make any abrupt changes in diet. In this case, increase the carbohydrates only slightly and pay attention to your body’s signals.
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