CARB LOADING METHODS FOR ENDURANCE EVENTS Includes: Event Carb Loading Planner
Introduction 2 Here is what you will learn in this unit: What is carbohydrate loading? Does it improve performance? Does carb loading work for women? 3 carb loading methods that work How to calculate and plan a carb loading for your client 5 common mistakes when carb loading (and how to prevent them!) Includes the following downloadable material for immediate use with your client: Event Carb Loading Planner Sample Carb Loading Meal Plan
Carb loading for an event 3 In the week before a competition, your client can manipulate his/her daily carbohydrate intake to increase endurance and performance. The precision of carbohydrate intake during the 7 days before the competition can make a whole difference during the event! The goal is to increase the body s glycogen stores before a competition. This requires precise calculations so the carbohydrates consumed don t get stored as body fat but in muscles instead! Carb loading methods are used before long events that involve: Endurance - e.g. marathon running, rowing, cycling, longer distance triathlon, cross-country skiing and endurance or open water swimming; Bouts of explosive energy during short periods - e.g. team sports, tennis, football, rugby, hockey, gymnastics with consecutive rounds. For a carb loading strategy to work, it needs to be combined with tapering (i.e. reduction in volume, intensity and duration) and plenty of rest in the days before a big event. Failing to taper and rest will negatively affect competition performance.
Does it really improve performance? 4 Carbohydrate loading is a technique originally devised in the 1960s to increase the muscles glycogen stores above normal levels. With more glycogen available, you may be able to exercise longer before fatigue sets in. A 7-day carb-loading strategy is potentially advantageous in endurance events lasting longer than 90 minutes (e.g. long distance running, cycling or rowing, triathlons) or for events that involve several heats or matches over a short period (e.g. tennis tournaments, swimming galas, team sports). An all-out 7-day carb-loading regime is less likely to benefit your client if the event lasts less than 90 minutes or if the event doesn t involve several heats or matches over a short period. In such cases, a 7-day tapering combined with adequate glycogen top-up in the final 3 days may be more suitable (we ll cover this in Module 8).
Glycogen depletion hinders performance 5 Glycogen depletion has been shown to be a limiting factor to performance. Carbohydrate loading increases time to exhaustion (endurance) by about 20% and improves performance by about 2 3% (Hawley et al., 1997). The end-goal of a carb-loading regime is to prime muscles to store more glycogen in order to enhance endurance, skill execution, power output and rate of speed, and to lower the perceived effort rate during the event, giving the athlete a competitive edge. Therefore, reducing the volume, intensity and duration (tapering), getting proper rest and sleep, and topping up liver and muscles with adequate glycogen pre-competition are key. Next, we ll examine the three most popular carb-loading methods based on scientific studies.
Carb loading methods 1. Classical carb loading method 2. Modified carb loading method 3. Modern carb loading method
1. Classical carb loading method 7 The classical 6-day regimen involved 2 bouts of glycogen-depleting exercise separated by 3 days of low-carbohydrate intake and followed by 3 days of high-carbohydrate intake and minimal exercise (Ahlborg et al., 1967; Karlsson & Saltin, 1971). The theory behind this 2-phase regimen is that glycogen depletion stimulates the activity of glycogen synthetase, the key enzyme involved in glycogen storage, resulting in above-normal levels of muscle glycogen. This carb loading regimen has a number of drawbacks. In the studies, not only did it interfere with exercise tapering, but the low-carbohydrate left athletes weak, irritable and tired. Worse, many failed to achieve high glycogen levels even after 3 days of high carbohydrate intake. Here s an example of the classical carb loading method: Source: Ahlborg et al., 1967; Karlsson & Saltin, 1971 Normal Exhaustive prolonged exercise Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Competition Normal Lowcarbohydrate Lowcarbohydrate Lowcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate
2. Modified carb loading method 8 Researchers at Ohio State University developed a 6-day carbohydrate loading regimen that resulted in similar increases in glycogen levels but without the disadvantages described in the classical method (Sherman et al., 1981). This required tapering on 6 consecutive days while following a normal during the first 3 days followed by a carbohydrate-rich during the next 3 days. Here s an example of the modified carb loading regime: Source: Sherman et al., 1981 Endurance Normal Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Competition Moderatecarbohydrate Moderatecarbohydrate Moderatecarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate
3. Modern carb loading method 9 More recently, researchers at the University of Western Australia have found that equally high levels of glycogen stores can be achieved by eating 10 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight over the course of a single day following a 3-minute bout of high-intensity exercise (Fairchild et al., 2002; Bussau, et al., 2002). It appears that the rate of glycogen storage is greatly increased following a 3-minute high-intensity workout. In other words, it primes muscles to store more glycogen. Here s how the new carbohydrate loading method looks like: Source: Fairchild et al., 2002; Bussau, et al., 2002 Warm-up plus 3-min high-intensity exercise (sustained sprint) Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Normal Lowcarbohydrate Lowcarbohydrate Lowcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate Highcarbohydrate High-carbohydrate 10 g carbohydrate/kg body weight C o m p e t i t i o n
Planning a carb loading regime Pre-competition nutrition
How to plan a carb loading 11 Here s our suggested programme for carbohydrate loading: 1. On Day 1 (i.e. 7 days before the date of the competition), your client would taper their (ideally by carrying out endurance exercise for about 1 hour to reduce the amount of glycogen in their liver and muscles), and eat their normal that day. 2. For the following 3 days, your client would taper/reduce their and eat a moderate carbohydrate (5 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per kg of body weight). 3. For the final 3 days before the competition, your client would continue their exercise tapering, or rest, and increase their carbohydrate intake to 8 to 10 grams per kg of body weight (high carbohydrate ). On the next page, you ll find the Event Carb Loading Planner that we developed to help you personalise your client s carbohydrate intake before a competition. First, make sure you have your client s Training Carbohydrate Intake Calculator (previous unit) ready!
Source: The Health Sciences Academy Event Carb Loading Planner 12 Print this worksheet and use it to compute your client s carb loading for an event (give it to your client and remember to keep a copy in your files!): Name: Body Weight (BW): kg Date: / / Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Warm-up + 3-min highintensity + rest Normal Per Training Carbohydrate Intake Calculator (insert below) Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) 5g x kg = g of carbs a day 7g x kg = g of carbs a day Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) 5g x kg = g of carbs a day 7g x kg = g of carbs a day Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) 5g x kg = g of carbs a day 7g x kg = g of carbs a day High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) 8g x kg = g of carbs a day 10g x kg = g of carbs a day High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) 8g x kg = g of carbs a day 10g x kg = g of carbs a day High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) 8g x kg = g of carbs a day 10g x kg = g of carbs a day EVENT From g to g of From g to g of From g to g of From g to g of From g to g of From g to g of From g to g of
Plan your own carb loading! Shutterstock 13 1. Identify your body weight in kilograms: kg 2. Print and complete the Event Carb Loading Planner (previous page) with your body weight (BW) in kilograms (kg) 3. What s your recommended carbohydrate (CHO) intake per your Training Carbohydrate Intake Calculator (previous unit)? 4. Your ideal carb intake is: g to g daily 5. Insert these two numbers in the Day 1 column 6. Now multiply your body weight (BW) in kg by the recommended carbohydrate grams for each pre-event day per the Event Carb Loading Planner (from Day 2 through to Day 7 ) 7. Fill in the blanks with your ideal daily range of carb loading grams Examine the example included in the next page. Make sure to practise this a few times before using it with your client!
Source: The Health Sciences Academy Example 14 Name: Body Weight (BW): kg Date: / / 70 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Warm-up + 3-min highintensity + rest Normal Per Training Carbohydrate Intake Calculator (insert below) Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) Moderate carb (5 7 g of carbs per kg BW) High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) High carb (8 10 g of carbs per kg BW) 5g x kg 70 5g x kg 70 5g x kg 70 8g x kg 70 8g x kg 70 8g x kg 70 = 350 g of = 350 g of = 350 g of = 560 g of = 560 g of = 560 g of carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day 7g x kg 70 7g x kg 70 7g x kg 70 10g x kg 70 10g x kg 70 10g x kg 70 = 490 g of = 490 g of = 490 g of = 700 g of = 700 g of = 700 g of carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day carbs a day EVENT From 350 g to 490 g of From 350g to 490 g of From 350g to 490 g of From 350g to 490 g of From 560g to 700 g of From 560g to 700 g of From 560g to 700 g of
Source: Australian Sports Commission Meals 3 days prior the event 15 The following is suitable for a 70kg athlete aiming to carb load 3 days prior an event. This sample plan provides approx. 650 g carbohydrate, 125 g protein and 60 g fat. Breakfast 3 cups of low-fibre breakfast cereal with reduced fat milk 1 medium banana 250ml orange juice Snack Lunch Snack Dinner Late snack toasted muffin with honey 500ml sports drink 2 sandwiches (4 slices of bread) with filling as desired 200g pot of low-fat fruit yoghurt 375ml can of soft drink banana smoothie made with low-fat milk, or banana and honey cereal bar 1 cup of pasta sauce with 2 cups of cooked pasta 3 slices of garlic bread 2 glasses of fruit squash toasted muffin and jam 500ml sports drink
Sample Carb Loading Meal Plan 1 of 3 16 Item (amount) Carbohydrates (grams) Total item calories Breakfast Milk, fat-free (12 ounces) 18 125 1 oat bagel (4 ½-inch diameter) 70 334 Peanut butter, smooth (1 tablespoon) 3 94 Honey (1 tablespoon) 17 64 Morning snack 2 fig bars (3-inch bars) 40 198 Grape juice, from concentrate (8 ounces mixed with 4 ounces water) 48 191 Raisins (1 ½ ounces) 34 127 Source: Mayo Clinic. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2012
Sample Carb Loading Meal Plan 2 of 3 17 Item (amount) Lunch Carbohydrates (grams) Total item calories Milk, fat-free (12 ounces) 19 125 4 slices whole-wheat bread (1 ½-ounce slice) 46 277 Chicken breast, roasted without skin (4 ounces or ½ breast) 0 142 Romaine lettuce, shredded (¼ cup) 1 2 4 thin tomato slices 2 11 Mayonnaise-type salad dressing (2 tablespoons) 7 115 Tortilla chips, low-fat, baked (1 ounce) 23 118 12 baby carrots 10 42 Afternoon snack Low-fat yogurt (8 ounces) 42 238 10 wheat crackers 14 91 2 medium apples 50 190 Cranberry juice, unsweetened (12 ounces) 46 174 Source: Mayo Clinic. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2012
Sample Carb Loading Meal Plan 3 of 3 18 Item (amount) Carbohydrates (grams) Total item calories Dinner Salmon, baked (3 ounces) 0 156 Brown rice (1 ½ cups) 67 325 Broccoli, steamed (1 cup) 11 55 Milk, fat-free (12 ounces) 18 125 Iceberg lettuce (1 ¼ cups) with 5 cherry tomatoes and ¼ cup shredded carrots 9 38 Reduced-fat Italian salad dressing (2 tbsp.) 1 22 Walnuts (¼ cup) 4 191 Wheat dinner roll (1 ounce) 13 76 Evening snack Strawberry slices (½ cup) 6 27 Chocolate frozen yogurt, fat-free, sugar-free (1 ½ cups) 55 299 Total 674 3,972 Source: Mayo Clinic. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2012
Carb loading tips! 19 Remember: Since glycogen storage is associated with approximately 3g of water for each 1g of glycogen, carbohydrate loading can produce a weight gain of about 1 to 2 kg. This increase in weight is mainly fuel stored in muscle. The weight gain may or may not affect your client s performance. Now go through the below tips and put them in practice! Shutterstock TOP TIPS! If you decide to try carbohydrate loading with your client, rehearse it during and NOT right before the competition to find out what works best for him/her! Never try anything new right before an important competition! You may need to try the technique more than once, adjusting the types and amounts of foods your client eats.
Shutterstock How to plan effectively 20 Planning well for the event is key to ensure your client has appropriate glycogen stores for optimal performance. When it comes to carb loading, it s all about good timing! 12 WEEKS BEFORE: Practise loading 3 days before your client s longest session, he/she should start eating more carbs and less fat and protein. This way, you'll get a sense of what foods are best for your client s performance or even spot any digestive discomfort that can still be corrected. Practise using the Event Carb Loading Planner at least twice in the months prior to the event. Combine each carb loading rehearsal with exercise tapering, followed by a long session that mimics the actual event (e.g. 12 weeks before and then again 6 weeks before). 1 WEEK BEFORE: Make a plan A plan is especially important if your client is travelling to compete. Make a list of ideal foods (as previously rehearsed) and advise your client to pack plenty of snacks, like sports bars, pretzels, biscuits and crackers. Checking menus online, finding a local grocery store and making restaurant reservations well before the competition would be wise! 3 DAYS BEFORE: Switch to carbs From this point through to the event, switch to a high carb (8 to 10 g per kg BW a day). Training volume, intensity and time should be reduced. It s best to eat after a taper session. That is when muscles are primed to store glycogen. Plenty of rest, reducing stress on the body and sleeping 8 hours nightly will allow muscles to top up glycogen. NIGHT BEFORE: Not too full Dinner should be relatively small but carb-heavy. It s best to eat on the early side to have lots of time to digest. Your client should wake up on the event day hungry and not full from the night before. EVENT DAY: Precise nutrition and hydration tactics on the day of the competition in Module 8.
5 common mistakes when carb loading! 21 Research indicates that many athletes and exercisers who attempt to carbohydrate load, fail to achieve their goal. Common mistakes include: 1. Carbohydrate loading requires an exercise taper. Athletes can find it difficult to back off for 1-4 days before competition. Failing to rest will compromise carbohydrate loading and competition performance. 2. Many athletes fail to eat enough carbohydrate. It seems athletes don't have a good understanding of the amount of food required to carbohydrate load. Encourage your client to use a carbohydrate counter (click here to download the NHS CHO counter). TIP: Examine the tables and identify the carbohydrate (CHO) content for the best foods! 3. In order to consume the necessary amount of carbohydrate, it is necessary to cut back on fibre and make use of compact sources of carbohydrate such as sugar, soft drinks, sports drinks, jam, honey, jelly and canned fruit. Athletes who include too many highfibre foods in their carbohydrate loading menu may suffer stomach upset or find the food too bulky to consume. 4. Carbohydrate loading will most likely cause body mass to increase by approximately 2kg. This extra weight is due to extra muscle glycogen and water. For some athletes, a fear of weight gain may prevent them from carbohydrate loading adequately. 5. Athletes commonly use carbohydrate loading as an excuse to eat everything and anything in sight. Consuming too many high fat foods will make it difficult to consume sufficient carbohydrate. It may also result in gain of body fat. It is important to stick to high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods while carbohydrate loading!
Does carb loading work for women? 22 Most studies of glycogen storage have been conducted on male athletes. However, some studies suggest that females may be less responsive to carbohydrate loading, especially during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This appears to be, at least partly, because women have difficulty consuming the larger amounts of carbohydrate required for a complete carb load. Further research needs to be conducted specifically on females. Shutterstock PRE-COMPETITION TIPS FOR FEMALE CLIENTS! Create your client s pre-competition eating plan based on the worksheets and recommendations contained in this course. More about pre-competition nutrition is covered in Module 8. Use your initial plan as a basis for further developing and finetuning your client s pre-competition programme. A nutritional plan is fairly individual, so it s best to experiment in first. Never try anything new on the day of competition! Make sure that your client has rehearsed the eating programme plenty of times during well before the event!
Test your knowledge! 23 1. Does carb loading require exercise taper? (circle the correct answer): A. Yes. Failing to rest will compromise carbohydrate loading and competition performance B. No. Rest decreases your athletic ability, so you need to train harder the days before the event 2. Carb loading is unlikely to benefit you if the competition lasts less than because muscle glycogen depletion would not be a limiting factor to your performance. 3. Carb loading methods are used before events such as (circle all that apply): A. Short 100-metre sprints B. Olympic lifts C. 400-metre circuits D. Marathons E. Team sports 4. True or false? A. Carb loading can produce fat gain of about 1 to 2 kg. True - False B. The days prior the competition, you should increase fibre intake and avoid compact sources of carbohydrate. True - False C. For the final 3 days before the competition, it s best to follow a high-carbohydrate and continue with exercise tapering to promote fuel storage and performance. True - False * The correct answers to this exercise can be found in the next page. Do not peek! Try to resolve it yourself first.
Exercise Answers 24 1. A. Yes. Pre-event carb loading requires exercise tapering and rest. 2. 90 minutes (long-duration events) 3. D. Marathons and E. Team sports 4. True or false answers: A. FALSE. This weight gain is glycogen fuel in muscles rather than fat. B. FALSE. The opposite is true. Before the competition, it is necessary to decrease fibre intake and chose compact sources of carbohydrate to avoid digestive track upset and promote carb loading for peak performance. C. TRUE. Failing to carb load or rest before the event will negatively affect recovery, fuel storage and event performance.
Additional Resources 25 Journal of applied psychology. Gender differences in carbohydrate loading are related to energy intake. PDF. NHS carbohydrate (CHO) counter. Australian Sports Commission, Carbohydrate Loading. Mayo Clinic Carbohydrate-loading sample. Int J Sport Nutr. 1995 Jun;5(2):110-6. A carbohydrate loading regimen improves high intensity, short duration exercise performance. PUBMED 7670450 J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Jan;25(1):61-5. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fef85c. Omega 3 Chia seed loading as a means of carbohydrate loading. ing for a marathon. Runner s World.
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