Carb Loading for Runners
We all know the image of a runner the night before their race tucking into a massive bowl of pasta. If you’re new to racing or you’ve not done carb loading before, you may copy them. Or you may do the opposite, thinking: that’s not going to make a difference. But will it?
Here’s everything you need to know about carb loading, plus the best carbs for runners.
Why do we carb load?
Before we talk about what carb loading is, it’s more important to talk about why we carb load. When you’re running or exercising for a long period of time, carb loading will help your body maintain your performance. That’s because your body uses carbohydrates and turns them into energy.
On average, you can run for around 90 - 120 minutes on your existing glycogen stores (aka energy stores) before you notice yourself getting fatigued. You might not feel hungry as such, but you’ll notice your performance tailing off. This could be finding it harder to push yourself through or hitting the wall.
What is carb loading?
Carb loading is not necessarily eating your bodyweight in pasta. It’s a structured way of topping up your body’s glycogen stores and it’s typically done before a race. And not just the night before either. The best advice is to carb load around two or three days before your race.
During this time, you’ll likely be tapering or running at a lower mileage which allows your body to store more of the glycogen in your muscles.
How to carb load the right way
To get the best results from carb loading, try increasing your carbohydrate intake up to three days before your race. You can aim for 8 - 10g of carbs per kg of your bodyweight if you want to be specific, or you can try the following tips:
• Increasing your carb portion in each meal across the 2 – 3 days
• Altering main meals to be carb based e.g., contain lots of pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, etc
• Adding in additional carb snacks across the day
But if you’ve ever eaten a whole pizza in one sitting (and who hasn’t), then you’ll know that all those carbohydrates at once are a lot to digest. It can make you feel a bit sluggish, which isn’t quite optimal when you’ve got a few miles to get through. Some advice we can give is to split your meals into six small servings, rather than three large ones. This will make it easier on your digestion without you losing any of the carb loading benefits.
Carbohydrate loading is often about finding the sweet spot between consuming sufficient carbohydrates and feeling comfortable.
So, what can you eat?
Bread, pasta, rice, oats and sweet potatoes are high in carbohydrates, so make good choices.
Part of the strategy of carb loading for a race is to also reduce your fibre intake around 2 days before you plan to be at the start line. If not, you might be left with stomach upsets on event day. It doesn’t mean that fruit and veg are out, but lower fibre options like bananas will give you a good amount of carbs plus added vitamins and minerals, without excessive fibre.
Your pre-race meal should be around 3-4 hours before you race, the exact timing is down to personal preference (make sure you practice this!). Opt for an easy-to-digest carb rich breakfast that you’re familiar with. Something like oats, honey and a banana with a dollop of peanut butter. You may also want a carb ‘top-up’ snack 30 minutes before the start of your race. Again, opt for easy-to-digest carbs such as malt loaf or a flapjack.
What else should you consider?
Carb loading is not tricky but it might seem a little more technical than you were thinking. That’s okay. A good tip is to try out your carb loading strategy during your training. Pick a day when you’re going to be running for more than 90 minutes and practice two or three days of carb loading up to that point. Then, see how you feel. This also gives you a chance to adjust your carb loading strategy before race day.
Another thing you’ll want to do in your carb loading phase is try to stick to meals that you’re comfortable with. We wouldn’t recommend trying out any new gels or foods on race day.
And that’s all. We love hearing from you so if you have carb loading strategies that have worked for you in the past, share them with us on our social channels.
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