Carbohydrate
Loading
• Can increase muscle glycogen levels 13% -
100%
• Prolongs time to exhaustion 2-3% in
endurance events >90 minutes
• Higher effect in untrained persons
Carbohydrate loading and sports
• Carbo-loading is effective only
in endurance activities that
exceed 90 minutes.
• Sports include: marathon
running, long distance
swimming, cycling, cross
country skiing.
• Doesn’t work well in team
sports & sprinting.
What is carbohydrate loading?
Carbo-loading (Supercompensation):
• Legal method of boosting the amount of
glycogen in the body prior to a competition.
• Strategy involving changes to training and diet that can
maximize muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores prior to
endurance competition.
• Is meant to increase muscle glycogen stores above normal
levels so it delays the onset of fatigue during a major
competition.
Carbohydrate Loading
Combining a specific dietary regimen with
exercise produces significant “packing” of
muscle glycogen.
Normally, each 100 g of muscle contains about
1.7 g of glycogen.
Carbohydrate loading packs up to 5 g of
glycogen per 100 g of skeletal muscle.
Methods of Carbo Loading
• Classic 6-day regimen
– 3 days intense glycogen-depleting exercise
– 3 days high carb diet, no exercise
• Modified 6-day regimen
– 3-day exercise taper, normal diet
– High carb (70%) & light exercise 3days prior
• Single-day regimen
– 10 gm/kg/day carb 1-day prior
– Normal exercise regimen
How to carbo-load:
Start time is about a week before a major competition.
It involves 2 stages:
1. Depletion stage:
• For the first 3-4 days - eat a minimal amount of carbohydrates
(about 60–100 g/day) to deplete your body’s glycogen storage.
• The body will think that there is a problem with the glycogen
storage within the body = store more glycogen.
• Maintain a moderate training intensity but reduce the duration as
the days go on.
How to carbo-load:
2. Consumption stage:
• Last 3 days before event- consume high amounts of primarily complex
carbohydrates (400–700 g/day) and reduce the training load of activity.
• Reduce intensity and duration of training sessions to half or a quarter =
body will replenish glycogen stores.
• Diet should consist of 70% carbohydrates for this process to work properly.
NOTE:
It is especially important that you allow one day of rest to allow your
muscles to store the carbohydrates.
Supercompensation occurs only in the specific muscles depleted by
exercise.
Summary
Before event Training Duration Diet
intensity
7 days Moderate 90 minutes Low carbs/
high protein
6 days Moderate 60 minutes Low carbs/
high protein
5 days Moderate 40 minutes Low carbs/
high protein
4 days Moderate 30 minutes High carbs
3 days Easy 20 minutes High carbs
2 days Easy 20 minutes High carbs
1 day Rest High carbs
Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
• Improve endurance performance • Weight gain store extra water
• Improve performance over a set in the muscles
distance by 2-3%. • Feel tired during the depletion
• Gives a mental advantage/ stage don’t take in enough
improved psychological set glucose
• Increased blood cholesterol
• Does not increase endurance
with non-athletes
• Symptoms of depletion include
nausea, dizziness & irritability
Modified Loading Procedure
Reduces some of the negative effects associated with the
classic procedure
6-day protocol
Does not require prior exercise to exhaustion
The athlete exercises at about 75% of VO2max for 1.5 hours
and then, gradually reduces or tapers exercise duration
During the first 3 days, carbohydrates supply about 50% of
total calories.
Three days before competition, the diet’s carbohydrate
content then increases to 70% of total energy intake.
Gender Differences
Women get a smaller proportion of total
energy from carbohydrate break down than
men
At the same relative workload after training,
women show an exaggerated shift toward fat
break down, whereas men do not.
Important Considerations
• Rate that the stomach empties is NB
Affects absorption of fluids & nutrients
by small intestine
• High fluid volume in stomach = faster gastric emptying
• Consume 400-600ml fluid before exercise speeds up
nutrient passage to small intestine
• Regularly drink 150-250ml fluid at 15min intervals to
replenish fluid passed into intestine
No substitute for hard work…