Carbo Loading -- Don't Stuff Yourself
by Coach Troy Jacobson
A popular pre-race strategy for endurance athletes is to attend a carbo loading party the night before the 'big race' and consume unbelievably large amounts of pasta, breads and other starchy carbohydrates. While having a full compliment of muscle glycogen will definitely extend an athlete's time to exhaustion and allow them to maintain a faster pace for longer, there is a more effective way to carbo load that won't potentially cause digestive tract problems, race morning discomfort and inconvenience. Large calorie laden meals can slow the stomach emptying and digestive process, causing you to have to stand in line at the porta-pot on race morning with your fellow competitors.
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The reality is that you can carbo load without overstuffing yourself at dinner the night before your race. Starting about 3-4 days prior to your big event, start consuming a bit more carbohydrate in your diet than usual. Choose to eat smaller meals throughout the day during this time as smaller meals are more easily assimilated and transported through the digestive tract and eliminated. Further aid the digestive process by thoroughly chewing your food, avoiding fatty foods and consuming fluids with your meals. This practice, combined with reduced training volumes as part of your taper will super-pack your muscles with glycogen while leaving you feeling light and comfortable on race morning.
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