Carbohydrate Loading

[basskiller]

Carbohydrate Loading - Anyone interested in sport is likely to have heard of the term 'carbohydrate loading'. However it is probably one of the most misunderstood terms in sports nutrition. People commonly think anyone involved in sport needs to 'carb up' and the way to do this is to eat 'flat out' in the days leading up to an event. Read on to get the facts on carbohydrate loading.

What is carbohydrate loading?
Carbohydrate loading is a strategy involving changes to training and nutrition that can maximise muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) stores prior to endurance competition. The technique was originally developed in the the late 1960's and typically involved a 3-4 day 'depletion phase' and a 3-4 day 'loading phase'. Ongoing research has allowed the method to be refined so that modern day carbohydrate loading is now more manageable for athletes.

Does carbohydrate loading improve performance?
Muscle glycogen levels are normally in the range of 100-120 mmol/kg ww (wet weight). Carbohydrate loading enables muscle glycogen levels to be increased to around 150-200 mmol/kg ww. This extra supply of carbohydrate has been demonstrated to improve endurance exercise by allowing athletes to exercise at their optimal pace for a longer time. It is estimated that carbohydrate loading can improve performance over a set distance by 2-3%.

Who should carbohydrate load?
Anyone exercising continuously for 90 minutes or longer is likely to benefit from carbohydrate loading. Typically, sports such as cycling, marathon running, longer distance triathlon, cross-country skiing and endurance swimming benefit from carbohydrate loading. Shorter term exercise is unlikely to benefit as the body's usual carbohydrate stores are adequate. Carbohydrate loading is generally not practical to achieve in team sports where games are played every 3-4 days. Although it might be argued that players in soccer and AFL have heavy demands on their muscle fuel stores, it would be impossible to achieve a full carbohydrate protocol within the weekly schedule of training and games.

How was carbohydrate loading originally achieved?
Originally, carbohydrate loading involved a depletion phase. This required 3-4 hard training days plus a low carbohydrate diet. The depletion phase was thought to be necessary to stimulate the enzyme glycogen synthase. The depletion phase was followed by a loading phase which involved 3-4 days of rest combined with a high carbohydrate diet. The extra carbohydrate combined with the now-activated glycogen synthase was shown to boost carbohydrate stores beyond their usual resting levels.

How do modern-day athletes carbohydrate load?
Today's endurance athletes use a modified carbohydrate loading method. Ongoing research has demonstrated that the depletion phase is no longer necessary. This is a bonus for athletes as the depletion phase was very difficult. Australian marathon runner, Steve Moneghetti has described the depletion phase as making him feel like "death warmed up". Today, 3-4 days of exercise taper while following a high carbohydrate diet (7-10g/kg body weight) is sufficient to elevate muscle glycogen levels.

What does a high carbohydrate diet look like?
The following diet is suitable for a 70kg athlete aiming to carbohydrate load:

Breakfast
3 cups of low-fibre breakfast cereal with 1½ cups of reduced fat milk
1 medium banana
250ml orange juice
Snack toasted muffin with honey
500ml sports drink

Lunch
2 sandwiches (4 slices of bread) with filling as desired
200g tub of low-fat fruit yoghurt
375ml can of soft drink

Snack
banana smoothie made with low-fat milk, banana and honey cereal bar

Dinner
1 cup of pasta sauce with 2 cups of cooked pasta
3 slices of garlic bBread
2 glasses of cordial

Late snack
toasted muffin and jam
500ml sports drink

This sample carbohydrate loading meal plan provides roughly 14,200 kJ, 590 grams of carbohydrate, 125 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat.

Are there any special considerations for females?
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. Further research needs to be conducted specifically on females.

What are the common mistakes made when carbohydrate loading?
Research indicates that many athletes who attempt to carbohydrate load fail to achieve their goal. The method sounds simple, so what are so many athletes doing wrong? The most common mistakes are outlined below:

Carbohydrate loading requires an exercise taper. Athletes can find it difficult to back off and not train hard for 3-4 days before competition. Failing to rest will compromise carbohydrate loading.
Many athletes fail to eat enough carbohydrate. It sounds easy to increase your carbohydrate intake but many athletes fall short of the mark. It seems athletes don't have a good understanding of the amount of food required to carbohydrate load. Working with a sports dietitian or using a carbohydrate counter can be useful.
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, cordial, soft drink, sports drink, jam, honey, jelly and tinned fruit. Athletes who include too many high fibre foods in their carbohydrate loading menu may suffer stomach upset or find the food too bulky to consume.
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.
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.


Carbohydrate counter of 50 g CHO portions from CHO-rich foods
(Adapted from Peak Performance: training and nutritional strategies for sport J. Hawley and L. Burke. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1998.)
Each of the selections provide approximately 50 grams of carbohydrate:



CEREALS
Wheat biscuit cereal (e.g. Weetabrix) 60g (5 biscuits)
'Light' breakfast cereal (e.g. Cornflakes, Weeties) 60 g (2 cups)
'Muesli' flake breakfast cereal 65 g (1-1.5 cups)
Toasted muesli 90 g (1 cup)
Porridge - made with milk 350 g (1.3 cups)
Porridge - made with water 550 g (2.5 cups)
Rolled oats 90 g (1 cup)
Muesli bar 2.5
Rice cakes 6 thick or 10 thin
Rice, boiled 180g (1 cup)
Pasta or noodles, boiled 200 g (1.3 cups)
Canned spaghetti 440 g (large can)
Crispbreads and dry biscuits 6 large or 15 small
Fruit filled biscuits 5
Plain sweet biscuits 8-10
Bread 110 g (4 slices white or 3 thick wholegrain)
Bread rolls 110 g (1 large or 2 medium)
Pita and lebanese bread 100 g (2 pita)
Chapati 150 g (2.5)
English muffin 120 g (2 full muffins)
Crumpet 2.5
Cakestyle muffin 115 g (1 large or 2 medium
Pancakes 150 g (2 medium)
Scones 125 g (3 medium)
Iced fruit bun 105 g (1.5)
Ricecream 300 g (1.5 cups)

FRUIT
Fruit crumble 1 cup
Fruit packed in heavy syrup 280 g (1.3 cups)
Fruit stewed/canned in light syrup 520 g (2 cups)
Fresh fruit salad 500 g (2.5 cups)
Bananas 2 medium-large
Mangoes, pears, grapefruit and other large fruit 2-3
Oranges, apples and other medium size fruit 3-4
Nectarines, apricots and other small fruit 12
Grapes 350 g (2 cups)
Melon 1,000 g (6 cups)
Strawberries 1,800 g (12 cups)
Sultanas and raisins 70 g (4 Tbsp)
Dried apricots 115 g (22 halves)

VEGETABLES AND LEGUMES
Potatoes 350 g (1 very large or 3 medium)
Sweet potato 350 g (2.5 cups)
Corn 300 g (1.2 cups creamed corn or 2 cobs)
Green Beans 1,800 g (14 cups)
Baked beans 440 g (1 large can)
Lentils 400 g (2 cups)
Soy beans and kidney beans 400 g (2 cups)
Tomato puree 1 litre (4 cups)
Pumpkin and peas 700 g (5 cups)

DAIRY PRODUCTS and DESSERTS
Milk 1 litre
Flavoured milk 560 ml
Custard 300 g (1.3 cup or half 600 g carton ready made)
'Diet' yoghurt and natural yoghurt 800 g (4 individual tubs)
Flavoured non-fat yoghurt 350 g (2 individual tubs)
Fromage frais 400 g (2 tubs)
Rice pudding/creamed rice 300g (1.5 cups)

SUGARS AND CONFECTIONERY
Sugar 50 g
Jam 3 Tbsp
Syrups 4 Tbsp
Honey 3 Tbsp
Jubes and jelly babies 60 g


DRINKS
Fruit juice - unsweetened 600 ml
Fruit juice - sweetened 500 ml
Cordial 800 ml
Soft drinks and flavored mineral water 500 ml
Fruit smoothie 250-300 ml

SPORTS FOODS
Sports drink 700 ml
Carbohydrate loader supplement 250 ml
Liquid meal supplement 250-300 ml
Sports bar 1-1.5 bars
Sports gels 2 sachets
Glucose polymer powder 60 g



Michelle Minehan

[Mica Gimenez]

What do you prefer to eat every breakfast? Can you give some advice on which food i will eat.

[basskiller]

Originally Posted by Mica Gimenez

What do you prefer to eat every breakfast? Can you give some advice on which food i will eat.

being a trainer yourself.. Are you really asking this?