Carbohydrate loading is a method used to enable muscles to hold more than the usual amount of glycogen.  This is called overcompensation.  During this process, low glycemic carbohydrates work best.  Simple carbohydrates should be limited to during and after workouts only.  Supplements that help with the glycogen replenishment stage are chromium, vitamin C, and of course, carbohydrate drinks.  Sometimes carbohydrate loading involves depleting the glycogen stores first.  Supplements that help with carbohydrate depletion are niacin and pyridoxine.  During any carbohydrate loading method, the athlete should drink 8 ounces of water with each meal.  Optimally, one should not carbohydrate load more than 3 times per year.  Otherwise, the body adapts, and the process becomes futile.

There are 3 different ways to carbohydrate load.

Carbohydrate - Loading method #1

Method 1 is the simplest.  This athlete begins 3 days before her competition.  For these 3 days, the diet will be comprised of 70% carbohydrates, and the workouts should be of reduced intensity, with the day before the competition being the lightest.

Carbohydrate - Loading method #2

This method is a little more aggressive than the first.  The athlete that uses this method will begin one week before competition day.  He is to train to exhaustion for the first four days of his cycle, consuming a diet of 55% carbohydrates.  During the final 3 days of his cycle, his nutrient profile changes – he now consumes 70% carbohydrates.  During these days, his workouts will be of reduced intensity, with the day before his competition being the lightest.  

Carbohydrate - Loading method #3

This is the most grueling form of carbohydrate loading.  The athlete that follows this method will begin six days before competition day.  For the first three days of his cycle, he is to reduce his carbohydrate intake significantly while maintaining high intensity training.  He will diet will consist of only 20% carbohydrates.  To avoid fatigue, potassium and muscle tissue loss, it is important for this athlete to keep his calorie intake up.  The last 3 days of this cycle is the loading phase.  This athlete now consumes a diet of 70% carbohydrates.  As for his training, he will now do low intensity training on the first 2 days of this stage, limiting his workouts to 30 minutes in duration, with no training at all the day before competition day.

When done correctly, carbohydrate loading is of great benefit to endurance athletes, and even bodybuilders.  For long distance runners, carbohydrate loading enables them to run longer without “hitting a wall” since more muscle glycogen is available.  For bodybuilders, more muscle glycogen means muscles appear bigger, and muscle definition is more apparent.

Copyright © 2009 by A.M. Birmingham, ISSA CFT, SPN

      

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