Carbo-loading 101: A Runner's Guide

 

 Proper nutrition is front and center, especially during the week before the race. I wanted to find out more about the practice of “carbo-loading,” so I consulted registered dietitian Bethany Thayer, national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and manager of wellness programs and strategies at Henry Ford Health System here in Detroit. 

 

Turns out there is a lot to know about spaghetti slurping.

 

A few decades ago, says Thayer, athletes would deplete their bodies of carbohydrates a week before the race by consuming only a maximum of 30 grams of carbohydrates. Then, a few days before the race, they’d “load” up by eating nothing but carbs.

 

“That didn’t work very well,” says Thayer. “Athletes would be too tired to train, even with a taper, and it turns out it’s unnecessary to go through the depletion phase.”

 

New recommendation: three to four days prior to the race, adjust your diet so that about 70 to 80 percent of your calories come from carbs. 

 

“This maximizes glycogen stores,” says Thayer. “Top your glycogen stores off with carbs a couple of hours before the race, and you’ll have the fuel needed to be ready to go.”

 

Thayer stresses that race week isn’t the time to start doing something drastically different, like holding off eating if you normally eat before running.

 

So, is a mound of spaghetti still the carb of choice before race morning? Check the label for the words “whole grain,” suggests Thayer.

 

“Nutrient-rich carbohydrates should be your choice for the three to four days prior to racing. Whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, brown rice, fruits and vegetables and fat-free dairy are all ways to get nutrient-rich carbohydrates,” she says.