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Learning Activity: Carbohydrates and Endurance Sports Assignment
By Kim MacGregor
March 30, 2022
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1. The physiological response of carbohydrate loading in sports.
Carbohydrates function as important and essential point of energy for any active body,
but specifically for a person using copious amounts of energy for training. Carbohydrates
get broken down into glucose during digestion, allowing the glucose to be used as energy
but also to be stored in the liver and muscle tissue1. Consuming excess carbohydrates,
known as carbohydrate loading, can lead to an increased storage of muscle glycogen
which allows “exercise to be prolonged and/or performance to be improve”2.
Carbohydrate loading enables the blood glucose concentration levels to remain high,
which creates an increased rate of carbohydrate oxidation in prolonged periods of
exercise2. Carbohydrate oxidation is the breakdown of the carbohydrate into energy or
kilocalories. This process of carbohydrate loading may also help to prevent fatigue,
sustain the activity, and improve overall performance2.
2. The process of carbohydrate loading.
Carbohydrate loading occurs when a person in training is consuming more carbohydrates
while reducing the amount of energy exerted in the days prior to an event3. Carbohydrates
can be found in foods such as: legumes, grains, and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes,
peas, and corn but also in fruits and milk, as well as in foods made with sugar, such as
candy and other sweets3. It is suggested to start carbohydrate loading one to three days
before an event, or in this runner’s case, one to three days before his long-distance
training run. The recommendation is to increase the diets carbohydrate intake by 8 to 12
grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight, while also cutting back on foods
high in fat as this allows compensation for the extra carbohydrate-rich foods3. If this
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runner is afraid of hitting a wall, he will want to remember that while he may feel more
energy from carbohydrate loading, he still will need to replenish post-race or run with
more carbohydrate rich foods to replenish the glycogen storage3.
3. The advantages and disadvantages of various carbohydrate loading techniques.
Advantages of carbohydrate loading is the potential feeling of increased energy,
improved performance, and less fatigue. Because this runner is a male, he may also
experience an increase in muscle as men have been found to be incredibly efficient with
carbohydrate loading and glycogen stored3. However, some disadvantages may be the
runner’s body simply is not responsive to the excess carbohydrates. Every body’s body is
different and reacts differently to foods, so it is critical to remember not every process or
diet looks the same for each athlete. The runner may also experience more digestive
discomfort and changes in blood sugar levels. It would be good to speak with a provider
prior to this diet if he has diabetes3.
4. The timing, amount, and listing of appropriate food sources for carbohydrate
loading.
It is recommended to begin carbohydrate loading one to three days before the athletic
event, whether it be the athlete’s race or long training run. Generally, the athlete would
increase his carbohydrate intake by five to seven grams per kilogram of his weight,
however, endurance athletes may need up to 12 grams of carbohydrate increase3.
Examples of proper food sources can be a bagel with peanut butter and banana, cereal,
milk, fruit juice, low-fat yogurt, dinner rolls, nuts, or dried fruit.
5. Any additional information needed to explain the why, how, when, and what of
carbohydrate loading.
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Carbohydrate loading can show significant improvement on performance and energy
maintenance for that of a runner. Carbohydrate loading can also aid in the recovery of a
distance run4, which is another added benefit as to why it may be reasonable for the
athlete to try carbohydrate loading. Several studies have shown that men especially
benefit from carbohydrate loading and it is encouraged for high endurance athletes across
all sports.
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Sources:
1. Holesh JE, Aslam S, Martin A. Physiology, Carbohydrates. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island
(FL): StatPearls Publishing; July 26, 2021.
2. Andrews JL, Sedlock DA, Flynn MG, Navalta JW, Ji H. Carbohydrate loading and
supplementation in endurance-trained women runners. Journal of Applied Physiology.
2003;95(2):584-590. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00855.2002
3. Should you be carb-loading for endurance? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-
lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrate-loading/art-20048518. Published
January 5, 2021. Accessed March 30, 2022.
4. Mueller A, Reek A, Schantzen J. Effects of Carbohydrate Loading on High Performance
Athletics.
https://cehsp.d.umn.edu/sites/cehsp.d.umn.edu/files/effectsofcarbohydrateloadingonhighperform
anceathletics.pdf. Accessed March 30, 2022.
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