Running Head: CARB-LOADING
Carb-Loading
Ashley Charles
HLTH 645
Liberty University
April 8th, 2017
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Running Head: CARB-LOADING
Carb-Loading
The role of nutrition is important to athletes who compete and practice in high
intensity events on frequent occasions. Running a marathon is considered a high intensity
sport. Marathons runner’s greatest concern is maintaining fuel throughout the race rather
than consuming meals to loss or maintain weight. It would be unrealistic for someone to
run a marathon with depletes carbohydrate stores. Carbohydrates especially have an
important role of providing energy to athletes that will secure fuel for them to perform.
Due to the fact that carbohydrate stores are depleted during strenuous activity, it is
necessary for athletes to consume simple carbohydrates before, after, and during
workouts to ensure that fuel for energy is upheld. Doing so will replenish muscle
glycogen and liver glycogen. Muscle glycogen is a readily available energy source for the
working muscle and glycogen in the liver is to maintain constant blood glucose level.1
Carbohydrate loading, or increased carbohydrate stores, increases time to exhaustion
(endurance capacity) on average by 20% and reduces the time required to complete a set
(time trial, endurance performance) by 2% to 3%.1 With carbohydrate loading, in order to
get the most optimal amount of stored muscle glycogen, the runs should be moderate
intensity lasting ninety
minutes or more. 2
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Running Head: CARB-LOADING
Carbohydrates before exercise:
Athletes who had an overnight fast should try to replenish their carbohydrate
stores 3-5 minutes before their event. It is recommended for athletes to consume 140 to
330 grams of carbohydrates to achieve this task. The goal is to choose simple carbs that
can be digested rapidly such as a bananas, toast and jam, and fruit juice. There is risk
associated with consuming carbohydrates an hour before exercise. Hypoglycemia can
present itself due to heightened exercise and the decrease of glucose in the blood. Also,
consuming carbs 1 hour before an event can increase carbohydrate oxidation and
accelerated glycogen breakdown. 1
Carbohydrates during exercise:
To maintain muscle glycogen, athletes can consume a solid or liquid carbohydrate
during exercise. There are pros and cons of each method of replenishment. Eating solid
foods can slow down the pace of gastric empting. Gastric empting can limit oxidation of
ingested carbohydrates. Sports drinks can prevent dehydration and can also aid with easy
digestion. Either way, both liquid and solid forms of carbohydrates are effective
promoting carbohydrate oxidation during workouts
Carbohydrates after exercise:
Many athletes miss the point that carbohydrates are needed to replenish muscle
glycogen immediately after workouts. When carbohydrate intake is delayed until after the
rapid phase, less glucose is taken up and stored as glycogen, primarily because of
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Running Head: CARB-LOADING
decreasing insulin sensitivity after the first few hours after exercise.1 When we think of a
source that aides muscle repair, we immediately think of protein. In fact, glycogen
storage increases when protein and carbohydrates are consumed together. Glycogen
synthesis depends on the GI of the meal consumed after exercise. After 6 hours of
recovery, muscle glycogen is more restored with a high-GI meal compared with a low-GI
meal.1 Also, foods that contain glucose seems to be the recommended source over
fructose to experience maximum recovery of muscle glycogen.
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Running Head: CARB-LOADING
References:
1. i
2. Mueller, A, Reek, A, and Schantzen, J. Effects of Carbohydrates loading on
High Performance Athletes. N.D.
https://cehsp.d.umn.edu/sites/cehsp.d.umn.edu/files/effectsofcarbohydratelo
adingonhighperformanceathletics.pdf Accessed 8 Apr 17.
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