Carb load or not?

[Kansas]

Do you really need to carb load (USN) before a race or is there other options to choose from?

[Red Zone]

Depends on the distance and time that you are racing, if you are doing under 2 hours, carbo loading probably wont help you, 2 - 4 hours you can probably get by on gu, bars and energy drink, over 4 hours and I think you should carbo load.

[AndreZA]

Nah. You body can only take up so much carbs and then you will just wee out the rest. The same with carbo loading on a big bowl of pasta the night before.

[Kansas]

so what you are saying is that it is acctually a waste to buy carb laod for 100km if you want to go in less than 4 hours? a meal of pasta WILL DO THE TRICK NIGHT BEFORE 100KM?Kansas20092009-05-25 05:32:23

[Wheelsuck]

Firstly if you load I would not use USN-personal perefrence but just do not trust their stuff. Agree with FF would not carbo load if the event is less than 3.5-4 hours, but would have a high Carb b/fast.  Try Endurashake from Pace and Power (In Fritz Pienaar at Sunninghill),best tasting as well. Mini Hijack: What's the  tasting supplement? for me it  is Cytomax Recovery drink-I think this is what nuclear waste tastes like       

[Kansas]

What advice do you have on meals before 100km race? (Day before & Race day)

Any advice is welcome

[Wheelsuck]

What advice do you have on meals before 100km race? (Day before & Race day)

Any advice is welcome

Kansas, I am no expert but try this:load for 3days before the race (this depends on the distance and time you want to do but play around) and then on race day have  breakfast, oats etc , before the race I drink 250ml of my mix that I race with, I then only drink on the race and do not use gels, alternatively you can use gel with water, and loose the mix. After the ride also have 250ml recovery drink. BUT the best is to ask someone in the know, not the dude in the supplement aisle at Dischem who lifts small cars as a hobby but a nutritionist that knows their stuff and understands what the body needs. I tried all sorts of stuff but found that the stuff from Pace and Power as previously said works for me but you need to experiment and drink all sort of vile sh!t to find what works.     

[jmaccelari]

For a one day race - not.

 

Just eat properly & hydrate...

 

[TNT1]

 

Nah. You body can only take up so much carbs and then you will just wee out the rest. The same with carbo loading on a big bowl of pasta the night before.

 

wait... you wee out pasta? eeewww!

 

[Jules]

I agree: carbo loading not necessary if your race is only 2-4 hours. I find the best thing to do before a race is avoid food that is too rich.

[AndreZA]

 

Nah. You body can only take up so much carbs and then you will just wee out the rest. The same with carbo loading on a big bowl of pasta the night before.

wait... you wee out pasta? eeewww!

 

 

 

you must see when I eat crayfish.   

[Bos]

What advice do you have on meals before 100km race? (Day before & Race day)

Any advice is welcome

 

Rest well. Eat healthy-ish with one or two meals that have enough carbs in them, but like the others are saying, dont go on a trip about this.

 

I always make sure I hydrate well the day before the race and I mix a bottle of carb drink and consume it the evening before.

 

It probably wont make a hughe difference, but I found at boshendal which was a very hot day most of my mates had slight dehydration syntoms like headaches for the following few days. I hardly noticed the heat and only drank one bottle the entire race and was feeling perfect afterwards despite the fact that I had probably never ridden as hard as that particular race.

 

But then again, I was looking for any extra performance back then and If I did the same now(not so fit)  I would be less serious as 10 minutes mid pack makes no difference.

[Sporties]

If you want to store more carbs from the paste or whatever carbo load meal you eat, use SportX carboload. It triggers the proses to store more glycogen in the muscles and liver. (give you a bigger fuel tank) It has been tested and trailed over the past 18 years and it really work.

[porky]

For a normal 100 odd km race you dont need to carbo load, actually carbo loading is a bit of "old school philosophy," and even frowned upon in many circles as having no benefit whatsoever, I think its fine if you rather just eat normally, as you would on any other day.

 

A lot of folk make the mistake of just eating carbohydrate a day or two before an event, but dont forget the protein, its just as important and make sure its included in a balanced way in your meals.

 

Remember what you old gran always told you, meat, potatoe and two veggies - eat that in moderate quantities and you will be fine.

 

 

 

 

[IanJ]

Coming from an old school running background I still carbo load but not nearly as much quantity as before. We used to deplete carbs for 3 days (eating mainly green salad) then cram in the carbs for the last 3 days. Could easily gain 2-3kg's in 3 days.

Now I just eat extra carbs the night before (pasta with a plain sauce) and will have 1 or 2 servings of a carbo loading drink the day before.

 

Works for me.

 

[Kansas]

thanks to all who replied and gave advice will try some methods to see what will work best for me