Carbo loading

[word]

How does everybody carbo load? I was always led to believe that you eat pasta, potatoes etc. for a few days before and drink those stupidly expensive carbohydrate drinks for 3 days.

 

Now I am being told that it is all rubbish. The best thing to do is on the day before a race, spin for 40 minutes, then go balls to the wall for 3 minutes, jump off the bike and down a very sugary drink (grape juice etc.).

 

What is best/right/done???

[oclv110]

I only do what I ussually do.Eat normally the night before and then have a huge breakfast about 2,5 hours before the race.(Pronutro,wholeweat bread and two scrambled eggs)

I have tried carbo loading,but has seen no different results.

[Spinnekop]

Each to his own.

 

I don't carbo load.  Love my pasta and will eat it if I can.  But if a Rump comes along, I will not give it a second thought......

 

There is a lot of stories out there.  Some for and some against it.

 

Try everything and keep what works for you!!!

[Wonder Woman]

I have to agree with Spidey here. I tried it and felt so uncomfortable and heavy on the bike that that was it.

 

Just eat normally, besides, if you are racing every weekend carbo-loading sounds a bit ridiculous!!

 

Try different things and see what your body reacts to best!

 

[pastapouch]

tried to race without carboloading once, ran out of energy 40k into 100k race, after that it was torture.

[slowjoe]

I've read somewhere that if u carbo load correctly u should gain a kg and more over 3 days

Doing that on a weekly basis wud mean ud soon b to heavy for those carbon wheels

Go for the wild spinning class idea! I need to start beating your times somehow

[Red Zone]

I have tried the three day routine, works for me, but I only bother for serious events over 4 hours, 24 hour races or multi day stage races.

 

you can only get 400 grams carbs from eating food but need another 200 grams from a supplement, that takes you to the optimim 600 gram level. which is meant to be the max a normal person can absorbe in a day.

 

Lots of people think that just eating a huge plate of pasta or other carbs the night before an even will help, it will probably do very little. You will just upset your stomach and feel bloated.

[Bateleur1]

I've been carboloading for almost 34 years and I still suffer with every race

[Bateleur1]

I do carboload sometimes for bigger events but it is more to make sure that I am properly hydrated when going in a race.  I have a tendency to not drink enough liquids.

[RABUBI]

My two cents out of experience. I found that if the day before a big race I eat the normal pasta, etc. I also drink about 3 litres of carbo drink (I use Race Fuel), there is a major difference the next day after about 60-70km into the race.

The additional carbs I take in with the drink keeps off the hunger during the race, more energy and endurance is also much better.