How To Create Your Carb-Load Plan

Even non-runners have heard of carb-loading. They might joke about how runners get to drink all the beer and eat all the pasta they want. But there's a lot more to it than just gorging on bagels and beer.

Glycogen is the main source of energy for long endurance runs. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the liver and in the muscles. Your body can store about 2000 calories worth of glycogen. That's enough calories to provide energy for about 18 miles of running. Once this supply is depleted, the body starts to burn fat. Sounds like a good back-up plan, but the problem is that the body takes longer to metabolize fat for energy.

Ever hear of “hitting the wall”? That’s when a runner's body shuts down mentally and physically. The cause is often from depleted carb stores. There’s just nothing left in the tank; hence the importance of fully stocked glycogen stores before the race. It’s also important to keep these stores refueled during the race by drinking sports drink and/or ingesting other quick carbs such as energy gels, chews, or beans about every 30 to 45 minutes during the race.

Back to carb-loading…past thinking had runners ingesting lots of carbs the entire last week of the taper. I’ve found that the last three days prior to the race is plenty of time to make sure you’re fueled up for the big day.

During this three day-period before race day, your carbohydrate intake should increase to 70 to 80 percent of your total daily caloric intake. That doesn’t mean you’re taking in more calories, it just means that of the calories you’re taking in, 70 to 80 percent need to be comprised of carbs.

Not all carbs are alike, Knowing the differences and eating the right kinds at the right time during the carb-loading phase can make a huge difference. Complex carbs are comprised of unrefined whole grain foods such as whole grain breads, legumes, brown rice, and whole grain pasta. Simple carbs are foods made of refined and/or processed grains such as white bread, regular pasta, white rice, packaged cookies, cakes, and doughnuts. Fruits are technically simple carbs too, but they’re very nutrient dense and I would never put them in the same category as a doughnut. Keep in mind that eating a banana will provide quick energy because your body will process it very quickly, while a low-fat bran muffin will sustain your energy needs a lot longer.

There’s no specific menu to eat for this carb-loading phase. There are so many factors involved—likes, dislikes, allergies, digestive tolerance, and on and on. What works for one runner may have another runner praying to the porcelain god (or more accurately the plastic port-a-john god) the entire run.

There are however, some good rules of thumb to follow. The first rule of thumb is to test your nutrition well in advance. It's best to try new foods when you're not in training. If you are training, it's best to test new things early on so you'll know ahead of time what does and doesn't work for you. Then stick to what you know works when it's close to race day.

It's also important to avoid the "Try me! Try me!" barking of the sales reps at the marathon expo. Although the marathon expo can be an exciting place the day before the race, try really hard to avoid much (if any) taste-testing. You never know what may throw your stomach for a loop. Save your sample for after the race

Now that you know the different types of carbs, you need to know when to eat them. To find out what to do each of the three days prior to race day [click here] go to the rest of my article on Active.com.

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Carb-Loading Made Easy

Information about the carb-loading phase of marathon training can often be conflicting and confusing. Make a copy of the Carb-Loading Made Easy info below and post it on your fridge. Refer to it as you get closer to your race date and then make sure you're following the tips beginning three days prior to race day. For more detailed information on carb-loading [click here].

Carb-Loading Made Easy!

• Complex Carbs (100% whole grain breads and pasta) should be ingested the 1st day, then transition to simple carbs during the 2nd day of carb-loading.)
• Avoid complex carbs on the 3rd day of carb-loading; stick mainly with simple carbs (but don't try anything new you haven't tried during your training).
• Raise the total percentage of daily carbs from 60-70% to 70-80% during the three carb-loading days. (Remember that your overall total calorie intake should remain about the same, so to increase the % of carbs, cut back a little on the protein % and fat %.)
• Bananas and salty pretzels eaten during your carb-load will ensure that you haven't depleted your sodium and potassium levels from the additional hydration during carb-loading.

• Last big meal should be 12-15hrs prior to the race start.
• Over hydration can be just as bad (if not worse) than dehydration because it can deplete vital electrolytes. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during the carb-loading phase, but no need to drink excessive amounts.
• A light high-carb breakfast 2-3 hours before the race is wise and should consist of about 300 calories. (A little protein in fine, but stay away from the fat. Both take longer to digest and can make you feel sluggish during your run.)
• Don't be alarmed if you gain a few pounds. It's mostly water retention from the extra carbs. You'll sweat out the extra pounds during the race.

Fueling-Up For The Big Race

Over the past couple of posts I've shared information on the two main energy sources for aerobic metabolism—glycogen (from carbs) and fat. Both are important for endurance runners. Glycogen is the main source of energy, especially during the first 30 minutes of a run. After that, fat comes into play and becomes a major source of energy. These two energy sources work simultaneously. One source may be used more than another depending on how intense or how long you're running, but it's never an either-or thing. You actually have to have some glycogen metabolism going on in order for fat metabolism to easily occur. There's a saying "Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame."

Even though it's not an either-or fuel option, the type of fuel most used at any given time depends on intensity and duration of the event as well as the training of the runner. The more readily-available fuel (glycogen) will be used during more intense exercise and the energy from fat tends to kick in more as the intensity decreases. As the duration of an event continues, a higher and higher percentage of fat can be utilized as fuel. As much as 30-60% of marathon energy can come from fat. But, like I said earlier, you have to have continuous metabolism of glycogen (carbs) in order for the fat to be used efficiently as fuel.

Here lies the problem. You only have a limited amount of storage space for glycogen (about 2000 calories). This will usually last a runner about 2hrs of hard running for an advanced runner or about 20 miles for the average runner. The 20-mile mark is usually where many runners hit the wall or "bonk." That's usually because they've run out of fuel—literally. They've depleted their glycogen stores and since the brain needs glycogen to operate too, it will send signals to fatigue the muscles causing you to slow down as well as the fact that for the fat to be utilized as fuel you still need to be metabolizing some glycogen. Kind of like having an oil well in your backyard, but no drill to get to it.

The upside is that there is almost an unlimited supply of fat. The key is to make sure you don't deplete your glycogen stores so that your fat can continue to be used as energy. The following tips will help maximize your fuel sources and help prevent depletion of your glycogen stores.

Tips to Maximize your Fuel Sources:

1. Don't start out too fast. Remember, glycogen will be used first especially when quick energy is needed. So, don't burn up all your glycogen in the first 10 minutes of the race.

2. Implement VO2Max training. This will help train your body to make better use of your fat stores (see the previous post for more info).

3. Replenish glycogen stores during the race with sports gels and/or sports drink containing carbs. Be sure to use them starting about 45 minutes into the race. Don't wait until you feel like you need them. That will be too late for them to do any good.
4. Carb-load beginning three days before the race. This will maximize your glycogen stores so you'll be fueled-up on race day.

Carb-Loading:

There are several different theories on carb-loading. The thinking used to be based on a 6-day plan where for the first three days a runner depleted his carb stores so that when he/she packed in the carbs during the last three days before the race, there would be better absorption of the carbs. Current research shows that a depletion stage really isn't needed.

The recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates for the average person is 45-65% of the total daily calories. Because of the amount of running during training, a runner should probably be eating more like 60-70% of his daily calories from carbs. So to carb-load, a runner should up that amount of carbs to 70-80% of his daily calories, beginning three days prior to race day (race day isn't one of the three days). During these three days, the runner should also decrease his/her exercise. You don't want to burn off the carbs you're packing in.

Carb-Loading: Day 1

On the first day of carb-loading, try to pack in as many complex carbs as you can. Complex carbs tend to come with more fiber. Packing in the complex carbs early-on during the carb-loading phase, gives it plenty of time to be processed by your body and voided, helping to decrease any stomach issues during the race.

Carb-Loading: Days 2 and 3

Over two remaining days, begin to transition from complex carbs to more simple carbs. (Note: Beer probably doesn't make a good carb-loading food.) Be careful though; don't start packing in lots of simple carbs that you've never tried. This could cause some stomach issues. It's a good idea to do a "practice carb-load" early-on in your training for two reasons. First, it will simulate what your body is going to feel like during the carb-loading phase. You'll usually gain a few pounds due to water retention. If this happens, don't panic. This is good because it will help provide water for sweat during the race. Second, the simulation will help you determine which foods work best for you during the carb-loading phase.

Hydration:

Good hydration is important before the race, but make sure you're not depleting your sodium and potassium levels in the process. Including some salty foods like pretzels and eating some bananas during your carb-loading phase should help avoid this potential problem.

Last Meal Before the Run:

Make sure your last big meal is about 12-15 hours before the race. This will give the food plenty of time to pass through your body before the race. You don't want to be looking for a port-a-john at mile 3 of the race. If you plan on eating before the race (which is probably a good idea), do so 2-4hrs before race time. Make sure that you've tested out (several times) your race-morning foods. It's definitely not the time to try out something new. This meal should consist of about 300 calories coming from some carb-rich foods like bagels or toast. Keep the protein and fats to a minimum, since they take longer to process and can weigh and/or slow you down during your run.

The Carb-loading phase should not be an afterthought. Take some time early on in your training to plan out this phase and begin thinking about what foods will work best for you. Then look at your training calendar and plan a mock carb-loading phase about halfway through your training just before one of your longer runs. Remember, a simulation of the "real deal" can be a very useful tool.

The Taper: What? When? How?

The tapering part of any marathon training plan is often either looked forward to or dreaded. Those enduring harsh training conditions or who have had a particularly rough base-building and sharpening phase of their training may laud the day their taper begins while others may fret and worry that they're not doing enough during this phase of training and may lose their edge.

The taper is the final phase of training and a very important part of the marathon training plan. However, runners often question: How long the taper should be? How much should I run if any during the taper? What should I eat?

Most marathon training plans are 16 weeks or longer. If you train up until race day, you've not provided your body any time to recoup and repair. Research has shown that many runners run their marathon overtrained and overtired. Sorry to say, though, that there isn't a cookie-cutter tapering plan the works for everyone. A runner, depending on his/her fitness level and experience level may need more or less of a taper than another runner.

RRCA certified coaches and co-directors of the Portland Marathon Clinic, Patti and Warren Finke, outline in their book Marathoning: Start to Finish several key principals that should be considered when choosing your tapering method:
• Rebuilding depleted nutrient stores in the body (such as glycogen) to their maximum requires 2 to 3 days of lowered activity.
• Rebuilding minor injuries in muscle or connective tissue takes a minimum of 5 days.
• The body's store of oxidative enzymes diminishes in 72 hours if not stimulated by aerobic exercise.
• Any training effect you get from hard activity during the last 10 days before the race will be minimal.

In a nut shell, the Finkes are basically saying to back off before the event but don't quit running completely. Basically the taper consists of decreasing the long run 2-3 weeks prior to race day and the mid-week mileage is reduced during the last 2 weeks—down 25% the first week; then down by 50% the week prior to the marathon. No long run should be done the weekend before the marathon. The last long run should be no longer than 8-12 miles.

Some studies have shown that doing some speedwork a few days prior to the race can be beneficial. The Finkes say this may keep you sharp and reinforce the neuromuscular facilitation of marathon pace. They also suggest that if you're feeling "hyper or edgy" the day before the race from all the carb-loading, it's fine to do an easy run of about 10-20 minutes.

The carbo-loading phase is done during the last week of the taper, but only during the last three days leading up to the race. A person not in training should be getting about 45% -65% of their calories from carbs. Someone in training for a marathon should be getting about 60%-70% of their calories from carbs. During the last three days before the race, the carbs should be increased to 70%-80% of their total caloric intake.

The first day of the carb-load should be made up mainly of complex carbs from whole grains. This should be the day of the heavier meals and the traditional pasta dinner. Complex carbs usually come with more fiber. So, by loading up on complex carbs the first day, you have time for them to be processed and voided well before race day. During the last two carb-loading days, you should taper off the complex carbs and switch more to simple carbs. Be careful though. Don't load up on tons of fruit and the like if you're not used to eating lots of fruit. Eat your last major meal 12-15 hours prior to the race. This meal should be comprised of easily digestible foods that will pass through your system before the race.
Be forewarned...each gram of carbs can store 3 grams of water. So to make sure you get complete carb storage, drink 4-8 glasses of water. You may very well gain a pound or two during this carb-loading phase. Most of this is water and will be sweated out during the race.

Eating before a race can be a tricky thing. I highly recommend testing out different foods for your carb-loading phase well before race day. Pick one of your longest training runs and pretend it's race day. Try a mini-carb-loading phase before this run. This will give you the opportunity to see how long different foods take to pass and which ones to avoid because they "hang around" too long.

Note: Diabetics and others with specific health problems should consult with their doctors about the best foods to eat during their carb-loading phase.

Check out Ryan Hall's video clip below and his suggestions for the marathon taper.

Carb-Loading: Two Approaches

Yesterday's post ("Breaking Through the Wall"), spurred some great comments and emails from readers wanting more information on carb-loading before a race. So, I did a little digging to widen my horizons on the topic. Here's what I found.

First of all (like I said in yesterday's post) carb-loading is all fine-and-dandy and does play a very important role in preparing you for race day, but you need to make sure your getting a steady stream of high-quality complex carbs all through your training. Always keep in the back of your mind that your body has a limit to the amount of glycogen (fuel) it can hold. It's not able to keep a huge reserve, so you need to keep replenishing the supply. The carb-goal for a runner should be to keep an optimal amount of carbs in the tank at all times.

Glycogen is a runner's fuel and carb-loading is how a runner tops-off his/her tank. A typical runner's "tank" provides enough fuel for about a 20-mile run. In my digging I discovered two different approaches to carb-loading. The first approach is more traditional and involves carb-loading over a week. The second approach is based on newer thinking and involves doing most of the carb-loading the day before the race in addtion to a very short but intense workout.

Traditional Approach: The Mayo Clinic recommends carb-loading in two phases

Phase 1: About 7 days prior to race day, your carbohydrate intake should be about 50 to 55 percent of your total calories. Continue training at your normal level to deplete your carbohydrate stores and make room for the carb-loading that takes place in Phase 2.

Phase 2: About 3-4 days before race day, increase your carbohydrate intake to 70 percent of your daily calories—or about 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. Cut back on foods higher in fat to compensate for the extra carbohydrate-rich foods. Also scale back your training to avoid depleting your glycogen stores. Rest completely for a day before the event.

For a sample carb-loading meal plan from Stephen DeBoer, a marathon runner and registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. [click here].

New Approach: If you've tried the more traditional method of carb-loading and it didn't seem to work for you, you may want to give this method reported in the L.A. Examiner a try. It's based on a study by the University of Western Australia. I have not tried this method, so I can't speak first-hand of its results, but many runners swear by it. To read the actual L.A. Examiner article [click here].

Step 1: Eat lightly and normally the week before the marathon.
Step 2: The day before your marathon, do a 3 minute, very-high-intensity speed workout in the morning. (For the reporter who wrote the article, that meant running two-plus all-out laps at the track.)
Step 3: Consume 12 grams of carbs for every kilo of lean body mass spread over the next 24 hours. That's a HUGE amount of carbs. (The reporter who wrote the article is a runner who weighed 150lbs. To get in this amount of carbs, he drank four 18-ounce cans of ABB Carboforce . He said ten 12-ounce bottles of the new Gatorade Carbohydrate Energy Formula would work as well too.)

Keep in mind that carb-loading isn't the "end-all." You'll still need to replenish your carb stores during the race to maintain your blood sugar levels—this is when sports drink and gels are particularly effective.

Like most things, carb-loading can have its drawbacks and may not be right for every runner.

• Most runners will experience some temporary weight gain from carb-loading. Don't panic, much of this weight is extra water, but if the extra weight is so much that it affects your performance you may want to reconsider carb-loading on your next race or adjust the amount of carbs you ingest.
• Carb-loading can cause some runners to experience digestive discomfort. The Mayo Clinic suggests avoiding or limiting some high-fiber foods (beans, bran and broccoli) one or two days before the raced.
• Carb-loading can also affect your blood sugar levels. The Mayo Clinic suggests consulting with a doctor or a registered dietitian before starting carb-loading, especially if you have diabetes, and especially if it's your first experience with carb-loading.