CarboLoading

When is a good time to start carbo-loading?  What types of foods are best to eat?

The traditional method of carbo-loading is usually a six day process prior to competition.
For the first three days, eat minimal carbs. This will deplete the glycogen stores. Your body is 'tricked' into thinking that there is a carbohydrate problem and should store more glycogen.
During the last three days, cut back on training and consume primarily carbs. The glycogen stores are replenished and 'topped up'.

During the final three days of loading, athletes usually eat pasta's, bread's, potatoes etc. There are many "carbo-loading-in-a-bottle" products out there that will give you the correct amount of complex- and simple carbohydrate ratios. These products are usually stacked with other minerals and vitamins that aid the body during the loading process and also speeds up the recovery process afterwards.

Golden rule: Drink PLENTY of water during the loading phase (your urine should be clear).

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Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

Thanks!  That's great.

Dear Velo,

VO2 has described the traditional aproach to carbohydrate loading, which does work.  Sometimes when using this loading programme athletes can feel demotivated and depressed.  The quality of the workloads during the glycogen depletion phase will suffer and if the timing of the loading period is poor the athlete can arrive at the event still glycogen depleted.

An alternative approach was proposed, where athletes would maintain their normal high carbohydrate diet and reduce training load to induce carbohydrate loading.  This is supported by muscle and liver biopsies that demonstrated significantly elevated muscle glycogen (the body's carbohydrate store) levels following the taper in training.  All these gains without the side affects.

During normal training athletes become at least slightly glycogen depleted on a daily basis, however with correct nutrition and a few rest days they manage to recover their glycogen levels (to an extent) to continue normal training without fatigue.  By reducing the training in the run up to the event, the demands upon the glycogen stores are reduced and glycogen levels begin to return to normal.  Given enough time (this depends upon the quality of your diet and volume of exercise you complete) the glycogen levels become elevated (i.e. carbo-loading is acheived).

The recomended length of an exercise taper is 7 to 14 days and in addition to your glycogen levels adapting during this period, your body also adapts inline with the training stresses that are placed upon it.  When reducing the training, the volume rather than intensity should be reduced as this prevents detraining.

So training stresses the glycogen stores, following reduced training recovery occurs and then glycogen levels adapt by becoming elivated.  This follows the normal pattern of training adaptation...
Stress ... Recovery ... Adaptation

2LAP, please eloborate on the tapering process you describe in your post. Sounds interesting...

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Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

Vo2. Sorry for the top mishap. I'm technically challenged with this type of stuff. Better with a bicyce in hand. What do you suggest I ate that first 3 days (Chicken, fish, green veggies etc)?

Pothole, here's the plan and here's the carb tables.

__________________
Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

Hey Vo2 : I love't when a plan comes together - check this out . Carbo loading : The best of all is that brown rice score a 19 on carbo   BUT Ice Cream a 31.7  ;D ;D ;D Sherbet a 29.35 ;D and non-fat frozen yogurt a 24 . I'm going to do the shopping from now on.

Check this out for a little more information on tapering http://www.sportsci.org/news/traingain/taper.html.

I also have some research on my desk that suggests that carbohydrate loading can be completed in 1 day.  I still have to read them though.