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ANCarb loading is one of the most misunderstood rituals in running 👀🏃🏻♂️
Most runners think carb loading means smashing a huge pasta dinner the night before a race, but the reality is that's not how it works at all. Oh and btw, I got this completely wrong for years and it cost me in races until I figured out the actual science. 😉
What most people think carb loading is:
Eating a massive bowl of pasta 12 hours before your race and calling it done. The truth is one big meal the night before doesn't maximally fill your glycogen stores - it just leaves you feeling heavy and bloated on race morning.
What carb loading actually is:
A 2-3 day process of gradually increasing your carb intake while tapering your training volume. You're eating 8-10g of carbs per kg of bodyweight daily for those final days before the race. The reality is this systematically fills your muscle and liver glycogen to capacity, which is what fuels performance.
When you actually need to carb load:
Races longer than 90 minutes - so half marathons, marathons, ultras. For a 5k or 10k? You don't need to carb load at all, your regular diet has enough glycogen for efforts under 60 minutes.
What to eat (and when):
Start 2-3 days out - white rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, oats. Easy-to-digest carbs, not huge portions in one sitting but spread throughout the day. The night before, keep dinner moderate and familiar - not a massive feast. Then race morning, have your usual pre-run meal 2-3 hours before the start.
What not to do:
Don't try new foods during carb loading. Don't massively overeat and feel stuffed. Don't carb load for a 5k. Don't think one meal does the job. The reality is strategic, consistent carb intake over days is what works, not gorging yourself the night before.
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@angelomanesis
