Low glycemic foods include green vegetables, most fruits, beans and whole grains. High glycemic foods include white rice, white breads, and white potatoes.

We will discuss that in the next section. resistance training and aerobic needs oxygen to produce energy, e. endurance training exercise.

Maximising glycogen stores can reduce fatigue during both anaerobic and aerobic exercise. However, most of the promising research shows results in aerobic, endurance-based activities. Carb loading for short-duration activity Very few studies have investigated the impact of carb loading on short-duration anaerobic performance.

A study in male basketball players found no difference in peak power after seven days of carb loading following a four-week low carbohydrate diet.

However, after seven days of carbohydrate loading and replenishing glycogen storage, peak power returned to baseline. This means carbohydrate loading following a four-week low carb diet is effective at recovering baseline anaerobic power, emphasising the importance of glucose availability for optimal performance.

Another research study looked at the impact of carb loading on jump squat power and found no improvement.

So, we can conclude carb loading is not necessary for anaerobic, short-duration exercise but the amount of glucose available at the start of an activity is an important factor.

Carb loading for long-duration activity The effects of carbohydrate loading on long-duration endurance exercise have garnered much more attention in the research world. In other research based on individual running race times, carbohydrate loading failed to improve times for 10km and 25km treadmill runs.

However, carbohydrate loading prior to a 30km cross-country run and a 30km treadmill run limited fatigue in well-trained athletes. Therefore, carbohydrate loading extends the time to glycogen depletion in running events longer than 30 km , ultimately allowing athletes to maintain race speed for a longer duration and improve race times.

It appears endurance activities greater than 90 minutes support the practice of carbohydrate loading as an effective strategy to improve performance and exercise capacity.

Gender differences There appears to be some discrepancies between women and men using glycogen stores during activity. Women tend to have lower resting muscle glycogen concentrations, which can impact the benefits of carbohydrate loading.

Research has shown large differences in these benefits when comparing males and females. Knowing this, it may be beneficial for women to increase total calorie and carbohydrate ingestion during the loading phase to maximise glycogen stores.

An important factor to consider for carbohydrate utilisation during endurance exercise is the glycogen availability beforehand. Skeletal muscle has the ability to increase the amount of glycogen stores through training and diet.

However, this does not happen overnight and needs hours of high carbohydrate intake to occur. While carb loading tends to favour performance benefits for endurance events greater than 90 minutes, it is just one dietary manipulation method in the tool kit for athletes.

Athletes should plan their carbohydrate intake based on sport-specific and goal-specific outcomes. Overall carbohydrate intake is important pre-, post-, and possibly during events lasting longer than 60 minutes physical activity. Another benefit of adequate glycogen availability for endurance exercise is improved skeletal muscle repair and recovery.

Higher glycogen stores improve post-exercise muscle recovery. Different results are likely contributed to small sample sizes, sport-specification, and population e. Further, protocols for carbohydrate loading differ in research and practice. In most practices from our sport teams growing up, carb loading took place one night before the event, whereas research protocols vary, with seven days of carb loading and tapering training sessions gradually reducing the amount of training for hours leading up to the event.

Maybe we should have a week of spaghetti nights instead of one night before to increase glycogen concentrations more effectively! More seriously, conclusions drawn from the research imply carb loading is only one piece of the dietary puzzle that can advance performance for endurance athletes.

During this time, you should probably also avoid high-fiber foods like beans. Overall, it may be best to choose lower-fiber carbohydrate sources to avoid the possibility of fullness or stomach discomfort during exercise.

Another possible mistake is not knowing if you are eating the right amount of carbohydrates. Without recording what you eat, you may be eating too much or too little. Experts often recommend that people who are carb loading eat 2.

Recording your food intake can help you make sure you are eating the right amount 3. However, if you eat more carbs than necessary, you may have changed your diet too much or simply eaten too many calories. As your experience grows, you may not need to do this anymore.

However, it is a good idea for beginners. The days before your event or competition are important, and having an upset stomach due to unfamiliar foods can spoil your experience and exercise performance. Because of this, you should choose foods that are familiar to you — in addition to being high-carb, low-fat and low-fiber.

If you are considering using carb loading before an upcoming competition or athletic event, there are a few things you should think about.

Before you launch into carb loading, consider whether the type and duration of exercise you are doing requires it. If you will be performing exercise lasting more than 90 minutes without breaks, such as running or cycling, you may benefit from this nutrition strategy. If your exercise is shorter or involves many breaks, such as weight training, carb loading is probably not necessary.

If you record all the food you eat for several days using a food-tracking app or the nutrition labels on your food, you can calculate your current daily carbohydrate intake.

Then you can divide the grams of carbs you eat each day by your weight to compare your current intake to carb loading recommendations. For example, if you weigh pounds 70 kg and you normally eat grams of carbs per day, then you are consuming 1.

People who are carb loading may eat 2. That said, experts often recommend a more limited range of 3. Based on these recommendations, you would need to eat approximately double the amount of carbs you would normally.

Avoid choosing foods that are high in both carbs and fats, such as desserts, pasta with creamy sauce, pastries and similar items. As discussed, carb loading programs can last from one to six days. It may be a good idea to start with a simple program lasting between one and three days.

For example, you could simply increase your carb intake to around 3. You could also practice several different types of carb loading during training and keep notes to decide which helped you feel and perform your best.

Generally, it is best to experiment during your training rather than right before a real competition. That way, you can decide what will work best before your big event.

Lastly, it may be best to focus on familiar foods during carb loading. Unusual foods could upset your stomach and impair your performance. Commonly recommended foods include pasta, bread, fruits and fruit juices, smoothies, cereals and other high-carb, low-fat foods.

Once you have your nutrition plan set, you need to remember to taper your exercise in the days leading up to your event or competition. Summary Before you start carb loading, consider whether you will benefit from it. You should also figure out how many carbs you normally eat so you know how much to change your regular diet.

Deciding the right duration for carb loading is also important. Of course, it is also important to have protein to support your muscles. Try to focus on lean protein sources, such as fish, lean cuts of meat or poultry and fat-free dairy.

Try to find the best compromise between the recommendations and foods you enjoy. Many people eat high-carb foods that are high-fat too. It is best to avoid these during carb loading. Below are some examples of foods that may seem high-carb but are also high-fat and therefore inappropriate for carb loading.

Also, many foods that are a great part of your normal diet may be high in fiber. You should limit or remove these foods from your diet during carb loading. These lists are not comprehensive.

To find the best high-carb options for your diet, check the nutrition information for the foods you normally eat. Summary During carb loading, you should focus on eating high-carb, low-fat and low-fiber foods that are familiar and enjoyable.

Using the lists above can get you started, but you should also review the nutrition facts for your favorite foods. Carb loading involves two major components: increasing the carbs you eat and decreasing the amount you exercise.

Carb intake can range from 2. This strategy may not be useful for you if you are recreationally active but not an athlete or competitor in long-duration events. When you carb load, it may be best to choose familiar foods that are high-carb and low-fat.

You may also need to limit your fiber intake during these days. If you perform long-duration exercise, you may want to experiment with carb loading before your next event to see if it can boost your performance.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Learn about the best pre-workout nutrition strategies. Eating the right foods before a workout can maximize performance and speed up recovery.

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is often taken as a sports supplement. It can improve exercise performance and boost overall health. While it's important to properly fuel your body for your workouts, some people experience side effects when eating too close to exercising.

Eating the right foods after workouts is important for muscle gain, recovery, and performance. Here is a guide to optimal post-workout nutrition. High intensity interval training HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise alternated with recovery periods.

Here are 7 health benefits of HIIT. When considering a pre-workout supplement, it's important to consider your goals and the type of exercise you do.

Here are 7 of the best pre-workout…. Creatine is a very popular sports supplement. It is used to increase muscle mass, boost strength, and enhance exercise performance. When it comes to sports, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. Here are 14 foods and supplements to help you recover from an injury more….

Discover which diet is best for managing your diabetes. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep?