The body stores carbohydrates, in the form of glycogen, in very limited amounts. It is thus important to maximize that storage capacity, to prevent the risk of running out of energy before the training session is over.  

The enzyme responsible for storing glycogen is elevated after exercise.  It is elevated within 30 minutes post-exercise, but remains above normal levels up to 24 hours later.  It is therefore vital to take in an adequate amount of carbohydrates as soon after exercise as possible.  Adding some protein to that meal or snack will not only enhance glycogen storage capacity, but it will also aid in muscle recovery.

The following calculation can be used to figure out how much is an adequate amount of carbohydrate to consume after your intense workouts.

Body Weight (lb.) x .5 g/lb = _____ g of Carbohydrate
In your case, it would be 140lb x .5 g/lb
= ~ 70 g of carbohydrate is required for recovery

The following is a list of carbohydrate-rich foods and the amount of grams of CARBS found in each item.  Consume a combination of preferred foods that equals the grams of carbohydrates calculated above, as soon after exercise as possible.

Examples of Carbohydrate-Rich Foods:
(mix these with about one quarter of the grams of protein to make a good recovery meal)

Clif Bar – 43 grams
TruSoy Bar – 27 grams
Gatorade – ~25 grams/8 oz. (or 1 cup)
1 slice of whole wheat bread – 15 grams
½  whole wheat bagel – ~30 grams
½ cup ready-to-eat bran cereal – ~30 grams
WholewheatEnglish muffin – 15 grams
1 apple, banana, orange – 15 grams
1 cup orange, apple, grapefruit, or cranberry juice – 33 grams
16 pretzels – 27 grams
16 animal crackers – 27 grams
1 granola bar – 15 grams
½ cup yogurt – 15 grams
1 cup skim milk – 12 grams (say a latte)

*Any of the sports bars listed also have protein – this is a GOOD thing.  If you choose other foods other than protein bars, add some protein (yogurt, milk, peanut butter, cheese, etc.) to facilitate glycogen resynthesis as well as muscle recovery.   

Furthermore Using your whey isolate / protein powder or a carb powder such as endurox (which has appropriate carb:protein mix) as recovery is your best option. You can also use energy bars such as Luna, Pria, Myoplex light,  as a recovery snack.

Without a doubt, advances in sports nutrition have enabled athletes to make tremendous performance gains, and high-tech, scientifically-derived products (such as bars, gels and sports drinks) are crucial to top race-day results; however, consider that, during long-course events, triathletes race from the early morning until, in many instances, well into the night. During this time, athletes will miss four to six regular meals and snacks — all while the body churns through up to 500 calories per hour.

Thus, balanced, well-planned nutrition is required to make up for these missed meals and provide the fuel needed for a race-day effort. To supplement their intake of bars, gels and sports drinks (which typically constitute the core of most athletes’ race-nutrition plans) and provide some culinary variety, many athletes turn to low-tech solutions.

Race-day fuel

So how do you fuel up effectively to sustain a long, intense effort?

Carbohydrates: It’s not practical or necessary to eat as many calories as you’re burning as long as you’re well trained and have topped up your glycogen stores before the race. During an endurance event, your body will burn a mixture of fat and glycogen for energy. The glycogen comes both from your body’s stores and from the carbohydrates you consume during competition.

How much glycogen you use, and how many grams of carbohydrates you require to supply your energy needs, depends largely upon your intensity.

The higher the intensity of exercise, the more difficult it is to eat and digest food; for this reason, it’s important for athletes to know the pace and caloric-consumption rate they can sustain for the total amount of time they’re on the course.

As a general rule, you should aim to consume one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour during Ironman racing. For example, a 70-kilogram athlete needs 70 grams of carbohydrate per hour; this can come from drinks, bars, gels and real food.

Fat: Fat consumption should be kept to a minimum during an Ironman. Although most of your energy does come from fats at Ironman race intensity, your body stores more than enough fat to supply this energy. The limiting factor in Ironman performance is carbohydrate availability, so carbs should be your primary nutrition focus.

Also, any fats you consume will tend to slow digestion and metabolism; therefore, food choices need to be ultra-low fat and high in carbohydrates so sugars can get into the bloodstream as quickly as possible without extra caloric expenditure.

Protein: As with fat, most of the protein used for energy during exercise is already in the body when you begin your race. That said, some studies have indicated that protein consumption during exercise can boost endurance, not so much by providing a direct energy source as by reducing muscle damage.

Sodium: Athletes need to ingest sodium to replace what’s lost in sweat and to help with hydration. An athlete can replace 500 to 700 mg of sodium per hour with salt tablets and salty foods.

What to eat during your endurance distance race

When choosing foods for a long-course race, look for ones that are low-fat, low-fiber and high-carbohydrate. Below are several common foods that athletes can use on race day to supplement the supplements, either to help meet nutritional requirements or simply to give the taste buds a break. By way of comparison, a 63-gram PowerBar Sport energy bar has 2.4 grams of fat, nine grams of protein and 41 grams of carbohydrate.

• Bananas have it all, plus good packaging. A banana has 140 calories, no fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates and three grams of fiber. Other fruits that pack well and have high carbohydrate values include dates (31 grams for five dates) and raisins (31 grams for a quarter cup). Dried prunes, apricots, figs and apples are not recommended because of their higher fiber content and a relatively low glycemic index.
• Not just for Aussies: Vegemite doesn’t have much in the way of fat, calories, carbohydrates or fiber, but it does pack a good sodium punch: 200 mg for a four-gram serving. And who knows, maybe Vegemite tastes good at 120 kilometers into the bike.
• White bread and bagels have a high glycemic index and low fiber content. Basic white bread has 12 grams of carbohydrates per slice and less than a gram of fat. Eat it plain or add a small amount of almond or peanut butter and jam, Vegemite or bananas and honey.
• Some vegetables make good Ironman foods. A small salted, steamed potato with the skin off (the skin has fiber) has about 15 grams of carbohydrates, no fat and only two to three grams of fiber. For another savory taste try boiled, salted parsnips cut into chunks or sticks. Half a cup of parsnips contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, and the high glycemic index means this food will go to work quickly.
• While chocolate bars and most cookies have too much fat to be of much use for quick and sustained energy, sometimes you just need a chocolaty tidbit to look forward to in your special-needs bag. A small portion of animal crackers, Arrowroot cookies, jelly beans, chocolate or Nutella spread thinly on white bread can give you a taste-bud break.

The logistics of lunch on the fly

Packaging, storage and ease of delivery are important considerations when selecting foods to use during a race. You need to have the full food portion available for consumption (not squashed all over your bike-jersey pockets), and it has to be easy to consume (small bite-size pieces in a plastic bag or wrap).

Make sure you can open your snacks while your heart rate is 160 and you have one hand on the bars. Food that’s spoiled, melted or too cold will not be eaten, leaving you short on calories.

It’s important to be fairly systematic about fuel and fluid consumption. Based upon your training and previous race experience, you should figure out your eating plan and try to stick to it. According to sports nutritionists at the Australian Institute of Sport, you should view the bike leg as a rolling buffet for your food and fluid intake. It’s easiest to eat on the bike, and you should look at the bike leg as a way to set you up for the run, where your caloric intake will be significantly lower.

Also, know and use the course to aid your eating. Take advantage of hills, tailwind sections and flat areas where you can spin for a bit. Be aware of factors that limit your caloric intake, such as bad weather and just feeling off, and be extra diligent about getting in what you need. Once you’re on the run, you may have to walk through aid stations in order to ingest food and get something to drink.

It cannot be stressed enough: Practice eating in training what you plan to eat on race day. Include in your training the foods you want to consume, experiment with quantity and pay careful consideration to transport and ease of delivery. Chances are your dad isn’t going to be there at the start of the race with a steak sandwich, but if he is, make sure you’ve eaten a few in training.

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It’s all about carbohydrates

Without question, carbohydrate is your body’s most efficient fuel source, and extensive research supports the role carbohydrate plays in both low and high intensity endurance activities. As an endurance athlete, be aware that your body has a limited carbohydrate storage capacity. The quantity of carbohydrate stored in the body (as glycogen) is directly associated with, and modified through, the diet and level of training. If you consume a high carbohydrate diet you will naturally store more glycogen. Moreover, your body is more inclined to store additional glycogen during your Ironman training months as compared to a short course race season.

For example, a 150-pound triathlete can store approximately 1800 calories of glycogen as carbohydrate: 78% stored in the muscle, 18% in the liver and 4% in the form of blood glucose. This fuel source can support up to two hours of high-intensity or four hours of moderate-intensity training. Our body can also utilize fat and protein as fuel (in very small amounts) to support the moderate-intensity workouts at the heart of Ironman training, but our stores are clearly inadequate to support the energy demand of 4+ hour training days.

How does carbohydrate intake during training help performance?

Consuming carbohydrates during training sessions of longer than one hour can enhance performance by maintaining adequate blood glucose (sugar) levels. Blood glucose is the main fuel source for your brain, and a well-nourished brain may improve your training focus and possibly decrease your perceived effort. During the later stages of long training sessions, when the body’s carbohydrate reserves are running low, the greatest contribution to improved performance is achieved through maintaining steady blood glucose levels. Carbohydrate intake during training cannot prevent the inevitable fatigue associated with Ironman training, but it can prolong its onset.

It‘s important to note that athletes who neglect a sensible fueling plan during training may be placing themselves at risk for progressive muscle glycogen depletion. Over the course of the training week, these athletes are slowly depleting their carbohydrate reserves by continually under-fueling their workouts (e.g.: going for a three hour ride while consuming only water and two gels). The result of this glycogen depletion is unnecessary muscular fatigue and poor quality or “flat” workouts. Chronic glycogen depletion can easily be avoided by maintaining a diet of adequate daily carbohydrates AND consuming carbohydrates during your training sessions.

How much carbohydrate is needed during training?

Scientific studies estimate the range of dietary carbohydrate at 30 to 60 grams per hour. Research has shown that the human body can only burn (oxidized) carbohydrates at a rate of 0.5 to 1 gram per minute. From practical “real world” experience, I know many athletes who tolerate amounts higher than this …even as high 100 grams (or about 400 calories per hour).

For training sessions lasting longer than one hour, I recommend athletes strive for 45 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per hour. This can be divided in to two to four doses (consumed every 15 to 30 minutes). Smaller athletes should start at the lower, and larger athletes at the higher, end of the range.

Your ability to tolerate and/or absorb a particular amount of carbohydrate may be influenced by the type of carbohydrate consumed, the intensity of activity, and your hydration status. For instance, some athletes can tolerate a high-glycemic, sucrose-based sports drink, while other individuals may better tolerate a lower-glycemic, maltodextrin-based drink. Keep in mind as training intensity increases the stomach’s ability to handle high-carbohydrate loads decreases.

Things to consider when experimenting with your training nutrition:

1. Carbohydrate quantity and tolerance may vary from one session to the next. Establish a carbohydrate intake range that will support sessions at various durations and intensities.

2. Carbohydrate sources in the form of solid, gel or liquid are all effective in supplying energy. When utilizing gels or solids, consume eight oz. of water for every 10- to 15-grams of carbohydrate consumed. It’s best to stick with a sports drink or gels during high intensity training sessions.

3. If you can’t tolerate consuming carbohydrate during moderate to high intensity workouts of 60 minutes or less, ensure you have a high carbohydrate snack (providing 0.5 to 1 gram of carbohydrate per pound bodyweight) one- to two-hours before the workout.

4. As the temperature climbs in the summer, your hydration and electrolyte needs will also increase (we’ll address this next month). A sports drink can be the best choice for meeting a majority of your carbohydrate, hydration and electrolyte needs.

5. To determine the quantity and types of carbohydrates that work for you, maintain a training food log. Record what you eat and/or drink during training sessions, especially those last longer than three hours. Make notes on the quality of your workout and any possible GI issues. This will be a very helpful reference prior to formulating your race day plan.

EXAMPLE Training Food Log Entry

Saturday: 3 hour ride ~20mile per hour average

Hour Hourly intake

1 24 oz Gatorade (42gmCHO)

1/3 PowerBar (13 gm CHO) + 12 oz water 63 gm Carbohydrate (CHO)

36oz fluid

2 16 oz Gatorade (42gmCHO)

1 Gel (20 gm CHO) + 16 oz water 28 gm CHO

32oz fluid

3 24 oz Water

1 Gel (20 gm CHO) 20 gm CHO

24oz fluid

COMMENTS: Felt strong first half of ride but fizzled at the end. Tried new energy gel…no GI problems. Very warm day, Pre weight: 130# Post weight: 128#.

****Need to work on better fuel and fluid intake next ride.

Total carbs 111gms or avg 37 gm/ hour. Total Fluid 92oz or avg 31 oz/hr.

The main goal of your fueling program during training (other than maintaining hydration) is to provide a steady stream of carbohydrate from mouth, to gut, and into the blood stream. Maintaining a well-fueled body before, during and after training will maximize the cumulative effects of each training session. Getting the most out of each session adds another layer of confidence in your journey to go the Ironman distance.

We are all creatures of routine and our diets are no exception. Time strapped athletes tend to gravitate towards the same foods and supplements that allow them to fuel their bodies quickly and effectively. A proper training plan requires changes in training intensities and durations throughout the season and the training week. Nutrition periodization is a hot topic right now. The essence of this plan is to match your diet to the specific requirements of the training phase you are in on a macro level. It is equally important to make small modifications to your diet on a daily basis to compensate for variance in activity factor and caloric expenditure. The difference in energy expenditure between a rest or recovery day and a heavy training day can be enormous, and it is important to make small changes in your diet on days of reduced training. These small modifications to your daily diet add up and are helpful in maintaining your proper race weight. In other words focus on the best weight management strategies during the off season to maintain the optimal weight for the training season. This often amounts to preventing a weight gain for endurance athletes and preventing a weight loss for strength athletes.

Endurance Athletes

Nutrition adjustments throughout the season are vital for endurance athletes to optimize carbohydrate storage before competition, sustaining carbohydrate delivery during performance and recovering optimally after an event. Surveys of endurance athletes show that on average, an inadequate consumption of calories, or an over reliance of protein and fat is evident. In other words athletes tend to under rely on carbohydrates at crucial times. It is the carbohydrate level that ultimately determines whether an athlete will hit the wall during an endurance event, yet it is also the amount of carbohydrates that will ultimately determine weight gain in the off season.

Nutrition During Training

Specifically formulated sports nutrition products are used during long periods of training, and optimal carb protein mixes for recovery. Gels, protein drinks, and energy bars often contribute to maximizing glycogen in working muscles. These products add many calories to the average daily intake and they are typically burned because of the intensity and duration of the training. Weight stability, even with the higher caloric intake is effortless for most endurance athlete who feed their bodies the appropriate amount of calories to support their training.

Post season

Many athletes however, do not know how to reduce the caloric intake when the duration and intensity subsides once the season is over. Caloric deficit at this time is crucial for weight maintenance because not as many calories are being burned. Some simple tips to reduce the calories in the post season:

• Even if you are continuing a strength training regimen, cut out the use of sports nutrition energy bars, drinks and gels, which are formulated for endurance (such as endurox, accelerade, gu, etc).
• Be aware of caloric dense foods versus nutrient dense foods. In place of the bars, opt for the earthy, clean alternatives such as the (non-processed) fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are more nutrient dense as opposed to calorie dense bars and gels. Dense carbs that were important for glycogen restoration, such as power bagels, can be replaced with lighter, lower calorie whole grain breads, such as whole grain English muffins or whole wheat pasta and brown rice.
• Eat appropriate portions. You may have gotten used to eating larger portion sizes while training and old habits die hard. Remember, ½ cup cooked pasta, rice or potatoes is a realistic serving size for weight maintenance, whereas these portions may seem extremely tiny when you are in carbo-loading mode. As little as 100 extra calories per day can amount to an increase in 10 lbs of fat gain per month.

Preseason Nutrition

Under the unforeseen consequence of now having to lose weight before the season begins again, be realistic in your diet implementation. Never opt to lose more than 1 – 2 lbs per week, therefore begin a nutritional regimen with enough time to meet these goals appropriately. Anything quicker than this usually amounts to a loss of muscle mass and water weight, which can be detrimental to performance.

Power Athletes

Power athletes strive for physique versus endurance. They are focused an optimal strength-to-weight ratio aiming for greater power at lower weights. The high muscle mass and low body fat of these athletes determine very strict meal plans throughout the year. Their sport requires a high level of power and thus a higher anaerobic component versus the aerobic component of endurance. Thus strength athlete’s nutritional methodologies differ from endurance athletes in that they are entirely dependent on phosphocreatine and glycogen as a fuel source. Anaerobic activity is reliant on strong and massive muscles, and thus many of these athletes falsely believe that phosphocreatine and muscle mass requires the majority of their diet to be protein.

Preseason Nutrition for Power Athletes

Monitoring weight and body composition during preseason is vital to gear up for a successful season. In preparation for competition require extra energy consumption to support the enlargement of muscle mass. The energy consumption ratio of carbs, protein and fat is vital to keep body fat to a minimum. The ideal protein intake should be between 1.2 to 2.0 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Strategies that optimize performance and hydration include eating smaller, more frequent meals with continuous hydration throughout the day. Once a caloric intake that sustains current weight is accomplished, an additional 300 – 500 calories per day (55%, 25%, 20% carb, pro, fat ratio) should be added for muscle enlargement , simultaneous to a continuously challenging resistance training routine to stimulate the need for larger muscle mass.

During Training for Power Athletes

Find a caloric caloric intake level that works for you as an individual for weight stability and healthy body fat maintenance. In essence, consume enough calories to sustain current weight and muscle mass built up in preseason. Muscle mass should be enlarged preseason and then during the competitive season, power athletes should reduce energy aimed at reducing body fat levels, particularly subcutaneous fat, even further so that muscle definition is maximized and highly visible. The week before a competition, decrease total energy intake, yet simultaneously increase carbohydrate to protein ratio so that glycogen is optimally loaded for the day of competition. Fluid and sodium levels are also manipulated for the most visual muscle definition; however this may not be safe practice for long periods of time. By restricting sodium and hydration levels, blood potassium and phosphorous can reach dangerously high levels, increasing the risk of heart failure.

Post season

It is common for power athletes to rely on strategies that increase desired visual effects, including dehydration during competition. On average, nutrient intake appears to be inadequate for power athletes. The reliance on nutritional supplements such as protein powders and shakes, amino acids, creatine, etc., rather than on nutrient rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables and grains, place power athletes at nutritional risks. The least the power athlete can do to remain healthy is to capitalize on the post season for health and nutrient sufficiency. A high carbs, moderate protein and low fat ratio (55%, 25%, 20%) that provide adequate energy should ensure optimal body composition as well as health during off season. General Hydration Strategies During training, weigh in pre and post training session, during the training session. Hydrate with a rule of one pint of liquid per pound lost. Different athletes have different sweat loss rates, thus implement an appropriate hydration schedule for you. Adopt a continuous sipping protocol and drink plenty of fluids before any training session. Drink at least 16 ounces one hour before a work out. After a training session or event, hydrate and refuel appropriately to restore glycogen and blood volume. In general, most athletes need to consume 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight every two hours for six to eight hours after a workout with additional protein. Typically a 3:1 carb to protein ratio is recommended after an endurance session. Avoid the use of caffeine and alcohol during the season. Both these have a diuretic effect, placing an athlete at risk of dehydration.

Conclusion

Far too many athletes get stuck in a rut which makes gearing up for a new season with the optimal weight, rather difficult. This article should hopefully give you a basic understanding of periodizing your nutrition and how it can potentially achieve optimal performance in-season and aid in weight management post season. Set the objectives for your weight during season. Meal plan according to the tips and techniques above, and monitor your weight throughout the year. Your meal plans should not be the same all year round. Remember, the human body needs to adapt and change with the environment. The season of training, whether it be pre, post, or during, and the type of sport whether it is strength or endurance, determines that environment.

We all know that peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth. But do you know that peanut butter might also help you “stick it out” during a hard workout or an intense race? In fact, peanut butter–yes, that sticky companion to jelly on all those sandwiches your mom made–just might be the best endurance food on the planet.

Peanut butter provides a feeling of fullness much longer after you’ve eaten than if you’d munched on carbohydrates in the form of, say, pretzels, a candy bar, or even a banana. That feeling of fullness can help you finish that last set of repeats demanded by your trainer or power you to the finish line during the last mile of the Peachtree road race.

Straight sugar or any simple sugar found in carbohydrates shoots your insulin levels high soon after you eat, but then drops them to the floor halfway through your workout. Peanut butter, on the other hand, is full of fat, protein, and fiber, and it gives you a slow, sustained release of energy. It does contain fat, but it is overwhelmingly the preferred unsaturated fat, which makes peanut butter good for your heart.

Diets high in unsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol and generally make the heart a much healthier machine. And as a good source of protein, it’s is a primary building block in muscle growth and helps speed muscle recovery. A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains 8 grams of protein, or roughly the same amount of protein found in four slices of turkey. Peanut butter also is a good source of niacin and folic acid (they help convert food to energy) and vitamin E. In addition, the dense calories in peanut butter keep your energy level on an even keel and your hunger down throughout the day.

And that, in turn, will prevent you from overeating and keep you eating healthfully all day.

Many athletes, recreational or serious, have their pre-event traditions. All-you-can-eat pasta dinners, including unlimited refills of Gatorade, often fill the evening before the big day. Should this be considered just a fun tradition that many recreational athletes make it out to be or is there truly something to saturating muscles stores with glycogen that serious athletes are seeking?   Carbohydrate loading is defined as a dietary technique designed to promote significant increase in the glycogen content to delay the onset of fatigue.

During high intensity and endurance, carbohydrate is the primary fuel used by the muscles. In lower intensity, carbohydrates may not be the major source of fuel, but they are required for the effective metabolism of fat, which is. Thus carbohydrates are the limiting factor in exercise, meaning  when carbs are depleted in either case, performance is dramatically reduced.  

Carbo Loading

Traditional “carbo-loading” involves a stage of prolonged exercise and an exceedingly restrictive diet during the depletion stage, followed by intense carbohydrate loading.  From any viewpoint, this involves a switch from a normal balanced diet to an extreme. Extremes often stimulate a controversial debate and there thus both a positive and negative side should be weighed up. Some simple facts on carbohydrate metabolism can help you decide to what extent and what method carbohydrate loading may be appropriate for you.

Side Effects  of Carbo Loading

The lack of carbohydrates combined with high bouts of exercise during the depletion stage of traditional carbo-loading could elicit hypoglycemia (signs are weakness, lethargy, and  irritation). Prolonged intense exercise during the depletion stage could also lead to muscle trauma which in fact would impair the storage of glycogen rather than enhance it. Furthermore, carbohydrate loading could lead to the destruction of muscle fibers by excessive glycogen storage.

Several lab studies have reported abnormal electrocardiograph patterns in individuals who use the classic method.  Besides the irregular heartbeats and sudden loss of blood pressure, diarrhea, cramping, and nausea are often symptoms associated with drastic diet changes.

Glycogen is hydrophilic, meaning that it attracts water. This means that with each extra gram of glycogen stored, an extra 3 grams of water is stored too. Extra body weight is associated with the increased water content and extra energy is used to lift the extra water weight. Positively, the extra water content may help regulate body temperature by being available as a source of sweat. Athletes who compete in endurance sports, such as marathons or long-distance cycling, may thus benefit throughout their training, particularly in the heat, yet they may not want to have extra weight to carry. For athletes that require flexibility, such as gymnastics, weight lifting, and sprinting, if muscles are packed solid with water, this may cause stiff muscles and loss in flexibility.

Type of Carbohydrate Loading

The type of carbohydrate loading may also make a difference to saturation of glycogen.  Sports products and simple carbohydrates, such as Gatorade, PowerAde, and sports gels, are easily digested into glucose and are effective for glycogen sparing appear during an endurance event. Carbohydrates from a complex source, such as pasta, bread, and cereal, may be more effective for training periods before an event, rather than during the event, for maximizing glycogen storage.

Some early research may support the traditional technique of depletion and loading however more recent research shows that this strict routine is unnecessary. Simply changing to a very high carbohydrate diet, combined with 1 to 2 days of rest will effectively increase muscle and liver glycogen.  Furthermore, it has become evident that if an appropriate amount of carbs are consumed over the entire week rather than concentrating on the last day or two before an event, there is little glycogen difference between the 2 techniques.

Carbohydrate Loading Recommendations:

Due to this particular controversy, there are obviously a number of variations of glycogen packing before an event. In summary, it is important to consider that the benefits should more than offset the extra water weight, the possibility of inflexible muscles. For those wishing to experiment with the extreme depletion methods, the possibility of hypoglycemia and irregular heart rates is a health risk.

A generally recommended safer variation on traditional carbo-loading is as follows:
Day 1: deplete exercise
Day 2 high protein/high fat, low carbs, tapering exercise
Day 3: high protein/high fat, low carbs, tapering exercise
Day 4: high protein/high fat, low carbs, tapering exercise
Day 5: high carbs, tapering exercise
Day 6: high carbs, tapering exercise or rest
Day 7: high carbs, rest
Day 8 : Competition
High carbs is considered to be 8 – 10 g carbs per kilogram of body weight.

However, eating a consistent diet that is 55-65% carbohydrate will allow you to replace muscle glycogen stores on a daily basis and not just the night before, will give you the energy to perform well for most training periods and competition events.