Carbo loading before a race?

A buddy of mine used to eat a large MacDonalds pizza (when they made them,
way back...) the morning of a race. He would then proceed to kick our
asses..


"curt" wrote in message
...

"TopCounsel" wrote in message
...
Carbo loading before a race?
Anyone here do this? What exactly do you eat, and when??

Having read the first 7 replies to this post, I must say I'm a little
surprised
that this subject isn't better known among cyclists, as it is well known
among
distance runners. If you posted this inquiry on rec.running, for
example,
you
would get an earful of valuable replies. Perhaps you should do that.

Interesting.


The length of your race is the first determiner of your answer. Runners
wouldn't really consider the topic worthy of much discussion for
distances
less
than 5k (13-30 minutes), but once you get up over 10k (27-60 minutes),
and
to
half-marathon (60-100 minutes) and marathon (2-4 hours) or ultras (30k
to
100
miles, etc.), carbo loading becomes of genuine value. Use equivalent
expected
cycling event times to estimate the significance of loading.

I covered this in my post, just not in such detail.


The original theory was that you needed a carbo-depletion phase during
your
pre-race taper, but that seems to be largely discredited now, and the
generally-accepted view is simply to do your carbo-load the last day or
two
before the event, and perhaps top it off the morning of the race.

I stated the same thing, but made it more personal because I feel this is
a
personal thing. Some people eat a big mac the day before a race and feel
that is the best for them. Just read that in a running mag and found if
pretty funny.


As to how to load, you need not be very scientific. For shorter events
of
higher intensity, I personally favor a mix of complex carbohydrates
(starches)
and simple carbohydrates (sugars). For example, toss down a couple
glazed
donuts and some strong coffee the morning before you race.

If I did what you do, I would not perform well at all, but as I stated
earlier, everyone is different and you need to find what works for you.


For longer events (century, double century, etc.) where true
carbo-loading
is
desired, eat what you know from experience your system can handle well,
but
emphasize things like bread, rice, pasta (the best-known carbo-loader),
and so
on. Have a good sweet dessert (but not a particularly fatty one), e.g.,
cake
or cookies. This will stock you well with glycogen for your event.
During a
longer event, it is also common to intake enough carbs on the fly to
maintain
your levels, using sport drinks, gels, bananas, fruit, honey, etc. I
once
recovered from a bonk on the road by chugging most of a jar of honey.
Don't
let that happen to you!

In article ,
Rick Onanian wrote:

On Wed, 12 May 2004 02:28:55 GMT, "carbo_jim"
wrote:
It is a know fact that carbs are poisonous to humans, hence the atkins
revolution.

This propaganda is unfortunately foisted on those whose ignorance
will allow it.

Carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet. An unhealthy
diet that's missing important parts can cause weight loss, which is
why no-carb or no-[protein+fat+whatever] diets can result in lost
weight. The lost weight does not necessarily mean a healthier body.

Let me put it this way, your grandfather was just hunting and gathering
right?

My grandfather bought his food and served on a ship in the navy. He
hunted other ships, and gathered...umm...medals?

Somewhere, pre-civilization, my ancestors did hunt and gather. Of
course, they hunted protein/fat and gathered carbohydrates. This was
many thousands of years ago; since then, and over an
evolutionary-length period, humans of many/most descents have eaten
bread very commonly, maybe even as most of their diet.

I don't think that, 4500 years ago, the Egyptians building pyramids
were having any "carbohydrate poisoning" problems, eating bread
often.

From http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/diet.htm :
:For the common people of Egypt, cereal foods formed the main
:backbone of their diet from the predynastic period onward.* Even for
:the rich, this staple mean generally consisted of a variety of
:different breads, often with other ingredients mixed in.

Other civilizations also ate bread, prospered, and later descended
to become you and me.

And as lean as they were, do you think that carbs were a dietary artifact,
no?
No. It is a know proven fact now that the health of the ancients was due to
low
carb hi protein (and yes even some fats).

Their alleged health was due to their exercise -- they had to run
all day to get their food. They didn't live very long, so their
bodies were younger and probably healthier when they died.

For biking I would encourage a solid breakfast of ham and eggs with coffee.

Carbohydrates are the fuel your body uses best. There's no sense in
depriving your body of it's optimum fuel when you're asking it to
provide high output. Of course, more important is experimenting to
find out what works for _you_ -- if you perform and/or feel better
on ham and eggs with coffee, then that's definitely what you should
have before a race. The best way to find out is to experiment.

All this talk about food is making me hungry. Gimme a cheeseburger,
with the bun!
--
Rick Onanian

Good post!

A few years ago, there was a show on TV called ³The Infinite Voyage².
They did a study on people living above the 15K level in Tibet. These people
lived on average into the 120 year range.

Their diet, mostly bread and goat products, would kill the average American by
age 40.

The result of the study....... NO stress!

Riding a bike on a daily basis is the best stress reliever IMNSHO.

HAND

--
³Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness³

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

KB wrote:

A buddy of mine used to eat a large MacDonalds pizza (when they made
them, way back...) the morning of a race. He would then proceed to
kick our asses..

Jon Stamstad, past Iditabike winner, eats donuts.

Matt O.

"carbo_jim" wrote in message
k.net...

Let me put it this way, your grandfather was just hunting and gathering
right?
And as lean as they were, do you think that carbs were a dietary artifact,
no?

Even if we allow this misinformation consider the answer to these questions:
1) Did "your grandfather" ride a bicycle continuously for 8+ hours a day?
2) How long did "your grandfather" live?

Matthew

Carbo_jim wrote:
It is a know fact that carbs are poisonous to humans, hence the atkins
revolution.


That statment is WAY over exagerated and is more "hype" than "fact"
Truth is we should be eating a balanced diet, Carbs, protien, and fat
To much of any of those nutrients is unhealthy but the balance i
different for each person. Essentially we need to recognize that "foo
is fuel" and that carbs, protien and fat all have a specific purposes
If your body is going to be burning high volumes of energy you probabl
need more fuel than protien can provide since it takes the body longe
to break down the protien. Carbs can be an excellent source of "on
demand" high energy and actually helps your body during high volum
output by providing quick and easily converted energy

As for the Atkins craze, its alright if your going to sit all day doin
next to nothing. Why would you need energy rich food for that? As fo
the rest of us, we can eat a balanced diet because our bodies will us
the fuel rather than store it for later use

Now I'm going to eat, ride and be happy

Dan


-

Carbo_jim wrote:
It is a know fact that carbs are poisonous to humans, hence the atkins
revolution. I would encourage you to investigate these lo-carb choices
othwerwise you are going to be addited to carbs and that's not a good
thing. Let me put it this way, your grandfather was just hunting and
gathering right? And as lean as they were, do you think that carbs were
a dietary artifact, no? No. It is a know proven fact now that the health
of the ancients was due to low carb hi protein (and yes even some fats).
For biking I would encourage a solid breakfast of ham and eggs
with coffee.


That statment is WAY over exagerated and is more "hype" than "fact"
Truth is we should be eating a balanced diet, carbs, protien, and fat
To much of any of those nutrients is unhealthy but the balance i
different for each person. Essentially we need to recognize that "foo
is fuel" and that carbs, protien and fat all have a specific purposes
If your body is going to be burning high volumes of energy you probabl
need more fuel than protien can provide since it takes the body longe
to break down the protien. Carbs can be an excellent source of "on
demand" high energy and actually helps your body during high volum
output by providing quick and easily converted energy

As for the Atkins craze, its alright if your going to sit all day doin
next to nothing. Why would you need energy rich food for that? As fo
the rest of us, we can eat a balanced diet because our bodies will us
the fuel rather than store it for later use

Now I'm going to eat, ride and be happy

Dan


-

Rick Onanian wrote:
All this talk about food is making me hungry. Gimme a cheeseburger,
with the bun!

as a vegetarian -- forget the meat, hand me the bun! i could live off
what these yahoos throw away.
--
david reuteler

"Badger_South" wrote in message

On Tue, 11 May 2004 23:50:04 -0300, "KB"
wrote:

hmmm....can't say I disagree with you since I really don't know the
answer for sure, but I know that I have recently read in textbooks
that carbo loading helps store glycogen in muscles, and that for
prolonged efforts, if your muscles run out of glycogen, cramping
etc. will occur...
I too am interested to hear what others here do..

The trick is this...

Eat the carbs, by themselves (i.e., not with fat or protein) and eat
them just before or just after the exercise. This will cause a rise
in insulin, but because of the needs of the body going into or
finishing exercise, the nutrients will be used to build muscle, and
will not go into fat storage.

That's not possible. Muscles are built from protein. Carbs are the body's
prime source of glucose. You take simple carbs immediately after exercise
to spike your insulin, replenish muscle glycogen and inhibit cortisol
production. The insulin will enhance muscle uptake of protein, thereby
aiding protein synthesis, as well as uptake of supplements like creatine.
Therefore, to optimise the post-exercise window (which, BTW, is greatest
after anaboloic exercise), you want whey protein, because it is highly
absorbent, and a 50:50 mix of dextrose (glucose) and maltodextrin, because
together they promote the highest stimulation of the transport mechanisms in
the intestinal lumen resulting in the most efficient absorbtion of macro-
and micronutrients into the blood stream.

In between exercise, it's better for those predisposed to gain weight
(fat), to eat higher protein and good fat.

Works for me.

What's actually happening is that your body's energy buffering mechanisms
are coping with your retarded eating habits.

Just before a ride I will eat some small amt of carbs (couple pieces
of chocolate?), and finish with some diluted OJ. Then about two hours
later I'll eat the protein meal. Two or three hours after that, and
just before or after the next exercise period, I repeat.

I have found that even sugar free drinks or chewing gum will often
suffice. I think in some ppl, the sweet taste can cause a rise in
insulin, and thus movement of nutrient into muscles.

Insulin is produced as a result of increased blood sugar levels.

Obviously, the converse is true. Beware of eating sweet-tasting things
along with fat, b/c you might be one of those that has an insulin
rise just to the taste, even in the absence of digestible
carbs/glucose.

That's just nonsense. No sugars, no insulin.

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"Rick Onanian" wrote in message

On Wed, 12 May 2004 02:28:55 GMT, "carbo_jim"
wrote:
It is a know fact that carbs are poisonous to humans, hence the
atkins revolution.

This propaganda is unfortunately foisted on those whose ignorance
will allow it.

Carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet.

Complex carbohydrates are a necesary part of a healthy diet. It's possible
to live quite well without simple sugars.

An unhealthy
diet that's missing important parts can cause weight loss, which is
why no-carb or no-[protein+fat+whatever] diets can result in lost
weight.

Er, no. Weight loss only occurs when energy out energy in. The reason
Atkins and similar diets work is primarily because high protein diets
suppress appetite more than other kinds, so even though people are
theoretically allowed to eat as much as they want (within reason) they
simply end up reducing their calorific intake below their maintenance levels
naturally.

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"curt" wrote in message

I have been low carbing for a while to lose a few, but now I do eat
carbs before I take rides over 30 miles. I find if I don't I hit a
wall and did get a bit dizzy once. That was enough of that. I find
for me YMMV, that if I eat a balanced meal with good carbs the night
before and during the ride eat a banana or some granola or something,
I feel fine. If I am just going to ride like 25 miles I don't pay
attention to what I eat much, just make sure I drink enough water. I
think this would be different for everyone. I have heard people
starting to carbo load 3-4 days in advance. I am not sure why
because it takes something like 24 hours for you to digest food you
eat +-.

True carb loading is basically for powerlifters who want that 101% lift on
competition day. Essentially you go low carb a week or so before the
competition and lift like crazy to deplete your muscle glycogen. Of course,
at this point you feel like **** and are as weak as a kitten because you've
got no energy, but then a couple of days before the competition you go
stupid on the carbs and if you time it right you can achieve a temporary
overloading of muscle glycogen right on competition day. However, it's of
sod all benefit for endurance activities like cycling. Going stupid on the
carbs the night before a race or whatever is just building up your fat
reserves but you don't notice that because you work it off the next day.

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