Carb-Loading

Coach is working on the write-up for the Tapering and Carb-Loading and Psychological Prep clinic this Friday. As I compile my notes, I recognize we have been remiss in timing of this topic since carb-loading is an adaptation that we nurture from day one of training!

I know I mentioned the concept of "deprivation" runs when I did that clinic on the very complex topic of Marathon Physiology and I mentioned it again in the Hydration clinic. Some of you were there, others not, but that was early in the training game, so I have been remiss in emphasizing that enhancing carb-loading (i.e. increasing muscle and liver glycogen stores) requires a stimulus to force the body to super-compensate for its storage.

Typically this is the long-run, but even mid-week runs that extend to 1-hr or more of duration can work well for nurturing the adaptation. I know you are aware of "hydration strategies and that one component of that is carbohydrate supplementation. But on your training runs, you are not necessarily required to "maximize" carb supplementation, but minimally to replace water loss and sustain electrolyte balance.

Running safely while keeping hydrated and maintaining electrolyte balance is possible, while at the same time depleting or stressing glycogen reserves. As I mentioned in both marathon physiology and hydration clinics, deprivation runs are a stimulus to nurture the body to increase glycogen storage capacity.

Of course, if your hydration strategy is grounded in sports drinks that provide carb, water and electrolytes, then you have to adjust some of your hydration on training runs away from your normal sports drink and deprive the body of extra carbohydrate. You can do that and maintain both water and electrolyte balance by using products like Propel Zero (which is water, electrolytes & 0-carb), opt to take only water and Endurolytes , or resort to products like Nathan tablets (or similar "fizz" tablets) that provide both electrolytes and other metabolism-enhancing vitamins and compounds

In retrospect, I should have made this more clear that you need to be working on this throughout the training schedule and not rely simply on a "carb-loading" feast 1-day before the marathon. Hopefully, many of you picked up on my earlier hints, but if not and you have been mostly a "carb-junky" on your runs to date, there is still time to enhance your glycogen storage capacity. We can discuss this more at this Friday's clinic, or just email me with the specifics of your hydration plan and what you have been doing so far on your training runs, then I can offer recommendations to adjust.

Caveat. Not sure of all of your physical conditions, but the above would not apply for those trainees that have diabetic or other health problems and they should consult their physician before considering carb-deprivation techniques I note above.

Coach Frogger