Collection of research done in order to determine if carb loading is needed for endurance performance and if so, what is the recommended daily intake for that athlete.

1. Carb Loading and Energy in
Endurance Performance Sports
By Courtney Brittain, Amara Abdul, and
Blake Clark

2. Carb-loading
● Consumption of foods with high
carbohydrate counts
● Maximise storage of glycogen
● Muscles and liver

3. What are carbs? ● Mono-saccharides
○ Simplest form
● Polysaccharides
○ Many bonded together
● Oligosaccharides
○ Small number bonded together

4. The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
● Essential for ATP
● “Instant’ energy
● Too much can cause weight gain
● Easier to gain weight than to lose
it

5. Recommended
Daily Consumption
Athletes:
● 55-65% of daily caloric intake
● Carbohydrates should be the
majority of an athlete's diet in
order to achieve maximum
performance in moderate to high
intensity training
(Inspiyr, 2013)
General Population:
● 45-65% of daily caloric intake
(Gunnars, 2018)

6. Impacts of
Carbohydrates on
the Body
● Carbs are broken down into simple
sugars and absorbed by the
bloodstream
● Sugar levels rise and the pancreas
releases insulin
● Sugar is turned into glucose
(blood sugar)
● Our bodies use this glucose as a
source of energy
Carbohydrates. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-
living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-
basics/carbohydrates

8. Impact of Carb
Loading on Energy
Long Distance Runners:
● Increases glycogen levels higher
than normal levels which means
more energy for endurance events
General Population:
● Since carb loading is a method to
store glucose for energy, it is
unnecessary in everyday workouts
or activities

9. “Proper carb-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—
won’t make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best, and, if you race
smartly, avoid the wall,”
-Benjamin Rapoport, M.D., Ph.D.

10. Could Carb Loading
Lead to Obesity?
● Carb loading only increases
stamina in those performing in
endurance activities
● Excess carbs in other sports could
take away from performance
● Continued intake of excess carbs
could cause weight gain and
digestive issues
Me, P. &. (2018, July 18). Post navigation.
Retrieved from
https://ptandme.com/carb-loading/

11. What are the general
effects of carb loading
on endurance
performances?
● The amount of miles considered to be long
distance is more than 3 miles (5K)
● Most athletes practice or use the carb loading
regimen days before their running events to
increase the amount of glycogen in their
muscles
● Promotes restoration of muscle glycogen
during a long run so that the runner can train
harder ( Muelller, Reek, Schantzen)
● Carbohydrates tend to have a lot of glucose,
therefore muscles will use it as fuel for long
durations of exercise
● This training method is mostly used by
marathon runners ( 26 miles)

12. What does a Carb-
Loading diet look
like for an
endurance
performance
athlete?
● Eat very few processed foods
● Eat a starch every meal ( rice, corn, bread
(wheat)
● Eat meat three to four times per week ( fish
mainly)
● Try to not eat any sweets with the exception of
fruit
(Lobliner, 2019)

13. Case study: Wilson
Kipsang ( Marathon
runner)

14. When should carbs
be consumed prior
to an endurance
competition?
● The most vital period for an endurance athlete
to consume carbohydrates is before an event

15. Example carb-
loading meal plan
(Mueller,Reek, Schantzen)

16. Conclusion ● Carb Loading can be very beneficial, if done the
right way. Meaning that too much or too little
carbohydrates in your system can affect an
athlete or person’s overall performance in an
endurance event.
● There is still scientific research that could done
on if carb-loading is the only training diet that is
effective for athletes in endurance-heavy sports,
particularly long distance running.