As I gaze out of the window whilst writing this article on a beautiful, sunny winter morning, I can’t help but notice how many runners are out on the roads at the moment. For those of you who live in and around London or the Home Counties, you will probably notice the same increase in runners around your area too. You see, the London Marathon is only 1 week away, so lots of amateur athletes will currently be upping their mileage so that the grueling 26-mile course will not defeat them on the day.
This is a strategy that is implemented before a competition to improve performance on the day, so it’s not needed before every training session; secondly, it is only really necessary for endurance events – or activity that is going to last over 90 minutes.
Of course, this is not the only endurance race that is coming up on the calendar – up and down the country thousands of competitors will be lining up to compete in marathons, half-marathons, triathlons, and of course the increasingly popular obstacle course races, and they will be pushing their bodies to the limit to successfully complete their challenges.
We all know that getting your nutrition on the point will aid your performance, so it’s vital to understand how best to do this. For those competitors who are also Paleo advocates, it’s even more important to know how to make the right choices without compromising your Paleo guidelines and rushing for the bowl of pasta.
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What Is Carb Loading?
Carbohydrate loading is a term used by sports nutritionists to describe a strategy of maximizing the amount of glycogen (carbohydrate – CHO) stores available to the muscles and liver prior to an endurance competition, by consuming specific amounts of carbohydrate. It’s usually undertaken in the week leading up to a race.
A few things to note here: firstly, this is a strategy that is implemented before a competition to improve performance on the day, so it’s not needed before every training session; secondly, it is only really necessary for endurance events – or activity that is going to last over 90 minutes; Finally, you should never try anything new leading up to, or on the day of, the race itself. You need to understand how your body reacts to a change in nutrition, so it’s vital to try this in advance to tweak things where necessary.
Allow me to illustrate the importance of this through a friend’s experience. They had been training for a half marathon and were on track to achieve a good time considering it was their first event. On the day of the race, he decided to eat an entire malt loaf for breakfast to ‘carb load’. Not long into the race, he needed to stop for a number two and any hopes of a good time disappeared down the toilet with his malt loaf. Absolute disaster!
How Does Carb Loading Work?
The initial testing of carb-loading in the late 60s/early 70s1 involved a six-day regime that began with two bouts of glycogen-depleting exercise, followed by three days of low CHO diet (with low exercise), then three high CHO days with little or no exercise. The rationale was that glycogen depletion stimulates the activity of an enzyme called synthetase (an enzyme involved in glycogen storage) so that the high CHO days result in abnormal storage of glycogen.
The problem with this regime is that it was tough to stick to. The athletes found that the low CHO days left them feeling weak and tired, as well as interfered with the exercise tapering (a strategic reduction in activity levels before competition). In addition, on the high CHO days, many athletes struggled to reach the levels required for the method to be effective.
A more common approach to carb-loading a week before competition involves eating a normal diet for three or four days whilst tapering exercise levels down, then increasing the CHO levels for three days before your race. With this regime, it was found that similar glycogen storage levels were achieved but without the disadvantages of the low CHO depletion and exhaustive exercise needed before you start.
More recently, researchers at the University of Western Australia2 have found that equally high amounts of glycogen can be stored by eating 10g/CHO per kg of body weight on a single day following a three-minute bout of high-intensity exercise. This is potentially very useful for the amateur athlete who may be short on time for a week of exercise and diet tapering.
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How to Calculate Your Own Intake of CHO for Carb Loading
| Low CHO | Moderate CHO | High CHO |
| 3-5g CHO/kg bodyweight | 5-7g CHO/kg bodyweight | 8-10g CHO/kg bodyweight |
7-Day Carb Loading Schedule
| Day 1 | Normal diet | Taper Training |
| Day 2 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 3 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 4 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 5 | High CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 6 | High CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 7 | High CHO | Taper Training |
| Competition | 1-4g CHO/kg BW 2 hours before competition |
4-Day Carb Loading Schedule
| Day 1 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 2 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 3 | Moderate CHO | Taper Training |
| Day 4 | High CHO | 3-minutes sustained high-intensity exercise |
| Competition | 1-4g CHO/kg BW 2 hours before the competition |
Paleo Carb Loading
Some people may make you believe that Paleo = low carb, but in reality, the two don’t actually go hand in hand, especially if you are a competing endurance athlete seeking full glycogen stores to aid performance. However, a little bit of thought is needed when choosing your foods, as sticking to the Paleo guidelines discounts many of the foods listed in Sports Nutrition manuals such as pasta, rice, and bread.
Below I have listed some high CHO, Paleo-compatible foods to help you plan your carb-loading meals. Top-tip: Include plenty of whole vegetables and leafy greens in these meals, and remember to add 20-25g of protein and some good fats (such as coconut oil, nuts, seeds, etc.) to each meal to provide balance in your diet.
| Food | CHO content (approximate) |
| 1 large sweet potato baked | 35g |
| Butternut squash baked (200g) | 30g |
| Carrots boiled (100g) | 10g |
| Wild rice boiled (200g) | 40g |
| Quinoa boiled (200g) | 40g |
| Gluten-free oats (100g) | 60g |
| Dates (5 dates) | 30g |
| 1 large banana | 30g |
| 100g strawberries | 10g |
| 1 slice of pineapple | 10g |
| 1 large apple | 30g |
| 50g raw almonds | 10g |
| 50g raw cashews | 15g |
| 30g chia seeds | 15g |
| Almond butter (2 tbsp/thick spread) | 10g |
Sample Meal Plan for a High CHO Day
Breakfast
Gluten-free oatmeal/Paleo oatmeal with flaxseed, berries, and coconut milk.
Banana smoothie made with almond milk.
Snack
Large apple, a handful of cashews, a handful of almonds.
Lunch
1 large baked sweet potato/cassava fries with chicken breast and mixed vegetables.
Banana smoothie made with almond milk.
Snack
Paleo snacks such as caveman cookies, a bowl of mixed nuts, and a large glass of orange juice.
Dinner
A large bowl of wild/white rice or 1 sweet potato (mashed), with mixed beans/nuts and vegetables, and a grilled steak.
A large glass of pineapple juice.
Mixed fruit salad.
If you are competing in an endurance event this year I hope this information helps you to implement an effective carb-loading strategy that is Paleo-friendly and full of tasty, wholesome food. Don’t forget to test out your regime as far in advance as possible, to allow for any tweaks – you don’t want any unwanted toilet stops like my friend!
Have you got a long-distance race coming up? Or have you got any Paleo carb-loading tips? Why not let us know using the comments box below.
