How does one carb load for a race?

AuntieKT
AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am ging to run a 5k tomorrow and I really want to beat my best time. I've been training and I'm feeling really good, but because I have been super busy the last couple of days, I actually have been having a hard time getting all of my food in and I don't want it to affect my performance tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not too late to carb load or whatever its called so that I can be super energized for tomorrow morning. Are there certian kinds of carb/foods that work better for this and at what times should I eat them? Some tonight? A certain amount of time before the race starts? I love sweet potatoes and would love to just use them if I could. What do you guys recommend?

Replies

  • LoudmouthLee
    LoudmouthLee Posts: 358 Member
    As someone who races, the idea of carb-loading has been bunked. Just eat a typical meal tonight. Include some carbs, but none more than you would normally eat.

    Breakfast the next morning needs to be no-fiber though. Otherwise.. well, y'know.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    You don't really need to carb load for a 5k, just eat what you normally eat before running. You don't want to surprise your body with anything.

    fwiw, I usually eat pasta for lunch the day before a race, then something simple like tilapia and brown rice with some veggies for dinner. Nothing too heavy.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    You definitely don't need to carb load for a 5k.

    There's a lot of debate about carb loading at all, but if it is done, it should be done over a period of several days and for races that are longer distances (half marathon or full marathon).

    I would just advise eating normal food for dinner - don't eat anything new or anything that might upset your digestive system. Same thing with in the morning. And if you're a morning bm'er, get up early enough to let that happen before the race. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in search of a porta-potty at an inopportune time.
  • AuntieKT
    AuntieKT Posts: 235 Member
    Thanks for the replys. I get that 5k isn't really all that far, I have just been eating so little this week up to this point, I don't want to miss my chance for a new personal record tomorrow. I just want to feel like superwoman!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    You needed to start last week. Don't worry about it, as there has been no scientific evidence that carbo loading in the way some athletes do it has any effect on performance.

    Enjoy your 5k!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Thanks for the replys. I get that 5k isn't really all that far, I have just been eating so little this week up to this point, I don't want to miss my chance for a new personal record tomorrow. I just want to feel like superwoman!

    Why have you been eating so little?
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
    You don't need to worry about carb loading for a 5k. If anything, just eat a normal serving or two of pasta, etc for lunch the day before so you have time to digest and you should be fine. I just ran a marathon recently and had plenty of energy, but I focused on fueling during training and didn't lose anything (while I was training) so that's why I need to buckle down on it now!

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