Carb loading before long runs

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Cate4035
Cate4035 Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any recommended websites / resources for planning meals prior to a half marathon? Or formulas for calculating goal carb intake those days? Thanks!
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  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    You shouldn't need to do much out of the ordinary for a half marathon race effort. Eating well, say at maintenance level, and getting enough sleep during race week are good ideas. If the race is in the morning, eat a good breakfast several hours before the race starts.

    If your run is going to last for several hours, then you might decide to consume a gel or some liquid electrolytes to help maintain performance. This is probably overkill for many runners, but if you think consuming a gel or electrolytes would help, then its something to practice on long runs prior to race day.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    As stated above, you don't really need to carb load for a half marathon. Just eat as you normally do before a long run. I find that avoiding a lot of fiber and fat the day before helps keep my stomach calm.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    Do whatever you have done on your long runs/night before long runs- you don’t want to accidentally eat something that upsets your tummy! I personally do run better if I have eaten big meals the day before or in the mornings-even if I use drinks and gels during. These are things you should tinker with before race day, but like others said for many runners it may be overkill. Do what works for you!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    I’ve never carb loaded for a race. I would advise eating normally, but not a heavy meal the night before.

    Race day nutrition depends on your body and pace. Don’t eat anything before or during the race that you haven’t eaten before or during a training run.

    I routinely fuel during longer runs. Maybe it’s not necessary for people who are faster, but my HM time is over two hours and that’s a long time for me to run without eating. If you choose to eat during the race, either bring your own fuel rather than eating whatever they provide on the course, or find out ahead of time what they’ll have at aid stations and practice with that.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    For the vast majority, there is no need to carb load. Many people use this as an excuse to eat a ton the night before the race when in reality you could be setting yourself up for a sick stomach and feeling overall crummy.

    I will make a point to eat a balanced breakfast that includes carbs. I do not eat or drink while I run though.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    https://runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20826888/the-right-way-to-carbo-load-before-a-race/
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Cate4035 wrote: »
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    https://runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20826888/the-right-way-to-carbo-load-before-a-race/

    Thank you for actually answering my question! I tend to eat a very low carb diet and have noticed a difference in my long runs when I make it a point to change how I eat ... but want to do it the right way 😁

    Your need to carb load is therefore completely different to most people doing endurance cardio,....

    In your case you might want to up your carbs for a few days before an event whereas most people for that duration of event might just be thinking of a having carby breakfast.

    Practice in training what you might have to do in the event.

    BTW - are you just hoping to complete the half or compete in a half? Two very different ambitions even if the competition is just against yourself.
  • Cate4035
    Cate4035 Posts: 19 Member
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    dewd2 wrote: »
    Its always helpful to list what crazy assed fad diet you are on when asking questions. It will change the answers and keep you from having to be a smart *kitten* in your reply.

    Good luck.

    I’m not on any diet, “crazy assed fad” or otherwise, but the advice is appreciated anyways!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Cate4035 wrote: »
    I tend to eat a very low carb diet and have noticed a difference in my long runs
    Cate4035 wrote: »

    I’m not on any diet, “crazy assed fad” or otherwise, but the advice is appreciated anyways!

    Is there a medical reason for your very low carb intake?
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    If you want to carb load, you need to eat about 8g carbs per kg of mass 36 to 48 hours before the event.

    If you are very low carb, your underfuelling your training and all your results are suffering. If your choice is weight loss over athletics, that's fine and you don't need to carb load at all. Just take in enough simple carbs during the event.

    If you want to win, you've got to properly fuel yourself all the time
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited September 2018
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    In fairness, OP asked a pretty simple, straight forward question. It was most of us who assumed we knew better and told her what we thought she should know rather than answering the question.
  • bikecheryl
    bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    In fairness, OP asked a pretty simple, straight forward question. It was most of us who assumed we knew better and told her what we thought she should know rather than answering the question.

    That tends to happen alot.

    I'll close my eyes now and wait for the blast.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    In fairness, OP asked a pretty simple, straight forward question. It was most of us who assumed we knew better and told her what we thought she should know rather than answering the question.

    I think in this instance all the initial answers made sense had the question been accurate. Even the article linked to doesn't really apply in the circumstances the originator has identified.

    At face value, if you're carb loading for a half something is seriously wrong.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    At face value, if you're carb loading for a half something is seriously wrong.

    Not really, if your half takes at least 90 minutes. The science backs 4-10g/kg 36 to 48 hours before a race causes glycogen supercompensation - muscles holding more glycogen than normal.
    That's the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. I'm not looking up further sources though :D
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    In Matt Fitzgerald's book "The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition" he describes a way to eat extremely low carb for 10 days during the taper and then describes how to carbo-load from that state. The carbo-loading part may interest you. Of course he blasts low carb diets for runners for any other time (just an FYI). I briefly considered doing this until I started researching some more... Now I'm not 100% convinced carb loading does much at all. Of course I'll still do it because that's what we do. :wink:

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