Carbohydrate loading is a well studied and much discussed dietary method many athletes use to gain a competitive edge over their competition. While many athletes focus on the “how” of carbohydrate loading to make sure they do it right (and even here a lot of errors are still made) few question whether or not carbohydrate loading is even applicable to Combat Sports. So lets look at the details here.
Purpose:
As I have elaborated on before, Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy. We store the carbohydrates that we eat as glycogen in our muscles and liver. The goal of carbohydrate loading is to pack all or your body’s available glycogen stores with maximal amounts of energy. Obviously, full energy stores are intended to allow you to go longer and delay onset of fatigue.
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Who Benefits:
Researchers seem to agree that carbohydrate loading is really only beneficial for endurance athletes participating in events more than ninety minutes in length. Measurements have shown that glycogen stores were not depleted for activities requiring less endurance. That means, in theory carbohydrate loading does not seem beneficial for the type of Combat Sports events I know off.
Side note: Research has shown that carbohydrate loading works much better for men. The results for women are inconclusive at best.
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What speaks against carb-loading:
First off, if you have any metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, you should refrain from carb-loading or consult a physician first. More importantly though, all the extra carbs will cause extra water retention which results in an increase in weight. In weight-class dominated Combat Sports where even a single pound can make a huge difference, I would spend a few extra moments considering whether or not to start carb-loading before competition.
Bottom line:
Even though theory speaks against carb-loading, I know many of you out there have probably tried it out or even made it part of your pre-competition routine. What are your experiences with carb loading? For those who are interested in trying it nonetheless, check back next week as I will be posting a guide to proper carb-loading.
Sources:
Hawley JA et al. Carbohydrate-loading and exercise performance. An update. Journal of Sports Medicine 1997; 24:73-81.
Mayoclinic.com: Carbohydrate-loading diet.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Sports Nutrition.
