popo
12-11-2002, 04:49 AM
Here's some bathroom reading material.
Many people think that they are carbo-loading by eating a bunch of pasta the night before a race. They aren’t. It is actually much more difficult to properly carbo-load your muscles. Muscles only store enough carbohydrates for about two hours of exercise. In competition, you will deplete these stores in an hour to an hour and a half. So if you are in a class that only races for an hour, you don’t even have to worry about carbo-loading. As the race gets longer though, the benefits of carbo-loading appear. Carbo-loading is actually tricking the body into storing as much as two-times the normal reserve of carbohydrates in the muscle. To do this takes about a week in the following plan:
Sunday - Long, hard training session to lower carbs in muscle (at least 90 minutes).
Monday - Half normal workout (at least 40 minutes).
Tuesday - Half normal workout (at least 40 minutes).
Wednesday - Quarter of normal workout (at least 20 minutes).
Thursday - Quarter of normal workout (at least 20 minutes).
Friday - Rest to store carbohydrates.
Saturday - Race day.
Carbohydrate loading is not binge eating. Maintain your daily caloric intake. Since you're exercising less, this will provide adequate energy as you burn 600 to 1,000 fewer calories per day while tapering.
Remember, more is not better. Eating excessively can lead to intestinal distress, and your muscles will be no better fueled than if you had eaten sensibly. Also, carbo loading is not done to the exclusion of other nutrients. While carbo loading you should:
* maintain protein intake at .6 to .9 grams per pound of body weight;
* keep fat consumption at 20 to 25 percent of your diet;
* stay away from unfamiliar foods - this is not the time to experiment; and
* drink a lot of water (at least four to eight extra glasses) and avoid dehydrating beer, wine, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages.
If you load properly, you can put on two to four pounds. For each pound of glycogen you store, you will capture about three to five pounds of water. On a limited basis, this water is available during exercise, and reduces dehydration.
In the last 48 hours before a race avoid high-fiber foods like beans, bran cereals, lettuce, broccoli, to avoid gassy cramps, bloating and loose stools
I am no expert in nutrition. Just a good cut & paste dude that wanted to share some info on common mistakes I have made.
_________________
Many people think that they are carbo-loading by eating a bunch of pasta the night before a race. They aren’t. It is actually much more difficult to properly carbo-load your muscles. Muscles only store enough carbohydrates for about two hours of exercise. In competition, you will deplete these stores in an hour to an hour and a half. So if you are in a class that only races for an hour, you don’t even have to worry about carbo-loading. As the race gets longer though, the benefits of carbo-loading appear. Carbo-loading is actually tricking the body into storing as much as two-times the normal reserve of carbohydrates in the muscle. To do this takes about a week in the following plan:
Sunday - Long, hard training session to lower carbs in muscle (at least 90 minutes).
Monday - Half normal workout (at least 40 minutes).
Tuesday - Half normal workout (at least 40 minutes).
Wednesday - Quarter of normal workout (at least 20 minutes).
Thursday - Quarter of normal workout (at least 20 minutes).
Friday - Rest to store carbohydrates.
Saturday - Race day.
Carbohydrate loading is not binge eating. Maintain your daily caloric intake. Since you're exercising less, this will provide adequate energy as you burn 600 to 1,000 fewer calories per day while tapering.
Remember, more is not better. Eating excessively can lead to intestinal distress, and your muscles will be no better fueled than if you had eaten sensibly. Also, carbo loading is not done to the exclusion of other nutrients. While carbo loading you should:
* maintain protein intake at .6 to .9 grams per pound of body weight;
* keep fat consumption at 20 to 25 percent of your diet;
* stay away from unfamiliar foods - this is not the time to experiment; and
* drink a lot of water (at least four to eight extra glasses) and avoid dehydrating beer, wine, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages.
If you load properly, you can put on two to four pounds. For each pound of glycogen you store, you will capture about three to five pounds of water. On a limited basis, this water is available during exercise, and reduces dehydration.
In the last 48 hours before a race avoid high-fiber foods like beans, bran cereals, lettuce, broccoli, to avoid gassy cramps, bloating and loose stools
I am no expert in nutrition. Just a good cut & paste dude that wanted to share some info on common mistakes I have made.
_________________