NA® RACE NUTRITION
CARBOLOADING
THE SCIENCE BEHIND
1 WEEK UNTIL THE EVENT
RACE WEEK
LOAD UP ON CARBS
Whilst we all have sufficient fat reserves for a marathon, our carbohydrate stores (glycogen stores) are not enough. In the week before the race, it is therefore important to top up your carbohydrate stores. Imagine packing your rucksack full of energy. This is what happens during carbolaoding.
With the right preparation, you can double your carbohydrate stores. To ensure that you have a full tank on race day, you should consume 10-12g of carbohydrates per kilogramme of body weight in the last few days before the run. This is 2-3 times more than you would normally consume.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND
Under stress, your body draws its energy from your fat and carbohydrate reserves.
While burning fat only provides energy slowly, energy production from carbohydrates is faster. At a higher pace you empty your limited glycogen stores accordingly.
The right preparation will ensure that these reserves are full and that you are ready for maximum performance.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
To ensure that your rucksack is fully packed and your stores are maximally filled, you should consume 10-12g of carbohydrates per kilogramme of body weight in the last 2-4 days before the run. This is about 2-3 times as much as you normally consume.
You should also reduce your training volume 2-4 days before the competition to conserve your glycogen stores.
DURING PREPARATION
For example, if you weigh 70kg and eat a “normal” diet, you will consume approx. 210g of carbohydrates in your daily diet (approx. 3g per kilogramme of body weight). This means you are missing approx. 600g for optimal carboloading.
You can reduce this deficit by focussing as much as possible on foods low in protein and high in carbohydrates.
It can make sense to use sports drinks such as FUEL Endurance during carboloading. One portion of FUEL (220g) mixed in one litre of water contains approx. 200g of quickly digestible carbohydrates.
NO EXPERIMENTS ON COMPETITION DAY.
TEST OUR PRODUCTS IN PREPARATION.
If you haven’t tested our products yet, now is the time to do so. Optimal marathon nutrition must be tested in advance so that you can perform at your best on race day. You can find all NA® products either in our webshop or at the Zurich Marathon main sponsor Ochsnersport.
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Out of stockNA® FUEL Endurance
Optimal carb matrix for long endurance efforts
CHF 49.00 incl. VAT – CHF 294.00 incl. VAT Select options -
Out of stockNA® Reload
Unique post-workout formula for optimal regeneration after intense training and competitions
CHF 49.00 incl. VAT – CHF 294.00 incl. VAT Select options -
NA® FUEL GEL Carb Energy
The perfect carb gel for your performance
CHF 2.90 incl. VAT – CHF 52.20 incl. VAT Select options
