CARB LOADING MYTH:

COACHES CORNER:

CARB LOADING MYTH: Stop Making It More Complicated than It Needs to Be.

Every marathon season, you'll hear all kinds of advice about carb loading. Some runners eat pasta until they can't move. Others avoid carbs completely, believing they'll become "fat" before race day.

The truth is, neither approach is supported by science. The purpose of carb loading is simple: to maximize your muscle glycogen stores, which are your body's main fuel during a marathon.

Research has shown that you don't need crazy depletion runs or three days of eating nothing but pasta.

The most effective strategy is to reduce your training during the taper and increase your carbohydrate intake over the final 24-48 hours before the race.

Your muscles naturally store more glycogen because you're running less.

This is where many recreational runners go wrong. They confuse carb loading with overeating. They end up feeling bloated, sluggish, and uncomfortable on race morning. Remember, the goal isn't to eat more food,it's to eat more carbohydrates, while keeping meals familiar and easy to digest.

Carb loading is most beneficial for events lasting longer than 90 minutes, especially the marathon.

If you've ever "hit the wall" around 30-35km, chances are your glycogen stores were running low. Starting the race with full fuel tanks can delay fatigue and help you maintain your pace much deeper into the race.

One more important point: Carb loading does not replace race fueling. Even with full glycogen stores, you still need to take carbohydrates during the race.

Think of it this way: you start with a full tank, but you still need to refuel on a long journey.

As coaches and athletes, we should stop chasing social media trends and trust what decades of research have consistently shown. The basics still win. Train smart. Fuel smart. Race smart. What's your carb-loading strategy before a marathon?

Have you ever hit the wall despite training well? Share your experience below.

STAY HARD.

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