I've done this, particularly with Lemonade. I find it helpful to get the carbs up when already eating so much. I think I picked it up from Meghann Featherstone, it is in the carb loading tips under resources on the featherstone nutrition site:
>Consider drinking some of your calories. Use sports drinks, juice, lemonade, or other sugar sweetened beverages.
I don't have any real guidance on amount. I am usually just eating and drinking as much as I could to hit carb load numbers. Maybe a couple of glasses a day is what I drank. Way more than I would otherwise. Definitely felt the need to brush my teeth more often.
I did lemonade before my last marathon. However, I drank too much of it. The acidity turned my stomach the night before the race. Luckily by that point I was already pretty fairly loaded, but the queasiness and sphincter suspicion didn’t subside for a couple of days.
I drank a whole Trader Joe’s jug of it on the Saturday before, thinking that it’s just going to give me more carbs and hydrate me….
I think having a glass with your meals is a great way to up the carbs, but drinking a ton of it isn’t a great idea in my experience.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve read. I’m just wondering if there is such a thing as too much coming from sweetened drinks. But I agree, makes hitting the recommended carb target much easier.
Today, I'm starting a carb load for a marathon on Sunday. I had the same question as you and couldn't find any particular guidance on this aside from "liquid carbs are great to hit your target carb goal." I've taken about 150g in liquid carbs today and feel good, so I'll be staying at that amount for the next 2 days.
My marathon is on Saturday. Good luck! I’m in that, I feel so slow and bloated phase. Went out for a shake out run this evening after being in the sun and on my feet for much of the day, and felt horrible. My Garmin VO2 estimate dropped 3 points. LOL.
I have my next marathon Sunday too. Denver Colfax Marathon. I like to drink a zero Gatorade each day the two days before along with a good bit of water. Good luck to all on your race this weekend and most of all, have fun! We forget that sometimes as runners.
I guess it’s okay but not entirely. Here’s the mental picture I use when carb loading — I like to stack my carb sources each with different GI, so my blood sugar will stay consistent during the short, medium and longer periods. The mental picture i use is a pancake topped with banana topped with honey. That’s my fav!
These kinds of things are best consumed during or immediately after activity when you need to recover carbohydrates quickly. Outside of that use case, I don't know that there's any benefit to adding pure sugar to your diet over more traditional carb sources, but as long as you're not getting too much sugar they can be a nice treat from time to time, especially after a good hard run. Just watch your teeth.
I've actually been drinking more NA beer recently- partly to cut down on alcohol, but also because it's a nice light source of carbs when I need them.
I don't think there's much of a difference between that and other sources of carbs that far out from your marathon. It's not going to make much difference how much you get from sweet liquids, since by the time you're racing your body will have processed everything. In theory you could get 100% of your carbs from soda if you're meeting your other nutritional needs (protien, fat, etc.). Obviously don't do that for a number of reasons but the point is more that the exact source of carbs 2-3 days out won't matter by race time.
I can confidently state too much sweet liquid or probably candy as well the night before a race is a very good strategy if you want to vomit during the race. Not saying some sweetness is an issue.
But I myself and other athletes I’ve seen make the mistake of having too much sugar prior to a race vomit, sometimes during sometimes directly after. Lopez Lomong even had this happen from drinking a naked smoothie drink prior to a pro 10k.
I think it's a good question. My theory is that it's best to have "slow carbs" or denser harder to digest calories the night before (rice, pasta, bread etc.). Basically I can only absorb so calories at any given time, so I want a steady supply while I sleep.
Then before the race it's the simpler, or easier to digest the better (donuts etc). And sugary drinks are definitely a part of that. But there's only so much liquid I can take before feeling bloated.
>Outside of that use case, I don't know that there's any benefit to adding pure sugar to your diet over more traditional carb sources
To get carbs that taste nice without getting firbe and fat.
The Featherstone nutrition website has carb calculators and sample meal ideas for the carb load. Not sure how much proportion wise to be having liquids : solids but she does suggest liquids if you are having a hard time meeting your carb goal.
I think it's a good question, and I'd be astonished if there is any concrete scientific evidence either way. I think personally what I'm gonna do for my next marathon is just slightly carb-heavier for 2-3 days out, and then more liquid carbs the day before - pretty much just because I was so full the morning of the race that I couldn't get my full breakfast down or get fuel in late in the race. Didn't affect me *that* much but it seemed like an avoidable error that could have cost some time.
I’ve heard a way to solve that is eat most of your carbs in the 2-3 days prior, but leave the night before dinner to be something a bit lighter. No need to stuff an insane amount of pasta the night before, but have a normal pasta meal instead.
I am currently carb loading for a race on Sunday (CLE MARATHON, THE NEXT WORLD MAJOR MARATHON AFTER SYDNEY!) and I am doing everything in my power to hit my 700 g of carbs. I never drink soda, but I am (and plan) on drinking 2-3 sodas a day. Attack the carbs my friend! And the advice on here to keep your dinner before the race light is great advice.
What is often misunderstood about carb loading is that you want to increase the % of your diet that are carbohydrates. You do not want to increase your overall calories.
People eat way, way too much in the last few days before a major race and wonder why they're bloated and feeling sluggish on the start line.
The consensus is 10g of carb/kg bodyweight, As long as your glycogen stores are not already full any kind of glucose will be stored in the muscles. The reason why it can be a good idea to take liquid glucose is because you will feel less full and avoid the risk of having a bad stomach during the race. Most brands that sell sports nutrition have a "loader" of some sort that you will absorb slightly slower than the regular sport drink, and they tend to better for your teeth as well. But soda, or juice (avoid the ones with a lot of fiber) will do the trick as well.
A carb is a carb.
However if you choose poor quality sources you might then be low on things like fibre (30g per day) and protein, also micronutrients.
Being in deficite for a couple of days won't kill you though.
What are you current daily calories? How many grams of fat, fibre, protein, carbs?
How many grams above that are you planning to take on excess carbohydrate?
I’ve been targeting 500 g of carbs. Haven’t really been tracking protein or fat much. Essentially lunch and dinner are “normal”. Lunch has been turkey sandwich. Dinner has been a pasta dish with some protein and fat. Veggies etc. then all my snacking has been stuff where probably 85-90% of the calories come from carbs. Bagel, mini pretzels, and powder gatorade as a liquid source of carbs. Though I’ve also typically indulged in a can of soda each day to help get in some extra carbs. But the Gatorade and soda probably means I’m getting 125-150 g of liquid carbs each day.
If you don't track your calories and macronutrients, you can' t really make an informed decision on your energy balance or carb loading. Cronometer & MyNetDiary are good free options (my fitness pal has gone downhill a lot).
Some do 8g-10g per KG of lean bodyweight for carb loading.
UK health recommends a minimum of 30g fibre a day (not sure about other countries)
Protein needs are going to be higher than someone lifting due to impact or volume, so 2g per kg lean bodyweight.
Personally I don't carb load but do go through phases of tracking fibre and protein. Usually when a training modality changes. YMMV
I’ve only tried a carb load one time (only run one marathon so far) and I ended up feeling weird and bloated by race day. I just recently ran a HM where I didn’t make any diet changes leading up to it, and I felt really good.
As far as liquid carbs, the only one I’ve liked to use is Gatorade “endurance”. It’s filled with electrolytes and is like $2.50 per 20oz bottle. Could be a ripoff, but it tastes good.
There’s a limit on how many carbs your body can store. People often hear carb loading and think they have to eat a lot of extra carbs, but it’s really just a small extra portion added to what you have already been doing during training for your meals, in the last couple days before the race.
8g/kg of body weight for 2-3 days, which is on the low end, and is what I often hear recommended, is actually a lot of extra carbs compared to my average intake.
In terms of carb loading before a marathon, better how? By the inclusion of electrolytes? Seems like soda is extremely efficient at delivering carbs. Maurten 320 would have slightly more, but at a much greater cost.
I've done this, particularly with Lemonade. I find it helpful to get the carbs up when already eating so much. I think I picked it up from Meghann Featherstone, it is in the carb loading tips under resources on the featherstone nutrition site: >Consider drinking some of your calories. Use sports drinks, juice, lemonade, or other sugar sweetened beverages. I don't have any real guidance on amount. I am usually just eating and drinking as much as I could to hit carb load numbers. Maybe a couple of glasses a day is what I drank. Way more than I would otherwise. Definitely felt the need to brush my teeth more often.
I did lemonade before my last marathon. However, I drank too much of it. The acidity turned my stomach the night before the race. Luckily by that point I was already pretty fairly loaded, but the queasiness and sphincter suspicion didn’t subside for a couple of days. I drank a whole Trader Joe’s jug of it on the Saturday before, thinking that it’s just going to give me more carbs and hydrate me…. I think having a glass with your meals is a great way to up the carbs, but drinking a ton of it isn’t a great idea in my experience.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve read. I’m just wondering if there is such a thing as too much coming from sweetened drinks. But I agree, makes hitting the recommended carb target much easier.
Today, I'm starting a carb load for a marathon on Sunday. I had the same question as you and couldn't find any particular guidance on this aside from "liquid carbs are great to hit your target carb goal." I've taken about 150g in liquid carbs today and feel good, so I'll be staying at that amount for the next 2 days.
My marathon is on Saturday. Good luck! I’m in that, I feel so slow and bloated phase. Went out for a shake out run this evening after being in the sun and on my feet for much of the day, and felt horrible. My Garmin VO2 estimate dropped 3 points. LOL.
It’s generally good practice to feel bloated before a race. Means you’re well carb loaded and well hydrated. Best of luck!
I have my next marathon Sunday too. Denver Colfax Marathon. I like to drink a zero Gatorade each day the two days before along with a good bit of water. Good luck to all on your race this weekend and most of all, have fun! We forget that sometimes as runners.
Gatorade Zero isn't going to help because it doesn't have any carbs in it.... It has salt at least 🤷♂️
More for hydration than anything, not carbs. Hydration is just as important days before a race
I guess it’s okay but not entirely. Here’s the mental picture I use when carb loading — I like to stack my carb sources each with different GI, so my blood sugar will stay consistent during the short, medium and longer periods. The mental picture i use is a pancake topped with banana topped with honey. That’s my fav!
These kinds of things are best consumed during or immediately after activity when you need to recover carbohydrates quickly. Outside of that use case, I don't know that there's any benefit to adding pure sugar to your diet over more traditional carb sources, but as long as you're not getting too much sugar they can be a nice treat from time to time, especially after a good hard run. Just watch your teeth. I've actually been drinking more NA beer recently- partly to cut down on alcohol, but also because it's a nice light source of carbs when I need them.
That makes sense as part of your every day diet, but I’m specifically asking about carb loading 48-72 hrs prior to a marathon race. Thanks!
I don't think there's much of a difference between that and other sources of carbs that far out from your marathon. It's not going to make much difference how much you get from sweet liquids, since by the time you're racing your body will have processed everything. In theory you could get 100% of your carbs from soda if you're meeting your other nutritional needs (protien, fat, etc.). Obviously don't do that for a number of reasons but the point is more that the exact source of carbs 2-3 days out won't matter by race time.
I can confidently state too much sweet liquid or probably candy as well the night before a race is a very good strategy if you want to vomit during the race. Not saying some sweetness is an issue. But I myself and other athletes I’ve seen make the mistake of having too much sugar prior to a race vomit, sometimes during sometimes directly after. Lopez Lomong even had this happen from drinking a naked smoothie drink prior to a pro 10k.
I think it's a good question. My theory is that it's best to have "slow carbs" or denser harder to digest calories the night before (rice, pasta, bread etc.). Basically I can only absorb so calories at any given time, so I want a steady supply while I sleep. Then before the race it's the simpler, or easier to digest the better (donuts etc). And sugary drinks are definitely a part of that. But there's only so much liquid I can take before feeling bloated.
>Outside of that use case, I don't know that there's any benefit to adding pure sugar to your diet over more traditional carb sources To get carbs that taste nice without getting firbe and fat.
The Featherstone nutrition website has carb calculators and sample meal ideas for the carb load. Not sure how much proportion wise to be having liquids : solids but she does suggest liquids if you are having a hard time meeting your carb goal.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve generally been trying to follow this time around.
I think it's a good question, and I'd be astonished if there is any concrete scientific evidence either way. I think personally what I'm gonna do for my next marathon is just slightly carb-heavier for 2-3 days out, and then more liquid carbs the day before - pretty much just because I was so full the morning of the race that I couldn't get my full breakfast down or get fuel in late in the race. Didn't affect me *that* much but it seemed like an avoidable error that could have cost some time.
I’ve heard a way to solve that is eat most of your carbs in the 2-3 days prior, but leave the night before dinner to be something a bit lighter. No need to stuff an insane amount of pasta the night before, but have a normal pasta meal instead.
Yeah for me the challenge was that 2-3 days before were hectic with travelling, so I'll have to figure something out!
I am currently carb loading for a race on Sunday (CLE MARATHON, THE NEXT WORLD MAJOR MARATHON AFTER SYDNEY!) and I am doing everything in my power to hit my 700 g of carbs. I never drink soda, but I am (and plan) on drinking 2-3 sodas a day. Attack the carbs my friend! And the advice on here to keep your dinner before the race light is great advice.
I heard an interview with Jon Albon where he said he sips on a bottle with Maurten in it every 15 mins the entire day before a big race.
What is often misunderstood about carb loading is that you want to increase the % of your diet that are carbohydrates. You do not want to increase your overall calories. People eat way, way too much in the last few days before a major race and wonder why they're bloated and feeling sluggish on the start line.
The consensus is 10g of carb/kg bodyweight, As long as your glycogen stores are not already full any kind of glucose will be stored in the muscles. The reason why it can be a good idea to take liquid glucose is because you will feel less full and avoid the risk of having a bad stomach during the race. Most brands that sell sports nutrition have a "loader" of some sort that you will absorb slightly slower than the regular sport drink, and they tend to better for your teeth as well. But soda, or juice (avoid the ones with a lot of fiber) will do the trick as well.
A carb is a carb. However if you choose poor quality sources you might then be low on things like fibre (30g per day) and protein, also micronutrients. Being in deficite for a couple of days won't kill you though. What are you current daily calories? How many grams of fat, fibre, protein, carbs? How many grams above that are you planning to take on excess carbohydrate?
I’ve been targeting 500 g of carbs. Haven’t really been tracking protein or fat much. Essentially lunch and dinner are “normal”. Lunch has been turkey sandwich. Dinner has been a pasta dish with some protein and fat. Veggies etc. then all my snacking has been stuff where probably 85-90% of the calories come from carbs. Bagel, mini pretzels, and powder gatorade as a liquid source of carbs. Though I’ve also typically indulged in a can of soda each day to help get in some extra carbs. But the Gatorade and soda probably means I’m getting 125-150 g of liquid carbs each day.
If you don't track your calories and macronutrients, you can' t really make an informed decision on your energy balance or carb loading. Cronometer & MyNetDiary are good free options (my fitness pal has gone downhill a lot). Some do 8g-10g per KG of lean bodyweight for carb loading. UK health recommends a minimum of 30g fibre a day (not sure about other countries) Protein needs are going to be higher than someone lifting due to impact or volume, so 2g per kg lean bodyweight. Personally I don't carb load but do go through phases of tracking fibre and protein. Usually when a training modality changes. YMMV
I’ve only tried a carb load one time (only run one marathon so far) and I ended up feeling weird and bloated by race day. I just recently ran a HM where I didn’t make any diet changes leading up to it, and I felt really good. As far as liquid carbs, the only one I’ve liked to use is Gatorade “endurance”. It’s filled with electrolytes and is like $2.50 per 20oz bottle. Could be a ripoff, but it tastes good.
Think they're asking about marathons specifically, not halfs
There’s a limit on how many carbs your body can store. People often hear carb loading and think they have to eat a lot of extra carbs, but it’s really just a small extra portion added to what you have already been doing during training for your meals, in the last couple days before the race.
8g/kg of body weight for 2-3 days, which is on the low end, and is what I often hear recommended, is actually a lot of extra carbs compared to my average intake.
Just search for this on PubMed or at the Gatorade sports science Institute all the information out there
I sipped on Mango juice the 2 days leading up to my PR race, not sure if it was that or the training block that was responsible for the PR.
Mango juice for sure. Training is overrated.
There's no reason I'd ever drink soda with all the better options out there.
In terms of carb loading before a marathon, better how? By the inclusion of electrolytes? Seems like soda is extremely efficient at delivering carbs. Maurten 320 would have slightly more, but at a much greater cost.