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Carb Loading
Rating
Carb loading is increased carbohydrate intake 1-3 days before a long race (marathon and longer) to maximally fill glycogen stores in the muscles before the race.
In detail
The modern protocol is simpler than the old 1970s version (which included a depletion phase before loading) — usually it's enough to increase the share of carbohydrates in the diet to 8-10 g per kg of body weight per day for 1-2 days before the start, while slightly reducing training volume (taper and loading go hand in hand).
How to use it
Loading makes sense for distances of a half marathon and longer; for races shorter than an hour, extra glycogen storage provides almost no benefit and may only cause discomfort from overeating.