Need help with carb information and running

Thanks everyone, makes perfect sense! and just so you know, that night of lasagna was recorded before I changed what I was eating that night. After realizing that the whole carb loading didn't work anyway, I totally changed the menu for that night spontaneously and just forgot to change it in my tracker. It's not very good anyway....ever since I started running more I'm actually craving pasta less....weird huh? I used to love it all the time. But yes I did have that meal the night before I think and was planning on leftovers.....husband and I ended up throwing it away. Just not worth it and not satisfying either cuz theirs no protein.

Regardless of whether carbo-loading in general is a myth (my cousin's husband, who is one of my running mentors, does Ironman triathlons and does carbo-load before them), I agree with others that for a distance of 5k, it's not necessary. Your body can get through that distance without eating anything extra or out of the ordinary.

Lovemouse 82,

You're experiencing what happens when a peson eats a high carb diet. Carb loading is not necessary, even for elite athletes. There are 3 marathon runners in my family who all follow the Zone diet. Many elite athletes around the world and many pro athletes follow it also (top cyclists in the US, such as Team Garmin, and also the top US triathletes).

The Zone switches your body to a fat burning metabolism, which results in more energy being produced from less calories, and it also assures that you have a constant source of energy throughout even the longest runs (your stored body fat). The trick is to stay "in the Zone" by making every meal and snack according to Zone specified proportions of protein, carb and fat. For meals choose lean protein the size and thickness of you palm, load the rest of your plate with non-starchy vegetables and some berries or similar type fruit (go very light on the tropical and dried fruits) and then add a dash of monounsaturated fat, such as a few avocado slices or a drizzle of olive oil. It's really that easy!

Not only is carb loading a myth, but for a 5k, you really shouldn't need to change anything in your diet. that is something like 25-40 minutes of intense exercise....and not anything like what would be needed to require extra carbs.

Eating lots of carbs requires your body to react with increased insulin. This results in your body converting it to fat and storing it away....and with it stored away but with insulin high, you just get hungry again before you would like.

What *kind* of pasta are we talking about here?

I took the liberty of glancing at your nutrition tracker, and here's what I found for your dinner on Monday (which is what I assume triggered this question!)

Ragu Sauce, 2 serving 180
Barilla Lasagna Noodle, 2 noodles, 2 serving 360
Kraft Parmesan Cheese (2 tsp serving), 2 serving 40
Pepperidge Farm Texas Toast, Garlic flavor, 1 toast, 2 serving 280

Honey, you're talking over 600 calories of pure, simple carbohydrates, and likely a nasty dose of sodium from that texas toast. I know it tastes good, but you're running a 5k... not a marathon!

I don't doubt you're bloated and uncomfortable. I think the problem is twofold:

You don't need to "carboload" before running for less than an hour. It's generally not needed, because your body doesn't burn through your glycogen stories in that short of time and need to be replenished the way you do before a big endurance race.

Then, you're choosing high-glycemic-index carbs that are essentially being metabolized straight into sugar.

Do you eat breakfast before or after your runs? That can also affect your performance, especially after such a simple-carb-heavy meal.

I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with a dinner of lasagna the day before a run. It isnt going to help your performance, but it shouldn't hinder it, either.

I think you need to be making smarter carb choices. Whole wheat noodles in the lasagna or the noodles, and if you want that texas toast, stick to ONE slice. ;) Carbs also need to be paired with healthy fats and protein to be utilized at their best.

Carb loading is also something you do over a period of a couple of days before an endurance race, not just the night before.

Runner's World has a great article on how to carb load right, for when you're running longer distances:

www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/fil
l-er?page=single

Edited by: DRAGONCHILDE at: 5/1/2013 (09:53)

I agree with others that posted before me. Carb loading is not necessary for short distances, and there's even questions about its value for the marathon. Eat as you normally do.

i would say that carb loading is more associated with distance running rather than 3.14 miles. i know that for me, the game changes somewhere in the 6-8 mile range. in other words, i can do six miles without carrying extra water and without fussing with when i eat or what i am eating. if i am going before work, i might need to eat a gel block so that i can shower, get ready for work and eat breakfast in an orderly fashion. but other than that i don't really have to change anything. that 6-8 mile range is where i start to need to make sure i bringing water on the runs, and eating a little more the night before [so that it's ready to go when i am in the morning] and paying attention to what i am eating and what i feel best and fueled eating.

depending on what goes in to your pasta dishes and when you usually eat, it might just be poor timing with regards to digestion. in other words, if you're usually eating lighter and skewing earlier, having one big meal later is going to put more stuff in your digestive tract the night of and possibly during the run as well. and if you're not eating dinner a little later, then it might just be that you're eating early enough to digest entirely before bed, in which case you're using up all the carbs well before you wake up. and if your carb loading dinners are really different are really different from your regular natural variance of food, it might be your body balking at something different.
so do compare your regular dinners to your carb loading dinners. you might find that by increasing carbs, you're dramatically changing protein or fiber or fat or calories. and getting your carb dinners a little more in line with your regular dinners might help you perform better. because if you're cutting 20 grams of protein out of your dinner or you're adding 20 g of fiber into your dinner that's going to make a difference. so is if you're eating an 800 cal dinner instead of a 400 cal dinner.

I think that carb loading is mostly considered a myth these days and was always intended as advice for running very long distances anyway.

As for how you feel, if the rest of your diet is very different from your carb loading dinners, it's entirely possible that it could be making you feel bad the next day. I still vividly remember the first time I ate restaurant pizza after a fairly brief experiment in healthy eating back in my 20s -- ugh! And it wasn't even the carbohydrates in my case (I was eating tons anyway), but rather the heavy amounts of cheese and grease.

I have a feeling that those who are proponents of carb loading are doing longer distances (like marathons).

However, there are many runners who don't subscribe to that theory, and do quite well.
I used to run that distance, and never made an effort to consume extra carbs - in fact, I was consuming a fairly low carb menu at the time.

While my experience is not meant to be yours; it's not necessarily scientific fact that carb loading will work

Carb loading is a myth. The muscles can only hold so much glycogen so if you are eating a balanced diet every day there is no need to carb load the night before a run.

If you want extra energy during a run try eating something like dates or a banana 30 minutes before your run because they give the body an immediate sugar boost.

Do you use Wholemeal Pasta or the plain white stuff?
Have you thought about a cold baked potato? Their GI is lower when cold.

Kris

I've noticed a strange pattern and was wondering if anyone had similar experiences. I've always heard that if you are going to run, load up on carbs the night before. Now, I do run, I try to do 5k maybe three times a week. If I really want to push myself and do my best and focus on my time, there have been times that I will have spaghetti or lasagna the night before if I know I am running the next morning.

Much to my surprise and frustration, I have found that every time I do this, I CANNOT be on my game the next morning. I'm more tired, slower, and just totally not able to do as good of a job, even having to stop and walk (which is like the ultimate disappointment for me). I guess it could just be a coincidence, but does anyone know of a reason that carbs would hinder performance instead of helping it?