GET A LOAD OF THIS

Carb loading is a term that transcends its target audience. Even those with no interest in endurance sport will tell you that eating a big bowl of pasta the night before a big run or ride is probably a good idea, while more seasoned distance dons often look forward to nothing more than the pre-event excuse to eat a mountain of beige food like it’s their last chance to do so. Within reason, such an approach makes sense. The question is, why?

“Carb loading is the practice of maximising glycogen stores (the glucose that fuels the muscles) before endurance exercise,” explains Aisling Pigott, registered dietitian and endurance runner.

“The longer you exercise for,