Carb Loading

[MamaMayhem]

Hi all! This is my second time doing a whole30. The first time I prepared poorly, and only made it to day 19 before I dropped out. This time around I'm in it for the long haul, and have a great support system. I searched the following question, but didn't see anything, so forgive me if it's already been asked.

 

Ok, but enough of all that. I play roller derby (in case that wasn't blaringly obvious per my sig ), and we have our yearly WFTDA testing on Tuesday, which is more difficult than running a marathon acording to our running derby girls. We all usually start to carb load a couple days before to max our glycogen levels in our muscles. This would usually include lots of rice (gasp!), bread (oh no!), and pasta (the horror!). Obviously all of that is out of the question. 

 

Any ideas on how I can properly carb load for my testing without veering from whole30?

 

Thanks!

 

[Tom Denham]

Eat plenty of sweet potatoes (I like mine baked 90 minutes in a 350 degree oven), butternut squash, and plantains. Basically, starchy veggies will supply the oomph you need from food. 

[Jenn B]

I second the sweet potatoes! When I have an endurance day and eat sweet potatoes the night before, I have noticed a marked difference in my energy and recovery from before doing the whole30, to doing that (the sweet potato route) while eating whole30- and I was beyond my 30 days into months. Depending on how far along you are in your 30 days, you may have converted from being a carb burner to a fat burner, and I found being a fat burner is much more efficient (like I just feel better, in the sport, recovery...) It took my body beyond the 30 days though to adjust and for my brain to understand what my body was going through.

[sciencemonster]

I second the sweet potatoes! When I have an endurance day and eat sweet potatoes the night before, I have noticed a marked difference in my energy and recovery from before doing the whole30, to doing that (the sweet potato route) while eating whole30- and I was beyond my 30 days into months. Depending on how far along you are in your 30 days, you may have converted from being a carb burner to a fat burner, and I found being a fat burner is much more efficient (like I just feel better, in the sport, recovery...) It took my body beyond the 30 days though to adjust and for my brain to understand what my body was going through.

This is really interesting. Once your body switched over to being a fat burner, do you still carb load at all?

[Jenn B]

I am not sure when the transition took place. In the first few months of W30 as my body adjusted some workouts were such a struggle, others were great, I started sweating differently, different heart rate. There was no rhyme or rhythm and I was all over the map. On the long bike rides this year I definitely noticed when I was done, I was not tired, I was raring to go (whereas prior to W30, I had to sit, eat food with salt and was light headed). Do I "carb load"? No. Am I conscious to make sure I am eating sweat potato throughout the day, yes. I am in recovery and don't do anything extreme these days. Sweet pototatos, even when not working out, and eaten in medium portions with 1-2 meals a day give me a better feeling on a normal day.  I cannot wait to get back into triathlons and see how the new way of eating serves me in an event. Not sure if I will carb load, probably would up the squashes and sweet p.

[jennor]

I was whole30 compliant up to my last marathon and felt great during all my training runs. For my 20 milers I'd bring a few dates and water and I did not always eat the dates. Recovery was good too. I used starch veg like sweet potatoes to carbo load and found that to work fine. Have you planned for your fuelling during the event also?

 

I went into my last marathon planning on staying compliant during the race and only brought dates and a salt package to the start. By half way through I just wanted to crawl up by the side of the road. Luckily they handed out sports beans at a few of the fluid stations and that ended up being my saving grace. I ended up having a strong race despite the heat and the date fiasco. To me, training and carb loading on whole30 works brilliantly, but when it comes to the race itself, easily absorbed glucose is my friend. For my next race I plan on training on whole30 food, but I'll bring gels to the race. For long, high intensity races that just worked better for me.

 

If the event you are loading for is very high intensity (and long duration), you might find that you burn more glycogen then expected and that it is difficult fuel (digest and absorb) only fruit and whole foods during the race/game.

[crystal511]

I lift weights 5-6 days a week and do 30 mins cardio as well on 2 of those days. I sometimes feel low energy on my big muscle lifting days example legs day. How do you properly carb load? Or should I just always eat sweet potatoes with every meal every day?