What you may or may not have heard of before is carbohydrate back-loading which is a technique that
is most popular in the world of weightlifters and bodybuilders. Carb
back-loading piqued my interest after reading Pam Smith’s account on how she
was able to win the 2013 Western States 100 mile endurance run. Pam wasn't
about to give up her “carboholic” lifestyle and instead worked with a fitness
professional to find an eating style that provided her with metabolic benefits,
yet also fit her lifestyle.
Carb back-loading is a form of intermittent fasting. You eat little to no
carbs during the morning and early afternoon hours until after a late afternoon
workout when you have free carbohydrate reign. Carb intake then continues for
the rest of the day. The concept behind this regimen plays to the daily rise
and fall of insulin sensitivity in muscle and fat cells and the
exercise-induced increase in insulin sensitivity in muscle cells. The theory posits
that carbohydrates should be consumed at a time (after exercise) when it is
used for glycogen storage gains in the muscle cells rather than for fat storage
in fat cells. By depleting glycogen stores early in the day, you increase
insulin sensitivity in the muscle cells so that when you do eat carbs, they are
transported to muscle cells rather than fat cells.
This post is not a judgment of this dietary pattern; it is simply meant
to bring awareness to readers of a style of eating that may pick up in
popularity (especially if Pam wins again this weekend!) There are only a
handful of studies looking at the effects of carb back-loading with most “facts”
coming from anecdotal evidence. As with any
diet, don’t be afraid to be a skeptic, do some research and ask questions. Keep
an open mind. Nutrition is a science, but one with no explicit scientific
answer. So we keep experimenting, keep questioning and keep testifying.
What is your experience with carb back-loading? Have you dabbled in
carb back-loading or know of someone who has benefited from this pattern of
eating?