How long doe sit take to fully load your Glycogen levels to 100% for a marathon.

Doing the London Marathon next week and ive been on a strict low carb diet whilst training to lose 2.5 stone, I feel great and look so much better  and my times have improved a lot, but now its marathon time I want to make sure im fully fueled up and my glycogen levels are topped up to the max, usually in training ive had some pasta night before the long run but for the marathon ill be rested and ready so when should I start fueling up correctly as I cant keep on my diet the week before I understand that and basically ive been jaded and runnng on depleted energy stores for the last 4 months so now is the time to get ready.

Thanks

Comments

  • Last week's www.marathontalk.com podcast had an article on tapering and fuelling before a marathon.
  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    A bit late now but I wouldn't have recommended a strict low carb diet whilst marathon training. But since you've made it this far without keeling over, I'd get back on to sensible eating asap and work out your carb loading strategy.  I usually start on Friday afternoon after a final easy run with an extra pig-out before Friday evening meal, some extra carby snacks Friday evening and Saturday morning, good breakfast and a large carb-rich lunch on Saturday.  After that I would eat normally Saturday evening/Sunday morning - assuming you're not doing any further exertion before the race, your glycogen levels will remain topped up through to Sunday morning.
  • It was hard, feeling jaded all he time but it worked. So now Im back on carbs.
  • Grendel3Grendel3 ✭✭✭

    If you are going to do the deplete and load thing - you need to stop eating carbs after your last long run sunday to deplete your reserves - and then start the carbo loading phase on Thursday - you will feel pretty low next week during the depletion phase - but in my marathon running days it worked for me

  • Really? How does this work then, id have thought fueling up would be from now really.
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