What you need to know about the pre-event pasta party.
Women perform best when they’re well-fueled. Anyone who follows me here is clear on that. Women should prioritize protein to make and maintain our muscles. We also need carbs, of course, to fuel our exercise, training, and competition. But what about “carb-loading”?
Carb loading—the practice of “topping off” your muscle, blood, and liver glycogen (carbohydrate) stores by consuming high amounts of carbs in the days leading up to a big event—was developed in 1967 by Swedish scientist Gunvar Ahlborg, who discovered a positive correlation between the amount of glycogen in the body and endurance performance. He conducted a series of experiments showing that by intentionally depleting glycogen over a series of days and then loading up on carbs, athletes could experience “glycogen supercompensation” and increase their endurance.
