The practice of carbohydrate loading among endurance athletes has been studied extensively. It turns out that though the practice may be effective, the "severity" of it may not be necessary. In fact, a modified process has been developed that reduces the depletion phase and basically emphasizes the combination of exercise tapering and carbohydrate-rich meals in the days prior to competition in order to maximize storage. I believe that the importance of carbohydrate-rich foods after competition or training runs has often been overlooked. Speaking from my own experience of being a competitive runner for almost 12 years, I can say that replacing the fuel used during a run has been one key to my recovery.

After a running session, the enzyme in your body that facilitates the conversion of exogenous glucose into the storage form of glucose - glycogen - is at its highest level. Glycogen is a very important fuel for your working muscles during endurance events. Unfortunately, your body has a very limited glycogen storage capacity, which is what limits us when competing in endurance events. It is important to maximize this storage capacity.

It would be in your best interest to take advantage of the fact that the enzyme responsible for building up glycogen storage is elevated post-exercise, and give this enzyme some glucose to act on. The enzyme is called glycogen synthetase and is elevated to it's highest levels within approximately 2 hours after the run. However, it continues to remain above normal levels even 24 hours after the run. Particularly after a tough, lengthy workout, or after a weekly long run, I would encourage you to bring along carbohydrate-rich foods to eat or drink immediately afterwards. At the time, you may not feel like you need it, although I'm sure it's safe to say that many of us have experienced a "drained" feeling after a workout or long run, but physiologically your body has used up much of it's storage form of energy and is "starving" for more.

By making it a habit to re-fuel your body, you are helping to optimize your capacity to store glycogen. This in turn will delay your time to fatigue next time you are out for a long run or competing for your next victory.

Companies like Gatorade or PowerBar know this science and have designed products just for us! These high energy products are designed to give us the fuel we need to maintain our energy stores during an event or to replace them afterwards. You may take advantage of these products if you find some that you enjoy. If not, there are plenty of foods that can accomplish the goal.

Some good ideas for carbohydrate-rich foods (in addition to sports drinks or sports bars) include ripe fruits, white or wheat bread, bagels, yogurt, orange juice, pudding, cereals, oatmeal, breakfast bars, or milkshakes. Make your goal to consume approximately 0.5 g of carbohydrates for every pound of your body weight within the first half hour after your run. Continue to consume high carbohydrate meals throughout the day because it takes at least a full day to fully replenish your glycogen stores.

Good luck to my running friends in my dear home town of Oak Ridge. Take this information and run with it.