Should I Carb Load Before a Tournament?

January 4, 2026 •

4 min read

Research suggests that for endurance events lasting over 90 minutes, carbohydrate loading can boost glycogen stores by 20-50%, significantly improving athletic performance and delaying fatigue. However, whether this strategy is necessary or beneficial for your specific tournament depends entirely on the event's duration, intensity, and your particular sport.

Quick Summary

Carb loading is a nutritional strategy for endurance athletes that increases muscle glycogen stores before prolonged events. It improves performance and delays fatigue, but is most beneficial for activities lasting over 90 minutes. For shorter duration or less intense sports, a balanced daily diet is often sufficient, and improper loading can cause digestive issues.

Key Points

Duration Matters: Carb loading is most beneficial for endurance events lasting longer than 90 minutes, like marathons or triathlons.
Modern Method: Contemporary carb loading involves a high-carb phase of 1-3 days with a training taper, not the older depletion method.
Food Selection: Choose low-fiber, easily digestible carbohydrate sources like white pasta, rice, and fruit juice to avoid digestive upset on race day.
Risk Factors: Improper carb loading can cause bloating, digestive issues, and temporary weight gain due to water retention.
Sports-Specific: For short-duration sports or tournaments, a standard balanced diet with a performance-focused pre-game meal is usually sufficient.
Test in Training: Always test your carb loading strategy during a training run or practice to see how your body responds before the actual tournament.
Balance Macros: To accommodate extra carbs without excess calories, reduce fat intake during the carb loading period.

Understanding the 'Why' of Carb Loading

Carbohydrates are your body's primary and most efficient energy source for high-intensity exercise. They are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. During a prolonged or intense athletic event, your body taps into these glycogen reserves for fuel. The infamous 'wall' that many marathon runners experience is the direct result of depleted glycogen stores. Carb loading is a strategy designed to super-saturate these glycogen tanks, providing a larger fuel reserve for the competition.

The 'How' to Carb Load Correctly

Proper carb loading is more nuanced than just eating a massive bowl of pasta the night before. Modern protocols typically involve increasing carbohydrate intake to 10-12 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for 1-3 days leading up to the event, while simultaneously tapering training intensity and volume. This adjustment ensures that carbs are stored rather than burned off.

Key aspects of proper carb loading include:

Timing: Start the high-carb phase 24-48 hours before the event. The older, multi-day depletion-and-load method is no longer considered necessary for most athletes.
Food Choices: Focus on easily digestible, lower-fiber carbohydrate sources. Options like white rice, white pasta, low-fiber cereals, potatoes without skin, and fruit juices are ideal. This reduces the risk of gastrointestinal issues on race day.
Reduce Other Macros: To make room for the increased carbohydrate intake without over-consuming calories, you should temporarily decrease your intake of fats and protein. This is about rebalancing your macros, not just eating more.
Stay Hydrated: Glycogen stores water along with it (roughly 3g of water per gram of glycogen), so adequate hydration is crucial during the loading phase.

Is Carb Loading Necessary for Your Sport?

The answer is not a simple 'yes' or 'no.' It depends on the demands of your specific athletic endeavor. The primary factor is the duration and intensity of the tournament or event.

Endurance Events (Over 90 minutes): For activities like marathons, triathlons, or long-distance cycling, carb loading is highly recommended. The prolonged, high-intensity nature of these sports makes it likely that glycogen stores will be exhausted, and a full tank provides a significant performance advantage.
Intermittent Sports: Team sports like soccer, basketball, or rugby involve bursts of high-intensity activity with shorter recovery periods. While a multi-day carb load isn't necessary, ensuring your glycogen stores are topped off with a high-carb meal 24 hours before and a carb-rich breakfast on game day is beneficial.
Shorter Duration/Lower Intensity: For events under 60-90 minutes, such as a 5K race or a weightlifting competition, your body's normal glycogen reserves are likely sufficient. A healthy, carbohydrate-rich diet in the days leading up to the event and a proper pre-competition meal will be enough to fuel you. Carb loading unnecessarily for these events can lead to undesirable weight gain and digestive issues.

Risks and Mistakes of Carb Loading

Improper carb loading can be detrimental to performance. Common pitfalls include:

Digestive Discomfort: Over-consuming high-fiber or high-fat foods can lead to bloating, gas, and stomach cramps, especially under the stress of competition.
Unnecessary Weight Gain: The associated water retention from increased glycogen stores can lead to a temporary weight gain of 1-2 kilograms. While often beneficial for endurance athletes, it can be a mental burden or even a performance hindrance in sports where power-to-weight ratio is critical.
Poor Food Choices: Eating high-sugar junk foods instead of nutrient-dense, lower-fiber carb sources can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, which is the opposite of the sustained energy goal.

Carb Loading vs. Standard Nutrition Plan


Feature	Carb Loading	Standard Nutrition Plan
Primary Goal	Maximise muscle and liver glycogen for a specific event.	Provide consistent fuel and nutrients for daily training and recovery.
Target Audience	Primarily endurance athletes or those in prolonged, high-intensity tournaments (>90 min).	Athletes of all types and recreational exercisers.
Timing	1-3 days leading up to a key event, in conjunction with a training taper.	Continuous, daily nutritional practice.
Macronutrient Focus	Emphasis on high-carb, low-fiber, and lower-fat foods.	Balanced intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Fluid Intake	Increased fluid intake is necessary due to water binding with glycogen.	Consistent, daily hydration is important.
Primary Risk	Digestive issues, temporary weight gain if done incorrectly or unnecessarily.	Insufficient energy stores if daily intake isn't adequate.

Conclusion: Making the Right Decision

Deciding whether to carb load before a tournament requires a strategic assessment of your sport's demands. For long-duration, high-intensity endurance events, it is a scientifically-proven strategy to boost your performance and delay fatigue. For shorter, less-intense tournaments, focusing on a healthy, balanced daily diet with a sensible pre-competition meal is the more appropriate and effective approach. The key is to practice your fueling strategy during training, never try a new diet on race day, and listen to your body's individual needs. Consult a sports dietitian for a personalized plan to optimize your nutrition for peak performance.

For additional resources on optimizing athletic nutrition, consider resources like the Gatorade Sports Science Institute's article on dietary carbohydrate guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Carb loading is a nutritional strategy used by endurance athletes to maximize the amount of glycogen, or stored carbohydrates, in their muscles and liver before a long-duration event.

Carb loading is recommended for endurance athletes competing in high-intensity events lasting over 90 minutes. It is generally not necessary for shorter-duration sports or lower-intensity activities.

The ideal window for modern carb loading is typically 1 to 3 days before your event. This timeframe allows you to increase glycogen stores without requiring a strenuous, multi-day depletion phase.

Focus on low-fiber, easily digestible carbohydrates such as white pasta, white rice, bagels, potatoes (without skin), and low-fiber cereals. Fruit juice can also help boost carb intake without adding bulk.

Yes, temporary weight gain (1-2 kg) is normal during carb loading because each gram of stored glycogen binds with several grams of water. This water is necessary and will be used during the competition.

It is generally better to opt for refined grains during the 1-3 day carb loading period. The high fiber content in whole grains can cause digestive distress during competition when consumed in large quantities.

Common mistakes include loading when not necessary, consuming too much fiber or fat, failing to reduce exercise volume, and relying on high-sugar junk food. You should also never experiment with a new carb loading strategy on competition day.

Yes, you should continue to consume adequate protein (typically 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg/day for endurance athletes) to prevent muscle protein breakdown, but prioritize lean sources to keep fat intake low.

No, modern carb loading protocols have shown that the initial depletion phase, which involved low-carb eating and intense exercise, is not necessary to effectively increase glycogen stores.