CHO's Days Before Competition

Question 1

What’s the reason for it?

Answer 1

Time to fatigue is directly related to pre-exercise glycogen stores.
Can we increase pre-exercise muscle glycogen stores?
Suitable for 1-off endurance events lasting several hours.

Question 2

Classic Supercompensation

Answer 2

1) Glycogen depleting exercise.
2) 3 days of high fat/high protein and low CHO (<10%) diet.
3) Glycogen depleting exercise.
4) 3 days of high CHO diet (>90%).
This is hard to do and maintain training (even if it they are easier training sessions).

Question 3

Rapid Phase Glycogen Synthesis

Answer 3

Muscle glucose transporters (GLUT 4) are most active 1 hour following exercise.
Insulin dependent GLUT 4 = insulin brings GLUT to cell surface.
Non-insulin dependent GLUT 4 = exercise brings GLUT to cell surface.
High glycogen synthase activity.

Question 4

Slow Phase Glycogen Synthesis

Answer 4

Glycogen synthase activity decreases.
Increased insulin sensitivity of muscle lasts for several hours after exercise.

Question 5

Issues with Classic Supercompensation

Answer 5

Hard to follow.
-meal preparation
-mood disturbances
-hypoglycemia during low CHO period
Can impact training.
-increase risk of injury (fatigue)
-Gastrointestinal distress
-poor exercise recovery without CHO

Question 6

Who needs supercompensation?

Answer 6

Marathon runners
Ultra-endurance athletes
Ironman triathletes

Question 7

Moderate Supercompensation

Answer 7

Gradual taper
3 days moderate CHO diet (50%)
3 days high CHO diet (70%)
Allows for more training during taper (better recovery), less discomfort (gastrointestinal distress), reduce risk of injury, and easier meal prep.