carbohydrate loading

4.2

To eat more foods like bread, pasta or rice before long exercise to increase energy

noun
/ˈkɑːrboʊhaɪˌdreɪt ˈloʊdɪŋ/

: carga de carbohidratos

Is carbohydrate loading really effective for improving performance?

Examples

Many marathon runners practice carbohydrate loading during the week before a race.
Coaches often advise carbohydrate loading the week before a long-distance event to improve performance.
Proper carbohydrate loading can improve endurance performance in long-distance cycling events.
Some athletes mistakenly think carbohydrate loading means overeating in general, rather than increasing carb intake.
Athletes often engage in carbohydrate loading before a marathon.
Before running a marathon, many athletes focus on carbohydrate loading to maximize their energy levels.
She prepared for her triathlon by carbohydrate loading, ensuring her body had enough fuel for the tough race ahead.

Synonyms

carbo loading

vscarbohydrate loading

1 4.1

Eating a lot of starchy foods before a long race to increase energy stored in muscles

aims to raise overall energy reserves by eating more starchy foods before endurance exercise

Surface Forms

carbohydrate loading singular

carbohydrate loadings plural

Morphology

carbohydrate + loading

The phrase is compositionally built from 'carbohydrate' (a nutrient) and 'loading' (the action of putting on), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly guess it involves putting carbohydrates into the body. However, the specific conventionalized sports practice (timing, purpose to increase glycogen for endurance) is domain-specific and not fully predictable from the literal senses, so it requires some prior exposure or background knowledge.

Etymology

Carbohydrate loading comes from the image of 'filling a fuel tank' before a long journey: athletes eat a lot of carbohydrate so their muscles store extra sugar to use later. That's why carbohydrate loading means 'eating extra carbs before long exercise' to have more energy.