By Dr. Mark Lucas, D.C. “theMotoDoc”

Nutrition is the one component of the athlete’s lifestyle that is most overlooked.  I find it to be the last thing that people sit down and develop a plan about.  Everyone figures that if they eat a little bit of fish and veggies here and there, drink milk and take some vitamins they are eating healthy.  The truth couldn’t be further away.  The American diet is an atrocity to mankind.  Refined foods, bad food combinations and synthetic vitamins break down our digestive system, throw off our biochemistry, create inflammation and have a negative impact on our health and endurance.

There are a lot of ways to approach nutrition and because of this many people are confused about what is good and what is bad. For example, I find that most people when dieting will first cut fats out of their diet. It is a misconception that fat is bad for you. Fat in the body has many functions, the most important being that it is a reserve fuel source. In general it is best to eat very balanced as far as protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios, but, if you wanted to build muscle mass you could consider creating a high protein diet plan.  If you wanted to heal your internal organs you could create a detoxifying diet plan.  But as athletes, we need endurance and performance.  So a good plan to consider might be carbo-loading.

Carbo-loading is a great and wonderful tool if used the right way.  Now make sure you catch this point “it is a tool” not a way of life. The theory behind carbo-loading is simple.  By consuming or loading up on large amounts of carbohydrates and starches before a race you can give your muscles and liver larger fuel reserves of glycogen.  Typically these reserves are good for about 60 minutes.  Carbo-loading can help stretch these reserves to 75 minutes or longer. (Note: Glycogen is how your body packages and stores carbohydrates for use.)

Probably the single most important reason why motocrossers and off road racers should carbo-load is that it is a natural way of retaining water.  According to research nutritionist L. Lee Coyne, PhD, “Every gram of glycogen stored obligates 3 grams of water. If an athlete glycogen loads to a maximum level they can be carrying an additional 4 to 6 pounds of water at the beginning of performance.”  This natural way of hydrating comes in really handy at the end of that second (or fourth) moto or that 2-½ hour cross country race.

Getting started, you need to understand some basic facts about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are your muscles main source of fuel.  There are two types of carbohydrates: Simple: These include fruits, refined sugars and refined dairy products. Complex and Starches: These include grains, starchy vegetables and legumes (Beans and Peas). The best sources of carbohydrates are vegetables and fruits, the worst kind, though there are varying degrees, are refined sugars and processed foods.

For amateurs that are not training full time every day I find that the best way to get the benefit of carbo-loading is to go light on them during the beginning of the week.  Typically it would be best to consume less than fifty percent of your calories through carbohydrates during the 1st half of the week. This means the other 50% of calories are going to come from proteins and fats.  Eating more proteins during the early part of the week is good for a few reasons. A) Proteins are a better food source for healing and muscle rebuilding. B) Proteins help you maintain stable blood sugar levels. C) Backing off on the carbs allows glycogen levels in the muscles to get depleted a little bit which helps maintain a higher base metabolic rate (Your body converting fuel from storage to maintain itself = calories burned when doing nothing).

Here is an outline of a carbo-loading and training plan:

Monday- Tuesday: Recuperation day and light work out day. Hi protein and fat intake. Keep carbs around 30%, Keep fats around 30%.
Wednesday - Thursday:  Heavy training days. Balance protein and carb intake. Keep fats around 20%
Friday – Saturday: Light work out and rest days. Increase carbs to 70% and 80% of intake.
Sunday: Pre event meal of over 90% carbs.

In this plan the diet revolves around getting maximum advantage out of carbo-loading on the weekend.  Here is a little tip: Try to get in the habit of thinking about your fuel in a carb/protein/fat ratio i.e., 20/50/30, 40/40/20, 70/15/15, 80/10/10 etc.  Categorizing foods this way helps you focus on what is the priority from day to day.

Making things even more complicated there are different kinds of carbohydrates.  Some carbs, like refined sugar have a big impact on blood sugar levels.  Vegetable based carbs like those found in broccoli, kale, asparagus have a very small impact on blood sugar. Rating sources of carbohydrates on their impact to blood sugar is known as the glycemic index. The rule of thumb is that higher index carbs will raise the level of sugar in the blood faster and lower glycemic carbs will raise the level of sugar in the blood slower. Understanding the difference is important,  because your body’s needs are different through out the day depending on how active you are.  Another rule of thumb is that the faster your blood sugar goes up the faster it is going to go down.  For stable energy and endurance you want to maintain a healthy and stable blood sugar level through the day.

Probably the biggest mistake people make is that they over do high glycemic carbohydrates.  Carbo-loading every single day is not healthy.  It desensitizes your cells to insulin. Insulin is a chemical produced in your body that opens a door in the cell wall to let sugar (glycogen) into the cell.  Unnaturally high levels of insulin for long periods of time will begin to have the opposite effect. Another problem is that long term over consumption of carbohydrates weakens your glandular system and lowers your body’s ability to function in a balanced state.  Simple sugar is the most common thing that people tend to over do. Most performance drinks and supplements contain simple sugars, as do breads and processed foods.

The signs of over doing sugar are simple.  1. Do you find yourself relying on sports drinks every time you exercise?  2. Do you get headaches in the afternoon or during exercise?  3. Do you wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep?  4. Do you “hit the wall” or “bonk out” during competition?  5. Do you snack on candies or chocolate or feel the need for coffee in the afternoon?   6. When hungry, is the first food you usually grab for a form of sugar?

If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions you are over doing carbohydrates. The immediate change you should make is to start drinking more water.  Save the energy drinks and power bars for strenuous workouts and race day.  The next thing you should do is take a good look at your diet and consider some changes.

The carbo-load is meant to be used as a tool, not a life style.  People who have problems maintaining blood sugar levels may get opposite results from the carbo-load.  If you have any doubts or concerns whether carbo-loading is right for you consult with a nutritionist or a doctor of chiropractic that practices nutrition.  There are many ways to evaluate your health and these practitioners are very knowledgeable.

Good luck and see you out at the track!!

Copywrite 2005 Dr. Mark Lucas, D.C.