Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 59, June 2014 | Page 19

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the LONG DISTANCE carb-oh-so-good
When it comes to carbo-loading
for major mileage, potatoes
are our BEST RUNNING
BUDDIES. And if you’re an
endurance athlete and
‘hitting the wall’ is a recurring
problem, then listen up: Proper
fueling before your marathon
can be the difference between
success and failure.

O

ur bodies store carbohydrates as glycogen
in the muscles and liver, but the problem is
that our storage capacity is limited. In fact, we
can only store sufficient glycogen to sustain
90 minutes of exercise, which, if you’re a
Comrades runner, will get you past Polly Shortts
but leave you with many long hours of gruelling
N3 still to conquer!
The good news is that our bodies are
adaptable. By increasing your carbohydrate
intake two days before the race, you can
actually increase the glycogen storage capacity
of your muscles and improve your performance
in the long run.
And did you know that the potato is nature’s
own legit performance-enhancer? Readily
available, quick and easy to prepare, affordable
and tasty to boot, potatoes are a truly groundbreaking (of course, you knew they grow down
in the soil!) source of carbohydrate, naturally
low in sodium and naturally fat-free. How good
is that?

CLEVER CARBS

But let’s get back to our carbo-loading
preparation for the big event. We’re not talking
pasta mountains or kitchen experiments here.
Carbo-loading isn’t about increasing volumes

or amping up the kilojoules, it’s about
making clever choices. The trick, according
to dietician Leigh Ann Silber, is to graze on
three meals a day with two to three snacks
in between, each of which should contain
at least one to two portions of complex
carbohydrates on the plate.
She’s a strong advocate of potatoes as a
nutritional essential, saying the versatile
veggie should always be on the menu – even
when athletes aren’t carbo-loading – because
they not only power up performance, but
also aid recovery.
When athletes are carbo-loading, Silber’s
advice is to eat the largest and most carbrich meal at lunchtime on the day before

the race. “Two portions of baked potato,
with skins on, topped with stir-fry chicken
and veggies with a cup of canned sweetcorn
and a 250ml sports drink followed by an
afternoon snack of 150g to 300g roasted
potato wedges with a guacamole dip and
another sports drink is a great way to build
your reserves for the big day,” she says.

So if you’re training hard
and looking to fuel up for
the big race, why not get
some potatoes on your plate?
They’re your best friend, from
‘starch’ to finish!

Potatoes South Africa – www.potatoes.co.za or Facebook: PotatoNation
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