Title: Carbohydrate and Endurance Sports

Objective: To apply knowledge of carbohydrate metabolism to endurance sports

As Confucius once said: "I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand."

Gaining knowledge is the first step of learning, but it is taking this information and applying it that shows mastery. This Learning Activity will help you make the bridge of knowledge to application.

We read and hear so much about carbohydrates. For example, in the last month or so, how many times have you heard: carbs are bad, there are good carbs and bad carbs, or don't eat potatoes because they are loaded with carbohydrates. This class, however, will prove these statements wrong. After all, the majority of the foods created by God were laden with carbohydrates. For avid endurance athletes, carbohydrates are the main energy source. Your goal, based upon the given scenario, is to create appropriate dietary guidelines that will increase available energy for this athlete. Responses are to be scientifically sound, based upon current literature, and cited when appropriate.

Scenario: The athlete is a 28-year old male wanting to run marathons. He is in good health. He has been running 5K and 10K races for the past two years but is afraid of "hitting the wall" or experiencing some other exhaustive phenomenon.

Include the following issues in your response:

• The physiological response of carbohydrate loading in sports.
• The process of carbohydrate loading.
• The advantages and disadvantages of various carbohydrate loading techniques.
• The timing, amount, and listing of appropriate food sources for carbohydrate loading.
• In other words, explain the why, how, when, and what of carbohydrate loading.

The required length of this Learning Activity is 500-600 words, and should include a minimum of 2 sources. If appropriate, information may be bulleted. Formatting should be consistent with the AMA style guide.