Share with another athlete
Carb Loading Isn't Just Pasta The Night Before: The Science of Fuelling Training Properly
Why Your Performance Is Built Long Before Race Day
When athletes hear the phrase “carb loading”, many people imagine one thing:
A huge bowl of pasta the night before a race, match or event.
But eating pasta for dinner does not automatically mean you have “carb loaded”.
It is simply a carbohydrate-rich meal.
True carbohydrate loading is a specific nutrition strategy designed to maximise muscle glycogen stores before competition. It usually involves increasing carbohydrate intake over several days while reducing training volume through tapering.
But here is the part many athletes miss:
Your biggest performance gains do not come from one meal the night before.
They come from consistently fuelling the training that creates the performance.
The race is the result.
The training is where the adaptation happens.
Training Is The Work. Fuel Is The Support System.
Every time you train, your body is asked to do something demanding.
You are creating stress that your body then adapts to.
Training creates the stimulus.
Nutrition provides the resources.
Recovery allows the adaptation.
This process requires energy.
Your body needs energy to:
-
Complete training sessions
-
Repair muscle tissue
-
Adapt to exercise
-
Support hormones
-
Maintain immune function
-
Protect bone health
-
Recover between sessions
Without enough energy available, your body cannot fully respond to the training you are doing.
The Role of Carbohydrates in Sport
Carbohydrates are one of the most important fuels for high-intensity exercise.
When you eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose.
Some glucose is used immediately for energy.
The rest is stored as glycogen in your:
-
Muscles
-
Liver
Muscle glycogen acts as a readily available fuel source during exercise.
This is especially important for sports involving repeated high-intensity efforts:
-
Football
-
Rugby
-
Hockey
-
Running
-
Cycling
-
Triathlon
-
HYROX
-
CrossFit
-
Team sports
During football, for example, players are not simply jogging for 90 minutes.
They are repeatedly:
-
Sprinting
-
Accelerating
-
Changing direction
-
Pressing
-
Tackling
-
Jumping
-
Making decisions under fatigue
These efforts rely heavily on carbohydrate availability.
Low Carbohydrate Availability: When Training Becomes Harder Than It Needs To Be
Many athletes unintentionally underfuel their training.
They may:
-
Reduce carbohydrates because they think they are "bad"
-
Skip snacks around sessions
-
Train early without eating
-
Prioritise protein while forgetting carbs
-
Wait until competition to focus on nutrition
The result?
They may be completing the session, but not necessarily getting the full benefit.
Signs of low carbohydrate availability can include:
-
Feeling flat during training
-
Struggling with intensity
-
Poor sprint performance
-
Increased perceived effort
-
Longer recovery
-
Feeling exhausted after normal sessions
A session completed does not always mean a session was optimised.
The Difference Between Surviving Training and Adapting To Training
Imagine two athletes completing the same workout.
Athlete One:
Arrives fuelled.
They can:
-
Hit the planned intensity
-
Complete quality repetitions
-
Recover afterwards
-
Adapt positively
Athlete Two:
Arrives underfuelled.
They may:
-
Struggle to maintain intensity
-
Feel unusually fatigued
-
Need longer recovery
-
Miss the intended training stimulus
Both athletes completed the workout.
But the training effect may not be the same.
Fuel influences the quality of the work you can produce.
Carbohydrate Fuelling Should Follow Your Training
Your carbohydrate needs are not identical every day.
They should reflect your training load.
Think of your carbohydrate intake as a moving line that follows your training.
Not:
Low carbohydrate all week → huge pasta meal → race day
Instead:
Consistent fuelling → quality training → recovery → adaptation → performance
A lighter recovery day requires less fuel than:
-
A long run
-
A hard football session
-
A double training day
-
A high-volume training block
The goal is not simply eating more.
The goal is eating enough for what you are asking your body to do.
Why Carbohydrate Loading Exists
Carbohydrate loading became popular because researchers found that increasing carbohydrate intake before endurance events could increase muscle glycogen stores.
More stored glycogen means more available fuel during prolonged exercise.
However, carbohydrate loading is most useful when:
-
The event is long enough to significantly challenge glycogen stores
-
Training volume is reduced before competition
-
The athlete has already built a strong fuelling foundation
Carbohydrate loading does not fix weeks of underfuelling.
A single pasta dinner cannot replace consistent nutrition.
The Night Before: Preparation, Not Rescue
The night before competition still matters.
But it is not magic.
A good pre-event meal should be:
High in carbohydrates.
Familiar.
Easy to digest.
Something you have practised before.
Examples:
-
Rice-based meals
-
Pasta dishes
-
Potato-based meals
The purpose is to support your preparation.
Not rescue it.
Practising Fuelling Is Part of Training
Your muscles adapt to training.
Your skills adapt to training.
Your nutrition strategy should too.
Your gut is also trainable.
Athletes should practise:
-
What foods work best
-
How much carbohydrate they tolerate
-
Timing before sessions
-
What products feel comfortable
Competition day should not be the first time you try your nutrition plan.
Your fuel strategy should feel as familiar as your kit, shoes or warm-up routine.
Underfuelling, Low Energy Availability and RED-S
One of the biggest issues in modern sport is athletes training hard without providing enough energy.
This is known as Low Energy Availability (LEA).
Energy availability describes how much energy remains for normal body functions after exercise demands have been accounted for.
A simplified explanation:
Energy intake – exercise energy expenditure = energy available for the body
If this balance stays too low over time, the body has fewer resources available for essential functions.
This can contribute to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).
RED-S can affect:
-
Performance
-
Recovery
-
Hormonal health
-
Bone health
-
Immune function
-
Metabolism
-
Psychological wellbeing
RED-S Is Not Just An Elite Athlete Problem
RED-S can affect athletes across all levels.
It is not only caused by extreme training.
It can happen when someone is:
-
Training more but eating the same
-
Increasing mileage without increasing fuel
-
Playing multiple sports
-
Combining sport with a busy lifestyle
-
Avoiding carbohydrates
-
Prioritising protein while neglecting total energy intake
Footballers, runners, cyclists, gym athletes and recreational athletes can all experience underfuelling.
Common Signs You May Need To Look At Your Fuelling
Everyone has tired days.
But ongoing patterns may suggest your body needs more support.
Possible signs include:
-
Training feeling harder than usual
-
Reduced performance
-
Slow recovery
-
Frequent illness
-
Persistent fatigue
-
Increased injury issues
-
Mood changes
-
Feeling cold
-
Losing enjoyment in training
Your body is constantly giving feedback.
Learning to listen is part of becoming a better athlete.
RED-Scue: Carbohydrate-First Fuelling For Real Training
RED-Scue was created because many athletes know carbohydrates matter — but struggle to find fuelling that works for them.
Traditional sports nutrition can feel:
-
Too processed
-
Difficult to tolerate
-
Confusing
-
Unenjoyable
RED-Scue uses cassava and plantain as the foundation of its carbohydrate-first fuel.
These traditional carbohydrate sources provide:
-
Accessible energy
-
Plant-based carbohydrate diversity
-
A real-food alternative to typical sports products
RED-Scue is designed to support:
Before training:
Helping you arrive fuelled.
During busy training blocks:
Helping you maintain consistent carbohydrate intake.
Before competition:
Helping you practise your fuelling routine.
After training:
Supporting recovery alongside a balanced diet.
The Biggest Performance Upgrade?
It is not the pasta the night before.
It is the thousands of small fuelling decisions that happen before then.
The breakfast before training.
The carbohydrate before your hard session.
The recovery after your workout.
The preparation throughout your training block.
Because better performance is not created on race day.
It is created by fuelling the sessions that get you there.
