ABSTRACT
Proper nutrition is critical for optimal physical performance. A person's diet must contain adequate amounts of various nutrients which are used to regenerate bodily tissue and provide fuel for many processes, particularly muscular exercise. Carbohydrate is the most important nutrient in an athlete's diet because it is the only fuel that can power intense exercise for prolonged periods, yet its stores within the body are relatively small. Athletes are frequently undernourished with respect to carbohydrate and therefore their training and performance suffer (Costill et al., 1988). The purpose of this chapter is to discuss methods for increasing carbohydrate intake to speed recovery from heavy training and to improve performance during competition. The conditions which require carbohydrate supplementation, the critical timing of supplementation, as well as the amount and type of carbohydrate that is best will be discussed. The various regimes of carbohydrate intake should be judged by how well they allow the athlete to exercise intensely during the latter stages of exercise when success hangs in the balance and carbohydrate stores are often limiting. As such, these guidelines apply mostly to athletes who frequently train intensely and often experience muscle glycogen depletion, sometimes on a daily basis. However, these recommendations can also apply to the average person, who for a brief period may participate in strenuous activities. They too may benefit by dietary carbohydrate supplementation for the same reason that athletes benefit.
