On carb loading

Carb loading isn't necessarily just a huge pasta dinner the night before. It can be smart to increase your carbohydrate intake in the days before the race, so you start with as much available energy as possible.

Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles and gives the muscle cells energy to do work, e.g. run. In endurance sports there is a direct link between the amount of muscle glycogen and performance. That applies both in sports that require holding a certain speed over time, and in sports with high intensity and shorter duration.

And, hey! Carbohydrates and full glycogen stores also bind more fluid, so the scales may go up a little. That doesn't mean the carb loading has «gone wrong».

I would rather start well fuelled, a few grams heavier and ready to perform, than as light as possible with a half-empty tank.