Carb-load planner.
Personalised 72-hour carbohydrate-loading plan with Indian food examples. Enter your race date, body weight, race distance and regional / dietary preference. Get a day-by-day meal template with target gram totals and race-morning execution.
Carb load science
Carbohydrate loading boosts muscle glycogen stores 1.5–2x baseline, extending endurance at race pace. The IOC / Burke 2019 protocol prescribes 8–12 g carb / kg body weight in the 36–48 hours pre-race. A 70 kg marathoner needs 560–840 g carbs daily during the load phase — substantial volume that shifts a normal Indian diet upward.
Why Indian foods work well for carb loading
South Indian breakfast (idli, dosa, upma, pongal) is naturally 70–80% carb. North Indian staples (chapati, rice, dal-rice, khichdi) hit 60–75% carb. Sweet snacks (poha, banana, dates, fruit smoothies) layer on calories without GI distress. Reduce fibre in the final 24–36 hours — white rice over brown, plain idli over multi-grain.
Race morning
1–3 g carb / kg body weight, 2–4 hours pre-race. For a 70 kg runner: 70–210g of easily-digested carb. Idli + jam, oatmeal + banana, white toast + honey are reliable. Avoid spice, fried foods and anything novel. Hydrate 500–700 mL with 200–400 mg sodium.
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