Carbohydrate Supercompensation: How Does It Affect Running Performance?

Capitalizing on hours of training and giving your best is what every runner wants on race day. We believe you do too! And in that case, you might be interested in a strategy that has gained popularity among athletes—it is called carbohydrate supercompensation. This nutritional technique consists of manipulating carbohydrate intake. How can it help you, how should you approach it, and does it have any risks? Read on to find out!

What Are Carbohydrates, Really?

Carbohydrates are one of the three essential macronutrients that you get into your body through food. The other two are called proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Within this topic, we will be most interested in two specific types of carbohydrates, namely glucose (a monosaccharide) and glycogen (a polysaccharide)—both affect your energy.

Glucose: The most widespread monosaccharide in the human body, which is found in the blood. From the prefix "mono," it can be deduced that it is a basic carbohydrate that can no longer be further divided and is the basic building block of all more complex carbohydrates (poly and oligo). It has a high glycemic index and belongs among one of the fastest absorbing sugars, which is why it is the most suitable source of short-term energy. Examples of foods where glucose is found: energy gels, fruit, sugary sodas, honey.
Glycogen: The most widespread polysaccharide in the human body, occurring in muscles and the liver. It consists of several connected glucose molecules. What does this mean in practice? The topic of glycogen is very extensive, but in short it can be described like this: As soon as you ingest a carbohydrate, the body digests it and glucose—the simplest carbohydrate—travels into the blood and acts there as a source of short-term energy, as mentioned above. Compared to glucose, glycogen has one major advantage. It can be "stored" in the muscles, or liver, and if necessary, converted back into glucose, i.e., energy. Muscle glycogen thus works as an energy store for endurance activities. The amount of glycogen the body can store depends on several factors—on the amount of muscle, endurance, or diet.

And it is precisely the diet part that we will look at in this article!

What Does Carbohydrate Supercompensation Mean?

Under the phrase carbohydrate supercompensation, one can imagine a dietary approach aimed at maximizing glycogen stores in muscles and the liver. As we said above, glycogen serves as the primary fuel source for endurance activities, including running. By increasing glycogen stores above normal levels, runners and other athletes aim to extend their endurance and delay the onset of fatigue during a running race.

carbohydrate_supercompensation_for_runners

How Does Carbohydrate Supercompensation Affect Performance?

Carbohydrate supercompensation offers several potential benefits that can significantly impact your performance:

Extension of Endurance: Increased glycogen stores provide a larger supply of readily available energy. This allows you to last during intense running for a longer period of time.
Delaying Fatigue: Thanks to plenty of glycogen, the body can rely on this energy source longer before resorting to breaking down fats, which are a less efficient fuel for high-intensity exercise.
Better Recovery: If you focus on replenishing glycogen stores even after performance, you will speed up the recovery process. Tired muscles will get energy to recover!

Does Carbohydrate Supercompensation Have Any Downsides?

Although carbohydrate supercompensation brings certain performance benefits, it is necessary to approach it with caution and consider possible risks. These include:

Individuality of Each Runner: Every runner has a unique carbohydrate metabolism and requirements. What works well for your friend may not yield the same results for you. Experiment, try, listen to your body, and if necessary, consult a specialist—empirical experience is the road to success!
Digestive Issues: Consuming large amounts of carbohydrates in a short period sometimes leads to digestive trouble, bloating, or even diarrhea for some people. And that is the last thing you want to deal with during a race!
Weight Gain Due to Water Retention: As part of supercompensation, you will consume a large amount of calories from carbohydrates. These bind water to themselves and your weight may jump higher. But don't worry, it is only water retention that will fade away. However, be careful so that the feeling of fullness does not get in your way during the race.

When to Include Carbohydrate Supercompensation?

Carbohydrate supercompensation is most commonly used in the days leading up to endurance races, such as marathons, half marathons, or other long-distance races. You intentionally increase carbohydrate intake and adjust training volume to optimize glycogen storage. However, it is important to try this technique "as a test run" and find out how your body reacts to it. In short, the same applies as with running shoes—always test before a race!

ASICS

Unisex

Running shoes ASICS SUPERBLAST 3 - Orange

40 41½ 42 42½ 43½ 44 44½ 45 46½

adidas

Men's

Running shoes adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 - White

40⅔ 41⅓ 42 42⅔ 43⅓ 44 44⅔ 45⅓ 46 46⅔ 47⅓

ASICS

Unisex

Running shoes ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo - Blue

37 37½ 38 39 39½ 40 40½ 41½ 42 42½ 43½ 44 44½ 45 46 46½ 47 48

On Running

Unisex

shoes On Running Cloudmonster 3 Hyper LightSpray - White

shoes On Running Cloudmonster 3 Hyper - Black

40 40½ 41 42 42½ 43 44 44½ 45 47 47½

Nike

Men's

Running shoes Nike Vomero Plus - White

40½ 41 42 42½ 43 44 44½ 45 45½ 46 47 47½ 48½

adidas

Men's

Running shoes adidas Hyperboost Edge - Silver

Silver

€200,00

40⅔ 41⅓ 42 42⅔ 43⅓ 44 44⅔ 45⅓ 46 46⅔ 47⅓

-13%

Nike

Men's

Running shoes Nike Alphafly 3 Glam - Multicolored

40½ 42 42½ 43 44 44½ 45 45½ 46 47

adidas

Men's

Running shoes adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 - White

40⅔ 42 42⅔ 43⅓ 44 44⅔ 45⅓ 46 46⅔ 47⅓

Nike

Women's

Running shoes Nike Vomero Plus - Purple

36½ 37½ 38 38½ 39 40 40½ 41 42 42½

What about shorter races, up to approximately 15–20 km? For these, carbohydrate compensation does not show much effect and is not as beneficial. Instead, for optimal performance, it is sufficient to maintain a regular and balanced diet with adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. You can increase carbohydrates, but definitely not as markedly as during supercompensation.

Implementing Carbohydrate Supercompensation

If you have decided to try carbohydrate compensation, we have general advice on how to implement it before an endurance race. You can choose from two options:

Option 1: Carbohydrate Increase

This is the more pleasant route. It is basically just about doing an intense workout two days before "D-Day", during which muscle glycogen stores are depleted. After that, you increase your carbohydrate intake up to 5–8 g / per kg of body weight. In the best case, include complex carbohydrates—whole grain bread, potatoes, oatmeal, pasta, etc. The day before the race, lower your carbohydrate intake back to your normal level so that the body gets back to "normal". Muscles will be fed with glycogen and ready for performance.

Option 2: Åstrand/Saltin Supercompensation

This option is more demanding and also longer. It starts approximately a week before the race. The first three days consist of reducing carbohydrate intake to a minimum, to approximately 0.5 g / per kg of body weight, operating only on proteins and fats. You still include workouts to deplete glycogen stores. Your body and brain will literally crave carbohydrates. On the fourth day, they will get their wish! Because that is the day when you start including carbohydrates again (especially complex ones, not chocolates and cookies) in large amounts, up to 8–10 g / per kg of body weight. The day before the race, again lower your carbohydrate intake to your normal standard.

Whichever option you decide on, don't forget 3 important things:

Focus on Complex Carbohydrates: We remind you again to prioritize complex carbohydrates such as whole grain products (bread, pasta, rice), potatoes, vegetables, and legumes, but also fruit, over simple sugars.
Maintain Protein and Fat Intake: Even though you are primarily focusing on carbohydrates, don't forget about sufficient amounts of the remaining two macronutrients—protein and healthy fats.
Hydration: Proper hydration is crucial because carbohydrates draw water. Ensure a sufficient fluid intake, ideally clean water and electrolyte-rich drinks.

If you are striving to optimize your endurance performance, carbohydrate supercompensation might come in handy. Remember, however, that what works for one runner might not work for you. Experiment, listen to your body, and perceive how it reacts to changes. In this article, you will find only general information and recommendations; for advice tailored to you, consult an expert on the subject—a dietitian or nutritional therapist.

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