The 9 Must-Know Rules of Carbo-Loading

Ever dreamt about diving, face-first, into a never-ending pasta bowl? Endurance sports are the perfect excuse to load up on pasta and potatoes. Carbo-loading allows your body to hoard carbs and store them in your muscles and liver as glycogen, your body’s fastest-acting and most efficient source of energy, says dietician Alexandra Caspero, R.D., a runner and founder of Delicious Knowledge. But most women also don't know how to carbo-load the right way. “If you do it wrong, the results can be so bad,” she says. (Think: a lack of energy, ticked-off stomach, and loads of stress.) Don't let that happen during your next race—these rules of carbo-loading will take your pre-race ritual and performance to the next level.

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