Originally Posted by
Iride01
IMO, carb loading is border line BUNK. As is going out for a ride after a big meal. So to is trying to drink more water to hyper hydrate. These are silly things you read about on r e d i t
Worked for me. I don't consider myself as high performance athlete but a simple recreational rider. First time I did a century without carbo loading, I bonked mid-ride and forced to take a huge meal in a fast food restaurant.
I started doing carbo-loading on subsequent centuries, a year later, after Covid infection so my fitness did not actually improve since then. But with carbo loading, I was able to complete centuries without stopping.
Obviously, it isn't reason not to bring food and drinks on ride. In fact, bring the same amount of food and drinks as you did before. The extra energy you have will help make the ride feel easier and avoid fatigue or help you to push harder. The extra energy will also help you in recovery after the ride, resulting in less recovery time needed.