20 Best Foods for Carb Loading

Amy Goblirsch, RD
March 31st, 2025

In this post learn more about what is carb loading, when carb loading should be implemented, and the 20 best foods for carb loading.

What is Carb Loading

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. During exercise, your body will use stored carbohydrates to provide you with energy. Your body will store these carbohydrates that you consumed as glycogen in both your liver and muscles.

Carb loading is an essential nutrition strategy to increase the amount of glycogen that is available to your body to utilize during exercise.

Research has shown that the body can store approximately 90 minutes worth carbohydrates to be used as fuel for endurance exercise.

This is where carb loading comes into play. It is recommended to carb load for any race that will last ~90 minutes in length or longer.

Research has found that carb loading can increase performance by 2-3%, delay fatigue and help you avoid the dreaded hitting the wall feeling.

Inside the Marathon Fueling Blueprint, created to help runners perform their best from start to finish. This guide shows exactly what, when, and how to fuel from taper to race day to recovery so you stay energized, hydrated, and recover efficiently. Grab your guide here!

How to Carb Load

Carb loading will begin during race week. The time you will need to carb load will depend on the event you are training for, carbohydrate needs, and what is do able to you. Carb loading will last anywhere from 1-3 days.

Needs: 8-12 g/kg body weight

For example: 150 lb pound runner

150 lb / 2.2 = 68.1 kg

10-12g x 68.1 kg = 545-817 g carbohydrates

In practice, 12 g per kg is often unrealistic for many runners, particularly when it requires 750+ grams of carbohydrates. Rather than forcing that target, a better approach is to slightly reduce the daily goal and prioritize higher carbohydrate intake over several days. This may mean carb loading for 3 days vs 2 for a marathon.

Race Specific Guidelines

Half-Marathon: 1-2 day carb load

Marathon: 2-3 day carb load

Ultra Marathon: 3 day carb load

8 g/kg x 3 days for a marathon or 2 days for half

10 g/kg x 2 days for a marathon or 1 day for a half

If you’re looking for a personalized carb-loading plan, schedule a one-time, 60-minute session with me. Together, we’ll create a plan that ensures you’re fueled and ready to run strong on race day!

The 20 Best Foods for Carb Loading

Here’s the list of the 20 best foods for carb loading. Below you will see the size and approximate amount of carbohydrates it contains. The amount of carbohydrates can vary depending on the brand.

Bagel: 1 medium = 50g

Bread: 1 slice = 15g

Clif Bar: 1 bar = 42g

Dried Fruit: ¼ cup mango = 35g

Fruit: 1 medium banana = 27g

Fruit Juice: 8oz orange juice = 27g

Graham Crackers: 3 crackers = 33g

Granola: ½ cup = 30g

Gummy Candy: 5 Swedish fish = 27g

Honey: 1 tbsp = 17g

Jelly: 1 tbsp = 13g

Oats: 1/2 cup = 27g

Pasta: 2oz = 42g

Pop Tart: 1 package = 72g

Potatoes: 1 medium = 37g

Pretzels: 17 each = 23g

Rice: 1 cup = 45g

Smoothies: 15.2oz Naked Smoothie = 63g

Sports Drinks: 20oz Gatorade = 36g

Waffles: 2 Eggo waffles = 30g

Tips for Carb Loading

Focus on low fiber foods during the carb load.
Since the carb load utilizes fluids to store the carbs as glycogen, add in extra fluids to support this.
It is no longer recommended to deplete carbohydrates before starting the carb-load.
Avoid the scale – it is common for weight to increase due to the body storing the carbohydrates and water alongside of it.
Practice the carb load at least once during the training cycle. This can help you figure out how the carb load feels and what foods work (and don’t work!) for you. Practicing will also be beneficial to support that training you are doing during the carb-load.
A high fat intake will lead to more gastro-intestinal issues on the run, focus on lower fat foods during the carb load.
Drinking carbohydrates, such as through a sports drink or fruit juice, will not only help in meeting increased carbohydrate needs but will also help with the increased fluid needs.

Before You Go

Carb loading is a science-backed strategy that can enhance endurance performance by maximizing your glycogen stores. When done correctly, it can help you sustain energy levels, delay fatigue, and optimize your race day performance. The key is to increase carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the race while tapering. During this time focus on familiar, high carbohydrate foods.

Remember, every runner’s body responds differently, so practice your carb loading plan during training to see what works best for you. This can help determine which are the best foods for carb loading for you! With the right approach, you’ll toe the starting line feeling fueled, confident, and ready to run your best race.

Want to know what to eat the night before a marathon, or any endurance event, check out this post.