How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...

Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.

- By Jo Wright

Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.

Energise your race

Enter the carb load. Two words that can cause an endurance athlete to salivate or break into a sweat, the nutritional technique is intended to send you to the start line with the maximum amount of energy your body can store.

"If you don't carb load, you risk running out of energy much sooner and bonking," says Level 4 nutrition coach Jo Wright. "Also, it means there's less margin for error in terms of your race-day nutrition. If you end up being a little bit down on your race nutrition but you've carb loaded well, you're going to be in a much stronger position than someone who's failed to carb load. They're going to run out of energy much sooner if they're not ingesting a lot of carbohydrate during the event."

Wright warns it's not just an excuse to pile up the pasta pre-event, though. "If you go the other way and have too much, you risk your stomach being unhappy and feeling bloated, full, heavy and potentially quite sick."

Unsure how to pack in the optimum amount of carbohydrates? Wright reveals her top 10 tips...

10 Steps to fuel your personal best

Follow these 10 easy loading tips and you'll line up in the water fresher and faster

01 The magic number