308. Carb Loading Before a Marathon: What Most Runners Get Wrong with Brooke Czarnecki, RDN, LD

[Download] Nutrition Blueprint

Are you carb loading correctly before your marathon, or could your nutrition strategy be setting you up to hit the dreaded wall at mile 20?

If you think carb loading means eating a giant bowl of pasta the night before your race, you're not alone! But proper marathon carb loading involves much more than one big meal.

In this episode of the Healthy Runner Podcast, Dr. Duane Scotti sits down with registered dietitian and endurance sports nutrition expert Brooke Czarnecki, RDN from our Spark Healthy Runner team to break down exactly how to carb load before a marathon or half marathon.

You'll learn when to start carb loading, what foods to eat, how much carbohydrate your body actually needs, and the biggest nutrition mistakes that could leave you feeling depleted on race day.

Whether you're training for your first marathon or chasing a new personal record, this episode will help you develop a smarter race-week fueling strategy so you can arrive at the starting line feeling prepared and confident!

What You'll Learn: -Why marathon runners hit the wall and how carb loading can help.

-The biggest carb-loading mistakes runners make.

-When to start carb loading: 24, 48, or 72 hours before your race?

-What to eat during the final 2–3 days before a marathon.

-How to train your gut to tolerate more carbohydrates during long runs.

-Whether high-carb fueling affects your long-term health.