Re: Carbo loading products

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Tivers@aol.com wrote:

> Ah, now that's the error of your ways. You're entirely correct about the fuel-
> preference switchover. But that's what you want. Immediately available,
> relatively cost-free (metabolically) energy. This is precisely why you see an
> improvement in performance. Glycogen is not a pilot light--it's rocket fuel.
> 
> If you can keep up a steady supply of nice clean high octane gasoline, why try
> to feed your racing machine smokey old diesel? 

Because while the body can store sufficient fatty acids in the body to
fuel an entire 100 mile ride, it cannot store enough glycogen on board
(or eat enough) to even come close.  Have you ever worked out the
numbers of just how many Mcals an average horse burns just puttering
along for 100 miles?  Pretty amazing.  A constant IV drip of pure carbs
won't provide enough fuel, but any horse in good body condition already
has a full gas tank on board.  I'd rather have a full tank of smokey old
diesel than a pint of rocket fuel, but best of all I'd like to have a
whole lot of smokey old diesel PLUS a pint of rocket fuel to make sure
it keeps burning.  

Susan G