Other Hopkinton runners planned a similar diet. Most runners said they would eat sparingly today, maybe a bagel or toast for breakfast. Experts and Web sites specializing in runners training say that the carbo-loading regimen is a sound strategy for high performance. But for runners, complex carbohydrates are still the way to go. Eating complex carbohydrates helps the muscles to store more glycogen, a substance that provides a steady fuel supply for long-distance runs.
Most runners begin loading up on carbs a week before the race.
Conventional wisdom on marathon diets has changed over the years, Fultz says. Then, with their bodies starved for glycogen, the athletes would switch over to a carbohydrate-rich diet. Theoretically, the body would absorb the glycogen more greedily and have a better supply for the race. But runners did anything that they could legally to get an edge. They got good results, but that was probably a result of being supremely fit and being able to survive that diet.