Assignment:
Title: Carbohydrate and Endurance Sports
Objective: To apply knowledge of carbohydrate metabolism to endurance sports
As Confucius once said: "I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand."
Gaining knowledge is the first step of learning, but it is taking this information and applying it that shows mastery. This Learning Activity will help you make the bridge of knowledge to application.
We read and hear so much about carbohydrates. For example, in the last month or so, how many times have you heard: carbs are bad, there are good carbs and bad carbs, or don't eat potatoes because they are loaded with carbohydrates. This class, however, will prove these statements wrong. After all, the majority of the foods created by God were laden with carbohydrates. For avid endurance athletes, carbohydrates are the main energy source.
Your goal, based upon the given scenario below, is to create appropriate dietary guidelines that will increase available energy for this athlete. Responses are to be scientifically sound, based upon current literature, and cited when appropriate. Based on the current literature, provide well-thought-out explanations to the following 4 to 5 talking points. Use the following bolded talking points as headings to your responses.
1. The physiological response of carbohydrate loading in sports.
2. The process of carbohydrate loading.
3. The advantages and disadvantages of various carbohydrate loading techniques.
4. The timing, amount, and listing of appropriate food sources for carbohydrate loading.
5. Any additional information needed to explain the why, how, when, and what of carbohydrate loading.
In your submission be sure to include/provide the above corresponding numbered talking points prior to each of your answers/responses. Do not count the words in the questions in your total word count; count only your responses in the word count.
Scenario: The athlete is a 28-year old male wanting to run marathons. He is in good health. He has been running 5K and 10K races for the past two years but is afraid of "hitting the wall" or experiencing some other exhaustive phenomenon.
The required length of this Learning Activity is 500 to 600 words, and should include a minimum of 2 current peer-reviewed sources. If appropriate, information may be bulleted. Formatting should be consistent withthe AMA style guide.