Carbs: Are baked beans good for carb loading the day before a long race?

[Aliceband]

Are baked beans any good for carbs the day before running a half marathon? I know there are good and bad carbs, and lots of people swear by pasta the day/evening before, but I like baked beans and wondered if they're just as good, better, or worse for carb loading the day before a long race?

 

[Nessie]

I'd be wary of the fibre content to be honest. I tend to avoid anything high fibre for a couple of days before a race as they can cause unwanted gut issues.

 

[WiltshireWonder]

HAHAHAHA....have you never had that awful feeling of knowing you need a poo mid-run??

 

[Aliceband]

Thanks. I hadn't really thought about the side effects of eating beans, and no, I don't suppose I want gut problems part way through.

So would pasta be a good alternative or are there other foods I could try that won't make me want to go to the loo half way round?

 

[Fresh Start]

Reminds me of this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPIP9KXdmO0

 

[amasidlover]

The general advice would be pasta, rice, potatoes; starchy carbs that have low fibre and thus don't race through the digestive system - things which have high complex carbohydrate content - the percentage of carbs from sugar in baked beans is higher than I would go for (unless you're making them yourself rather than buying tinned).

However, I would always advice not doing anything new on or before race day; therefore either eat the foods that you normally eat but slightly more of the carby ones on the day or two before race day or experiment with foods you think would be good the day before a long run a few weeks before race day.

You're looking for about 6-10g of carbohydrate per kg of bodyweight on the day before the race.

 

[runner]

Reminds me of this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPIP9KXdmO0

I saw Blazing Saddles on first release showing quite clearly the dangers of excess beans

 

[Aliceband]

Thanks @amasidlover - great advice, I'll give that a try.