The efficacy of carbohydrate supplementation and chronic high-carbohydratediets for improving endurance performance

Carbohydrate (CHO) is the body's most limited fuel and the most heavily met abolized during moderate-intensity exercise. For this reason it is recommen ded that endurance athletes consume a high-CHO diet (8-10 g CHO kg body wei ght(-1) day(-1)) to enhance training and performance. A review of the liter ature supports the benefits of CHO supplementation on endurance performance . The benefits of chronic high-CHO diets on endurance performance are not a s clear. Recent evidence suggests that a high-CHO diet may be necessary for optimal adaptations to training. However, the paucity of data in this area precludes any concrete conclusions. The practicality of high-CHO diets is not well understood. The available evidence would indicate that a high-CHO diet is the best dietary recommendation for endurance athletes.