carb-load
/ˌkɑːbˈləʊd/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To eat a lot of carbohydrate-rich food before exercise or a sports event. People do this to store more energy in the body.
- I carb-loaded the night before the marathon.
- She carb-loads before long races.
- We had pasta to carb-load for the game.
noun
A meal or eating plan with many carbohydrates before exercise or a sports event. It is meant to increase stored energy.
- Pasta is a classic carb-load.
- His carb-load started the day before the race.
- The coach suggested a simple carb-load.
Adinary Nuance
Carb-load is more specific than eat a lot or have carbs. It is used for sport, training, or endurance events, not for ordinary overeating. Writers choose it when they want a fitness or performance meaning, not just a big meal.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Nạp tinh bột
- Spanish
- Carga de carbohidratos
- Chinese
- 碳水加载
- Japanese
- カーボローディング
- Korean
- 탄수화물 로딩
Etymology
Carb-load is a modern shortening of carbohydrate load. It became common in sports and fitness talk in the late 20th century.
Common phrases
carb-load before a racecarb-loading mealcarb-load for enduranceproper carb loading
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is carb-load formal or informal?
- It is informal and common in fitness and sports talk.
- Is carb-load the same as eating a lot?
- No. It means eating more carbohydrates for energy, usually before exercise.
- Can I use carb-load in academic writing?
- Yes, if you are writing about sports nutrition or training.
- What is the difference between carb-load and eat carbs?
- Eat carbs is general. Carb-load means eating extra carbs for a planned event.