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RunningBest foods for carb loading
Carbs per serving for ordinary foods, so you can hit your number. · 2 min read · Updated September 30, 2026
How we made this guide: we built it from the research below and checked every number against it: USDA FoodData Central; ACSM, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics & Dietitians of Canada joint position stand (2016).
Knowing your number (about 590–820 g of carbs a day for a 130–150 lb runner) is one thing. Hitting it with real food is the hard part, so here are the carbs in ordinary servings.
| Food | Serving | Carbs (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| White rice, cooked | 1 cup | ~45 g |
| Pasta, cooked | 1 loosely packed cup (about 125 g) | ~38 g |
| Bagel, plain | 1 medium (3½–4 in) | ~55 g |
| White bread | 1 slice | ~13 g |
| Potato, baked, no skin | 1 medium | ~33 g |
| Oatmeal, cooked | 1 cup | ~27 g |
| Banana | 1 medium | ~27 g |
| Orange juice | 8 oz | ~26 g |
| Pretzels | 1 oz | ~23 g |
| Raisins | ¼ cup | ~32 g |
| Honey | 1 tbsp | ~17 g |
| Jam | 1 tbsp | ~13 g |
| Applesauce, sweetened | ½ cup | ~22 g |
| Milk | 1 cup | ~12 g |
| Corn flakes | 1 cup | ~24 g |
Approximate values from USDA FoodData Central; brands and portions vary, so check labels. Your daily target comes from the carb-loading guideline in the ACSM joint position stand (Thomas, Erdman & Burke, 2016): 10–12 g per kg of body weight for 36–48 hours.
Why lower fiber helps for two days
A load means a lot of food. Many sports dietitians suggest white rice, white bread and peeled potatoes over whole grains during those two days so the volume sits easier. Banana, raisins and oatmeal carry more fiber than the white staples, so if you’re keeping fiber low, use them only if they’ve already sat well before a long run. Our carb load snacks guide lists fiber per serving. Back to normal after the race.
Drink some of it
Juice and milk add carbs without much bulk. Two glasses of orange juice add up to about 50 g.
Build your day
Our carb-loading guide has a full worked day for a 130 lb runner, and the calculator gives your number. Logging each meal as you go is what keeps a load on track; we built My Track Record so each one is a spoken sentence.
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By Andrew, founder of My Track Record. Andrew has been active all of his life across a variety of sports and continues to stay active through climbing, swimming, weight training, golfing, snowboarding, and more. He built My Track Record so logging food and training takes one spoken sentence and can support any activity. He puts these guides together from published sports science research cited on each page. About AndrewSources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central (food composition database). Source
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. Nutrition and Athletic Performance: joint position statement of the American College of Sports Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543–568. Source
General information for healthy adult runners, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat or use caffeine.