Do you need to carbo load?

The purpose of carbo loading is to reduce the amount of effort and increase the amount of carbohydrates 3-4 days before an event in order to build up the glycogen stores in the muscles.  Does it work?  Yes, if you are doing an event that requires moderate to maximum effort for longer than 90 minutes.  Other than that, it creates no change.  In fact, if done wrong, it can lead to excess weight gain.

However, even though the average "weekend warrior" does not need to load up on the carbohydrates before an event or workout, is there anything special about consuming carbs for the best benefit?  The answer, again, is yes.  Carbs are your energy, so consuming a meal that is *slightly* heavier on the carbs 2-4 hours before an intense workout will give you enough energy to complete the workout.  That means add extra fruit or a slightly larger yam to your meal, not simple carbs like white rice.  This works well even if weight loss is your goal.  Again, keep the carbs complex.

When wouldn't you increase your carbohydrate levels?  If you are doing workouts shorter than 90 minutes or if your workouts stay at the moderate level.  There is no proven benefit to increasing the carbs for these two scenarios.  The long and short is to play with your meals to find the timing that works best for you.  Remember, you are looking for approximately 40% of your diet to come from carbs.