Sports Science and Medicine:
interval diet
A diet and exercise regime designed to increase muscle glycogen stores in the body for a particular endurance event. It consists of four stages: (i) depleting muscle glycogen stores by a severe exercise session; (ii) reducing other carbohydrate stores by starving the body for 3-4 days: (iii) further reducing carbohydrate stores by another vigorous exercise session; and (iv) eating carbohydrate-rich food 2-3 days prior to replenish carbohydrate stores. This diet may boost muscle glycogen to double its normal level, but it must be used cautiously because it can cause fatigue and, in a few cases, chest pains, and myoglobinuria which may lead to kidney failure. See also carbohydrate loading.
