carb up
B2 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To eat lots of pasta, bread, or rice before a race or sport to have lots of energy.
Literal meaning: To load up on carbohydrates.
Meanings
1 B2 informal
To eat large amounts of carbohydrates before a sporting event to maximize glycogen stores and sustain energy levels.
"The marathon runners spent the evening carbing up with huge plates of pasta."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Common in sports and fitness contexts, especially among runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes. The practice is known as 'carb-loading'. 'Carb up' is the informal verbal form.
Commonly used with
marathon race pasta athletes cyclist runner
Forms
Base
carb up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
carbs up
he/she/it
Past simple
carbed up
yesterday
Past participle
carbed up
have + pp
-ing form
carbing up
continuous
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