Overview

This information is for people having surgery who eat and drink orally (by mouth). There is separate information for patients who use a feeding tube [ADD LINK].

Carbohydrate loading

Carbohydrate loading is consuming extra carbohydrates before an event to help your body cope with extra requirements in the short-term. You might have heard that athletes use this before a marathon.

Research has shown that taking carbohydrate-rich nutrition before surgery reduces thirst, hunger and anxiety. It might also help you recover more quickly after your operation.

How to prepare for carbohydrate loading

You will be given 3 sachets of Preload™ at your pre-treatment appointment by your dietitian or clinical nurse specialist.

How to mix and take the drinks

1. By midnight on the evening before your surgery, dissolve 2 of the sachets of Preload in 800ml of water, and drink the mixture.
2. Stop eating solid food by midnight on the evening before your surgery, but continue drinking water until 6am on the day of your operation.
3. By 6am on the morning of your surgery, dissolve the last sachet of Preload in 400ml water, and drink the mixture.

Risks of taking carbohydrate-rich drinks before surgery

There is no evidence of any significant risk from drinking carbohydrate-rich fluids. However, you must make sure that you have:

• stopped eating solid food by midnight the night before your surgery
• stopped drinking water 2 hours before your surgery

As with any general anaesthetic, if there is food or liquid in your stomach during the anaesthetic it could come up to the back of your throat and damage your lungs.

Not having the carbohydrate-rich drinks

If you choose to not have the carbohydrate-rich drinks, you must still stop eating solid food 6 hours before your surgery and stop drinking water 2 hours before your surgery.

What to do if you have a problem

If you cannot drink all of the carbohydrate-rich drinks, take as much as you can and tell the dietitian how much you drank.