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Two days of pasta is a protocol, not a craving.
The evidence-based carb-load (Burke, ACSM position stand) is 10–12 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per day for 36–48 hours before a 90+ minute event, paired with a training taper. Done right, it supercompensates muscle glycogen 20–40% above normal and can add minutes to a marathon. This calculator turns your weight into daily and per-meal targets.
Marathoners and triathletes use it in race week: 10–12 g/kg/day is the evidence-based target, and this turns body weight into actual grams per meal. Coaches use it to write the two-day fueling plan instead of saying "eat more pasta."
For events longer than ~90 minutes, yes — it is one of the most replicated findings in sports nutrition, raising muscle glycogen 20–40% above normal and improving time-trial performance by 2–3%. For anything under 90 minutes, normal glycogen stores are already sufficient and loading adds weight without benefit.
For an 82 kg athlete that is 820 g of carbs a day — genuinely hard. Think rice, pasta, bread, bagels, jam, juice, and sports drink, not vegetables and chicken breast (fiber and protein crowd out the volume). White carbs over whole grains for these two days; low fat, low fiber, frequent meals.
That is the point. Each gram of stored glycogen carries ~3 g of water, so a successful load adds 2–4 lb of glycogen-plus-water. You are heavier at the start line and faster at mile 20 — the trade is worth it. The weight drains within days after the event.