Carb Cycling Diet for Weight Loss
Everything you need to know about carb cycling, or alternating between high and low carb days, plus whether it's right for you or not. Carbohydrate intake has been a hot topic for ages. Some successful diets limit carbs and some even exclude them altogether.
While no macronutrient is categorized as bad, carbohydrate intake is something that has to be adjusted to the individual. In order to optimize carbohydrate intake, some people now "flow" their carbs.
This is known as carb cycling. This blog provides a detailed breakdown of the science and application of carbohydrate cycling.
What is Carb Cycling Exactly?
The carb cycle usually involves alternating low-carb days with high-carb days. (webmd.com) Usually fat intake increases on low-crab days, and decreases on high-carb days; while protein intake is consistent.
Many advocates recommend this regimen: On days when you do strength training, eat a higher amount of carbohydrates (eg 200 grams), a lower amount of fat, and a moderate amount of protein.
On days when you do cardio exercise, eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates (about 100 grams), protein, and fat. And on rest days, eat less carbs (30 grams), high amounts of fat, and moderate amounts of protein.
Another approach involves keeping your protein intake and fat intake fairly consistent, and modifying only your carbohydrates. With this method, low carb days are also low calorie days.
Science Behind Carb Cycling
Carbohydrate cycles are a relatively new dietary approach.
This science is mainly based on the biological mechanisms behind carbohydrate manipulation.
There are not many controlled studies that directly investigate the carbohydrate cycling diet. The carb cycling tries to match the body's need for calories or glucose. For example, it provides carbohydrates around workouts or on days of intense exercise.
High-carbohydrate days are also used to refuel muscle glycogen, which can improve performance and reduce muscle breakdown.
Strategically high-carbohydrate periods can also increase the function of the appetite and weight-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin.
Low-carb days and carbohydrate targeting around exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, an important marker of health.
Low-carbohydrate days are reported to switch the body to a fat-dominated energy system, which can increase metabolic flexibility and the body's ability to burn fat as fuel in the long term.
Another major component of the carbohydrate cycle is the manipulation of insulin.
In theory, this approach would maximize the benefits carbohydrates provide.
Although the mechanism behind the carbohydrate cycle supports its use, it must be interpreted with caution due to the lack of direct research on the approach.
Is Carb Cycling Effective for Weight Loss?
The mechanism behind the carb cycle suggests that it can be beneficial for your weight loss.
Carb cycling can help you maintain physical performance while providing some of the same benefits as a low-carb diet.
As with any diet, the main mechanism behind weight loss is a calorie deficit, as you eat less than your body burns over an extended period of time.
If a carb cycling diet is followed in conjunction with a calorie deficit, then you are more likely to lose weight.
However, its more complex nature can lead to compliance problems and confusion for beginners.
On the other hand, many people may enjoy the versatility of carbohydrate cycling. This may improve compliance and long-term success for some people.
Who Is Cycling Carbohydrates Right For?
There are two main groups of people for whom carbohydrate cycling can help: endurance athletes and active people on low-carb diets.
For those of you who focus on endurance sports like running, cycling and swimming, "early evidence suggests that varying carbohydrates throughout the year -- particularly lowering carbohydrates during high-volume, pre-season training -- can help to increase muscle glycogen stores and performance when carbohydrates are introduced." Basically, lowering your carbohydrate intake before you enter your main training season can help your body to make better use of carbohydrates when you put them back in just before you need to reach your peak performance level.
For those of you more interested in weight control or fat loss, carb cycling can also make sense. For some, eating a low-carbohydrate diet can help maintain optimal weight and health. Maybe that's why keto is so popular these days. That said, research shows that carbs are the main fuel for working muscles during high-intensity exercise, and consuming carbs before and after a strenuous sweat session is essential for getting the most out of them. It's commonly accepted that a low carb intake will decrease power output throughtout high-intensity exercise, so carb cycling can be helpful if you're on a low-carb diet but want to complete HIIT or weightlifting, for example. (BTW, here's more info on how to exercise on the keto diet.)
And while carb cycling is popular among those who follow high-fat, low-carb diets like keto, you don't have to eat a high-fat diet to benefit from carb cycling. You can literally recycle your carbs with any diet, sports nutritionist, and registered dietitian.
It may be best not to cycle carbs while on keto, especially if you're new to the eating style. A regular increase in carbs will get you out of ketosis, so if you decide to go on a carb cycle on a ketogenic diet, I'd limit high carb days to just once, maybe twice, per week.
After all, the whole point of keto is to make your body use fat for fuel, so getting your body out of this type of ketosis defeats the purpose of the diet and may even make it difficult to gauge whether the diet is a good one. is suitable for you or not.
Carb cycling isn't a tough commitment like other trending low-carb diets, but humans just need more research to find out if it's beneficial for performance gains or weight loss. If you want to give carb-cycling a try, consider consulting a trained professional and make sure most of your carbs come from healthy sources like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
High-carbohydrate days shouldn't be filled with muffins and sweets. When you're cutting back on the calories you get from carbohydrates, eat enough protein and quality fats to help regulate hunger and ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs. But remember that when carbs go up again, you'll need to reduce your protein and fat intake to offset the change in calories. And you have to pay close attention to your energy level during the workout. If they are consistently lethargic, then playing around with your carb intake may not be the best for you.
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