{"id":61911,"date":"2021-07-07T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2021-07-07T14:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbend.com\/?p=61911"},"modified":"2023-08-04T16:52:09","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T20:52:09","slug":"carb-cycling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbend.com\/carb-cycling\/","title":{"rendered":"Use Carb Cycling to Lose Weight and Boost Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weight loss and strength plateaus will<\/em> happen at some point during your fitness journey, no matter how diligently you work on your goals. Some people might tell you to eat fewer carbs to achieve one goal and eat more to attain the other. But what if we told you that doing both \u2014 otherwise known as carb cycling \u2014 is actually the answer? <\/p>\n

Carb cycling \u2014 which, sadly, doesn\u2019t involve eating bread on a bicycle \u2014 is a more advanced fat loss<\/a> and strength-building technique not meant for beginners or those struggling with obesity. Rather, it\u2019s a tactic recommended for relatively lean people who have hit a fat loss or strength plateau.<\/p>\n

While it might sound complicated at first, a little know-how on how to track your calories and macronutrients<\/a> is all you need to see if this technique is right for you. Below is a research-based article that covers everything you’d want to know about carb cycling. <\/p>\n

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Tatjana Baibakova\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[Related: What You Need to Know About How to Increase Strength<\/a>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What Is Carb Cycling?<\/h2>\n

Carb cycling is the practice of alternating high-carb and low-carb intake days. So one day, you might eat bowls of pasta, and the next, you\u2019re basically going keto<\/a>. Typically you\u2019d eat more carbs on heavier training days and then cut carbs on less active days or even rest days. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another way to think about it: Carbs are our body\u2019s preferred energy source in the same way most cars use gasoline. So let\u2019s say you\u2019re heading on a cross-country road trip, but you know there\u2019s going to be days you might stay put in a city and not drive so much. <\/p>\n

Your high-carb days would be the days you fill-up at the gas station, and you\u2019d cycle them with pit stops when you\u2019re not driving so much. After all, you wouldn\u2019t really fill up the tank if you didn\u2019t plan on driving it a lot, would you?<\/p>\n

Energy, though, isn\u2019t the only reason one might carb cycle. People also do it to change their physique based on aesthetic goals, as muscles tend to look \u201cfuller\u201d after consuming many carbs.<\/p>\n

Oftentimes, overall calorie intake is also higher on high carb days, though some manipulate their carb intake within the same number of calories. The protein intake remains the same across all days, while fat intake usually increases when the carbs decrease and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Dr. Aastha Kalra, a New York-based physician who focuses on weight loss, says people may alternate their carb intake from week to week or month to month. And unlike many fat loss tips found on the internet, she says carb cycling has some proof to back it up. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is based on the science that when you lose weight or lower your daily caloric intake, your basal metabolic rate<\/a> decreases,\u201d she says. \u201cTherefore, on days when the caloric intake is higher, and the carbohydrate proportion is higher, it helps to maintain the basal metabolic rate and decrease hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Cycling Carbs Affects Your Health and Performance <\/h2>\n

You might be wondering, \u201cIsn\u2019t overall calorie intake the most important factor for weight loss? Why do I have to switch up carbs?\u201d And you\u2019d be excused for thinking that, but there are multiple reasons why carbs are the main player here. <\/p>\n

Research has shown that timing carbohydrates around workouts<\/a> may help optimize both physical performance \u2014 aka how well you do in the gym \u2014 and recovery afterward<\/a>. (1<\/a>)(2<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u201cBased upon the fact that fatigue during intense, prolonged exercise is commonly due to depletion of muscle and liver glycogen, which limits both training and competitive performance, a higher carbohydrate intake at times before, during, and after exercise may help,\u201d says Dr. Kalra. \u201cThe goal is to have as many carbohydrates in the body as possible during the latter stages of prolonged intense exercise when the ability for intense exercise usually becomes limiting to performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carbs are also linked to insulin spikes<\/a>, and high insulin levels are a risk factor for insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when your body has too much insulin and, as a result, can\u2019t use glucose (aka the energy from carbs) for energy, which leads to increased blood sugar that puts you at risk for things like type-1 diabetes<\/a>. (3<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Research has shown that strategically limiting your carb intake can improve insulin sensitivity or your body\u2019s ability to utilize the hormone better. (4<\/a>) Other studies suggest that employing both higher carb and higher fat days may help to regulate hormones related to appetite and improve the body\u2019s ability to burn fat as a source of fuel. (5<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Who Should Carb Cycle? <\/h2>\n

Carb cycling is recommended for recreational athletes, desk jockeys, weekend warriors, and anyone else who doesn\u2019t need a constant stream of carbohydrates. So professional athletes and the obese are the two groups who probably shouldn\u2019t employ this strategy. Dr. Jeff Golini, a nutritionist at Winner Circle Athletics, a Californian academy for youth athletes, explains why athletes may not benefit from carb cycling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAthletes burn up their glycogen stores very quickly. They have to be replenished with good, clean carbs regularly constantly,\u201d he says. \u201dThe reason why is that your off days are the days you\u2019re recuperating, and taking in carbohydrates on your off days is almost more important than taking them on game days. The only so-called \u2018cycling\u2019 I\u2019d recommend for athletes would be to focus on simple carbohydrates before training.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a reminder, simple carbohydrates are things like white breads and pastas, pastries, and sugar. These carbohydrates provide quick bursts of energy instead of complex carbohydrates (whole grains and brown rice), which provide energy over an extended period of time. <\/p>\n

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https:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=BIEGhiEHc48<\/a>