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You might have heard about carb cycling, especially if you\u2019re an athlete or body builder or if you\u2019re looking to lose some weight. The strategy \u2014 eating more carbs on active training days and fewer carbs on rest days \u2014 makes intuitive sense. And advocates tout it as a way to help lose fat while keeping muscles fueled and energy levels up. Does it live up to the hype? Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n
What is carb cycling?<\/h2>\n
First developed to help athletes train and prepare for competition, carb cycling is an eating pattern that alternates between days of higher and lower carbohydrate intake. A typical carb cycling schedule might include one or two high-carb days per week timed around intense workouts, with lower carbohydrate intake on the remaining days.<\/p>\n
The problem is, \u201cthere\u2019s no defined term for what a carb cycling diet might look like,\u201d says Addie Temkin, a registered dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. \u201cSome plans might recommend getting 30% of your daily calorie intake from carbohydrates on a low-carb day, while others might recommend only 10% or 20%.\u201d That means protocols can vary widely between studies, and high-quality trials are scarce \u2014 key reasons why Temkin and other experts consider the claimed carb cycling benefits promising, but mostly unproven.<\/p>\n
How does carb cycling work?<\/h2>\n
The theory behind carb cycling centers on how the body uses and stores carbohydrates \u2014 \u201cthe energy currency for the body,\u201d Temkin explains. The body stores carbohydrate in muscle and liver tissue in the form of glycogen, and draws on this energy supply to fuel exercise. \u201cOn high-performance days you perform best when you have sufficient glycogen stores,\u201d she says. \u201cBy getting an adequate amount of carbs, you\u2019ve topped up your energy stores prior to exercise, and you\u2019re better equipped for recovery afterward.\u201d On lower-carb days, the body will rely more on stored fat for fuel instead.<\/p>\n
Most research into carb cycling focuses on competitive athletes. Some preliminary findings suggest that combining carb cycling with a structured exercise routine \u2014 especially one that includes high-intensity training \u2014 may support fat loss and body composition changes better than diet alone. However, it\u2019s not clear if those benefits actually translate to better performance.<\/p>\n
As for carb cycling for weight loss, the evidence is even thinner, Temkin notes. Research consistently shows that low-carb diets aren\u2019t more effective for weight loss than higher-carb diets as long as total calorie intake is equal, and the same appears to hold for cycling between the two. \u201cCarb cycling is similar to any weight-loss diet in that it can work in the short term,\u201d she says. \u201cBut to really work, it needs to be sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is carb cycling right for you?<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re an everyday exerciser whose \u201cactive\u201d and \u201cless active\u201d days don\u2019t vary dramatically \u2014 say, jogging for 30 minutes one day and brisk walking for an hour on another \u2014 carb cycling probably doesn\u2019t offer any benefits over a healthy, balanced diet, says Temkin. But if you\u2019re exercising at a higher intensity \u2014 for example, training for a race or tennis tournament \u2014 and you want to try carb cycling, here are some useful guidelines.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t make a low-carb day too low.<\/strong> Most experts agree a healthy diet should provide around 50% to 60% of calories from carbohydrates, so Temkin recommends not going much lower than that on a low-carb day. Going too low can shortchange you on fiber \u2014 which most Americans don\u2019t get enough of. What\u2019s more, even on the less active days, \u201cyour body is still working to repair your muscles, and having enough carbohydrate on board is important to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Prioritize protein and fiber.<\/strong> Getting enough protein helps ensure your body doesn\u2019t break down muscle tissue for energy, and it supplies the amino acids needed to rebuild and strengthen muscles. You\u2019ll also want to make sure the carbs you do eat are fiber-rich, like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.<\/p>\n Listen to your body.<\/strong> Watch for fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty working out, says Temkin. \u201cIf you\u2019re feeling more tired than usual, you don\u2019t have enough energy in the gym, or you can\u2019t think straight at work, those are general signs that you might need to be eating more carbohydrates.\u201d<\/p>\n Be realistic about the time commitment.<\/strong> \u201cCarb cycling requires a lot of thinking and planning,\u201d says Temkin. \u201cMake sure it can fit into your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \n You might have heard about carb cycling, especially if you\u2019re an athlete or body builder or if you\u2019re looking to lose some weight. The strategy \u2014 eating more carbs on active training days and fewer carbs on rest days \u2014 makes intuitive sense. And advocates tout it as a way to help lose fat while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diets-weight-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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