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How to Carb Cycle for Muscle Gain

 




What is Carb Cycling and How Does it Work?

Carbohydrate intake has been a hot topic for a long time.

Several successful diets restrict carbs and some even totally exclude them .

While no macronutrient is categorically bad, carb intake is something that should be tailored to the individual .

In order to optimize carb intake, some people now “cycle” their carbohydrates.

This is known as carb cycling.

This article provides a detailed breakdown of the science and application of carb cycling.

What is Carb Cycling?

Carb cycling is a dietary approach in which you alternate carb intake on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

It is commonly used to lose fat, maintain physical performance while dieting, or overcome a weight loss plateau.

Some people adjust their carb intake day-to-day, while others may do longer periods of low, moderate and high-carb diets.

In short, carb cycling aims to time carbohydrate intake to when it provides maximum benefit and exclude carbs when they’re not needed (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

You can program your carb intake based on a variety of factors, including:

  • Body Composition Goals: Some will reduce carbs during a diet, then add them back during a “muscle building” or performance phase.
  • Training and Rest Days: One popular approach is a higher carb intake on training days and a lower carb intake on rest days.
  • Scheduled Refeeds: Another popular approach is to do 1 or several days at a very high-carb intake to act as a “refeed” during a prolonged diet.
  • Special Events or Competitions: Athletes will often “carb load” prior to an event, and many physique competitors will do the same before a bodybuilding show or photoshoot.
  • Type of Training: Individuals will tailor carb intake depending on the intensity and duration of a particular training session; the longer or more intense the training is, the more carbs they will consume and vice versa.
  • Body Fat Levels: Many individuals will cycle their carbohydrates based on their level of body fat. The leaner they become, the more high-carb days or blocks they include.

A typical weekly carb cycling diet may include two high-carb days, two moderate-carb days and three low-carb days.

Protein intake is usually similar between days, whereas fat intake varies based on the carb intake.

A high-carb day normally means low-fat, whereas the low-carb days are high-fat.

Carb cycling is an advanced diet strategy requiring more manipulation and programming than a typical diet.

Carb cycling is a relatively new dietary approach.

The science is primarily based on the biological mechanisms behind carbohydrate manipulation.

There aren’t many controlled studies directly investigating a carb cycling diet .

Carb cycling tries to match the body’s need for calories or glucose. For example, it provides carbohydrates around the workout or on intense training days.

The high-carb days are also in place to refuel muscle glycogen, which may improve performance and reduce muscle breakdown 

Strategic high-carb periods may also improve the function of the weight- and appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin 

The low-carb days are reported to switch the body over to a predominantly fat-based energy system, which may improve metabolic flexibility and the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel in the long-term Trusted Source

Another big component of carb cycling is the manipulation of insulin Trusted Source

The low-carb days and targeting of carbs around the workout may improve insulin sensitivity, a vital marker of health 

In theory, this approach will maximize the benefits carbohydrates provide.

Although the mechanisms behind carb cycling support its use, it should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of direct research on the approach.

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