Carb Cycling 101
What is Carb Cycling?
Carb cycling is an eating plan with alternating high-carb and low-carb days and sometimes medium and/or no carb days.
How does it work?
Cycling carbs is more about hormones than a calories. Varying carb intake influences several hormones that determine body composition. For starters…
Insulin: The fat-storing and muscle-building hormone
When we consume carbs, insulin is released into the bloodstream to help bring carbs into the liver for use as fuel later, or for muscle cells for storage. When they become full, as they do when we eat too many carbs, they are metabolized and stored as fat.
The key to carb consumption is to eat to provide enough fuel for your workouts and energy balance, but not consuming so much that we have no choice but to store it as fat.
Insulin release varies based on type and amount of carb consumed. Carb cycling manipulates insulin to minimize fat storage and maximize muscle synthesis. Low- carb and no-carb days help us stay sensitive to insulin, and push fat burning. High- carb days maximize muscle growth and replenish carb storage to enhance exercise intensity.
Leptin: A hunger hormone
Produced mostly by the fat cells, leptin is a hormone for hunger and satiety. Unlike insulin, leptin does not increase significantly as a result of a single meal. Instead, it creeps up over a sustained period of increased carbohydrate consumption. Leptin acts as a feedback mechanism in the hypothalamus to signal satiety. In addition, leptin also signals to the body to speed the metabolism.
A high-carbohydrate, high-calorie diet, leptin will remain high. This can result in leptin resistance, where the hypothalamus is no longer able to “hear” leptin. When this happens, we cannot feel full. However, very low levels of leptin, which occur on a low calorie and low carbohydrate diet, give the body the opposite message: be hungry, eat, conserve, slow down.
In carb cycling, when leptin begins to recede to the point of drastically increasing hunger and slowing the metabolism, a high-carb day is in place to help reset it. This way, we stay leptin-sensitive.
Serotonin: The sanity hormone
A “feel good” brain chemical, serotonin, boosts mood. Carbs boost serotonin production, so eating carbs boosts mood.
Low serotonin, as would occur as a result of a low-carb diet, is associated with increased cravings for sugar and chocolate. Many diets fail because low serotonin makes dieters feel depressed. Carb cycling regulates serotonin levels and as a result, curbs cravings.
Cortisol: A catabolic hormone
Cortisol is a catabolic hormone, meaning it breaks down molecules to be used as fuel. It can be both beneficial and detrimental, as it can break down muscle and fat for fuel. However, eating protein can help maintain muscle even in a catabolic state.
Eating a meal containing carbohydrates essentially shuts off cortisol production; this is why many bodybuilders will eat a meal containing carbs and protein immediately upon waking. By carb cycling, excess cortisol production (and muscle catabolism) is avoided. At just about the time that cortisol production begins to become excessively catabolic following no- and low-carb days, a high- carb day is in place to reset this hormone to avoid muscle loss.
How does it look like?
In order to lose weight, our bodies need the right combination of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. Here’s why:
Protein builds and maintains muscles. The more muscle we have, the more fat our bodies burn. Protein also breaks down more slowly than carbs and fat, which burns even more calories and helps you feel fuller longer.
Carbs are the preferred fuel source for your body. There are Complex Carbs (slow digesting) and Simple Carbs (fast digesting). Complex Carbs are also crucial for burning calories since they break down more slowly than Simple Carbs. They keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady
Healthy fats (unsaturated fats) help the development and function of your eyes and brain and help prevent heart disease, stroke, depression, and arthritis. Healthy fats also help keep your energy levels steady and keep you from feeling hungry.
With carb cycling, your week is divided among the following types of days: low-carb days, high-carb days, high carb with reward meal and possibly no-carb days
LOW CARB DAYS: Here, the goal is to stay below 75 grams of carbs. Fibrous veggies can be eaten freely, but add in two to three servings of starch from clean sources such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, starchy veggies and fruit. For best results, have your starchy carbs around your workout.
HIGH CARB DAYS: The total amount of carbs will vary based on your size and activity level. Women will consume between 150 and 200 grams while men can get away with up to 300 grams. Still eat plenty of lean protein and a serving or two of healthy fats. Remember, a high-carb day is not an excuse to binge eat; it’s a way to reset muscle-building and fat-burning hormones.
HIGH CARB DAYS with Reward Meal: Same as a high carb day but you will increase your calories by roughly 300-500. This is your day to enjoy a “cheat” meal.
NO CARB DAYS: You will get all your calories from fibrous veggies, protein and fat. (more extreme so I would not recommend this if you are a beginner)
This is an example what a week of Carb Cycling could look like:
Monday: Low-carb day
Tuesday: High-carb day
Wednesday: Low-carb day
Thursday: High-carb day
Friday: Low-carb day
Saturday: High-carb day
Sunday: High-carb day w/ reward meal (daily calories will increase by 300-500)
A more advanced approach would look like this:
Monday: Low carb day
Tuesday: Low carb day
Wednesday: High carb day
Thursday: Low carb day
Friday: Low carb day
Saturday: High carb day
Sunday: High-carb day w/ reward meal (daily calories will increase by 300-500)
Just like everything else, your personal carb cycling level depends on your body and your goals. I suggest starting out slow and working your way into it. A beginners approach is to alternate high and low carb days while the more extreme approach is to add is no carb days. Just listen to your body and see what it responds better to. Carb cycling can be done at all time or on and off. You be the judge of what works best for you!