Carb Cycling

Carb Cycling: A Dietary Strategy to Keep You in Balance

Carb cycling is a dietary approach where you alternate between high-carb, moderate-carb, and low/no-carb days throughout the week. This is combined with a consistently high protein intake and an inversely proportional fat intake to your carbohydrate intake.¹

Who can benefit from carb cycling?

This dietary strategy claims to help individuals achieve very lean body compositions without the muscular catabolism often associated with standard calorie-restricted diets.

Carb cycling has been adopted by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts as a method to fine-tune body composition. The idea is that varying carbohydrate intake can manipulate the body's fuel utilisation in favour of fat burning while preserving muscle tissue.¹

How to do carb cycling properly?

There are many ways to structure a carb cycling diet:

• Some protocols suggest a 4:1:1 ratio of low-carb days to high-carb days to no-carb days.

• Others may propose a 3:1 arrangement or a pattern of three low-carb days followed by one high-carb day.¹

Nutritional recommendations for carb cycling should consider total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and specific goals, such as fat loss or maintaining a low body fat percentage. Key guidelines include:

• Protein intake: Should consistently be high, around 1 gram per pound of body weight.

• Carbohydrates: High-carb days may include up to 2.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight, while low-carb days significantly reduce carb intake.

• Fats: Adjust to fill the remaining caloric needs, staying lower on high-carb days and higher on low/no-carb days.¹

Are there any downsides to carb cycling?

While carb cycling can be effective in a calorie deficit for fat loss, it is not inherently superior to a well-structured traditional diet that also ensures a calorie deficit.

Additionally, carb cycling requires meticulous planning and adherence to achieve results, especially when targeting very low body fat levels.¹ ²

Adherents must ensure their total weekly caloric intake aligns with their goals. Those aiming to build muscle should prioritise consuming enough carbohydrates to support training performance and recovery.³

Let’s sum it up

In summary, carb cycling can be an effective nutritional strategy for individuals seeking to achieve or maintain a very lean physique. It may also facilitate easier diet adherence and a more enjoyable eating pattern. However, success with carb cycling requires:

• A well-thought-out plan.

• Careful monitoring of calories and macronutrients.

• A focus on overall diet quality and workout performance.

References

1. Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger
   The Advanced Guide to Shattering Plateaus, Hitting PRs, and Getting Shredded
   Book | 2014 | Michael Matthews

2. The Ultimate Nutrition Bible
   Easily Create the Perfect Diet that Fits Your Lifestyle, Goals, and Genetics
   Book | 2023 | Matt Gallant, Wade T. Lightheart

3. Endure
   Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
   Book | 2021 | Alex Hutchinson