Carb Cycling: How it works and how to get results of it?
TOPICS :
Health
3
Ever envied the stamina and physique of the endurance athletes? Or, did you ever feel that fit and energetic dude in your office as a fitness goal? And what about that pretty sexy lady who dropped kilos of her weight without starving?
It sounds quite a dream for millions of us to maintain weight, muscles, and endurance at the same time. Well then, carb cycling is such a hero from that dream come true.
Carb cycling is basically an advanced nutritional diet plan that targets multiple fitness goals in a single breathe. Apart from other weight loss diet plans like ketogenic and atkins, carb cycling focusses on manipulating the carbohydrates’ intake according to requirements of an individual. Carbohydrates are macronutrients which are directly responsible for muscle growth. The alteration of the carb intake helps maintain the metabolism rate of an individual.
How it works?
Literally, carb cycling implies a cycle of carb intake over a period of time. A typical carb cycle for a seven day regimen can be observed in two phases;
Phase 1
Low carbohydrates intake for first four days to stimulate weight loss and to improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin puts the body in a storage mode in which the nutrition is equally shared by the both fat and muscle tissues. On the days of low carb intake, the reduced lipogenesis and increased fatty acids breakdown facilitates trimming of some significant amount of body-fat.
Phase 2
High carbohydrates intake for the next three days to obtain muscle growth, rapid recovery, and to maximize the glycogen storage in the body. Higher carb intake helps to create anabolic environment in the growth cells which thereby increases amino acid uptake, increment in the synthesis of protein, and reducing protein breakdown simultaneously. Adding extra carbs to the diet after a low carb diet improves the glycogen storage and the muscles store glycogen beyond their capacity which improves workouts in a low calorie period. In both of the phases, the combined outcome over the completion of one cycle is fat-loss and muscle gain simultaneously.
Results? What is the plan?
This is such a phase where so much of mind boggling goes into finding traces of results. Results are never easy, they have to be earned by hardwork, discipline, and of course by the formula of an extra rep.
While manipulating the carb intake for a period of time it is necessary to keep a watch on other nutrients as well. Consuming low carbs may decrease the fibre intake which is something to be taken care of irrespective of the diet plans. Similarly, fat and protein intake should also need to put on the priority list. Fat and protein intake must stay relatively constant and sufficient while the carb is being manipulated from low to high or high to low.
However, it does not take long for our body to adapt the diet and exercise plans imposed on it. When the body hits the plateau then the muscle growth becomes dormant and the fat-loss rate also gets off the track. This happens because the brain adapts the pattern of hormones and enzymes secretion that is stimulated by the carb cycling programme. So, what to do? All our body needs in this situation is to unlearn the pattern it observed during a particular diet and exercise plan. Cheat the body the some healthy savoury cheat meal. It restarts the metabolism and brings the cycle again on track of its goals.
Carbohydrates are big source of calorie. Normally, one gram of carb gives four calories. And carbs are most popular and easily accessible food amongst the others. There are a whole lot range of various foods rich in carbs which gives a wide choice of selection of foods for the carb cycling. Practising a balanced blend of simple and complex carb foods is necessary along with relying on clean carb foods only like bananas, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, apples and all the good and clean ones. Junk foods do no good.
What to wait for? It takes only a “yes” to go on. Remember you are just an extra step away from your goals.
Happy eating, happy living.
It sounds quite a dream for millions of us to maintain weight, muscles, and endurance at the same time. Well then, carb cycling is such a hero from that dream come true.
Carb cycling is basically an advanced nutritional diet plan that targets multiple fitness goals in a single breathe. Apart from other weight loss diet plans like ketogenic and atkins, carb cycling focusses on manipulating the carbohydrates’ intake according to requirements of an individual. Carbohydrates are macronutrients which are directly responsible for muscle growth. The alteration of the carb intake helps maintain the metabolism rate of an individual.
How it works?
Literally, carb cycling implies a cycle of carb intake over a period of time. A typical carb cycle for a seven day regimen can be observed in two phases;
Phase 1
Low carbohydrates intake for first four days to stimulate weight loss and to improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin puts the body in a storage mode in which the nutrition is equally shared by the both fat and muscle tissues. On the days of low carb intake, the reduced lipogenesis and increased fatty acids breakdown facilitates trimming of some significant amount of body-fat.
Phase 2
High carbohydrates intake for the next three days to obtain muscle growth, rapid recovery, and to maximize the glycogen storage in the body. Higher carb intake helps to create anabolic environment in the growth cells which thereby increases amino acid uptake, increment in the synthesis of protein, and reducing protein breakdown simultaneously. Adding extra carbs to the diet after a low carb diet improves the glycogen storage and the muscles store glycogen beyond their capacity which improves workouts in a low calorie period. In both of the phases, the combined outcome over the completion of one cycle is fat-loss and muscle gain simultaneously.
Results? What is the plan?
This is such a phase where so much of mind boggling goes into finding traces of results. Results are never easy, they have to be earned by hardwork, discipline, and of course by the formula of an extra rep.
While manipulating the carb intake for a period of time it is necessary to keep a watch on other nutrients as well. Consuming low carbs may decrease the fibre intake which is something to be taken care of irrespective of the diet plans. Similarly, fat and protein intake should also need to put on the priority list. Fat and protein intake must stay relatively constant and sufficient while the carb is being manipulated from low to high or high to low.
However, it does not take long for our body to adapt the diet and exercise plans imposed on it. When the body hits the plateau then the muscle growth becomes dormant and the fat-loss rate also gets off the track. This happens because the brain adapts the pattern of hormones and enzymes secretion that is stimulated by the carb cycling programme. So, what to do? All our body needs in this situation is to unlearn the pattern it observed during a particular diet and exercise plan. Cheat the body the some healthy savoury cheat meal. It restarts the metabolism and brings the cycle again on track of its goals.
Carbohydrates are big source of calorie. Normally, one gram of carb gives four calories. And carbs are most popular and easily accessible food amongst the others. There are a whole lot range of various foods rich in carbs which gives a wide choice of selection of foods for the carb cycling. Practising a balanced blend of simple and complex carb foods is necessary along with relying on clean carb foods only like bananas, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, apples and all the good and clean ones. Junk foods do no good.
Happy eating, happy living.
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