Carb Cycling

I hadn’t heard of carb cycling before but I’ve never really been a serious athlete or body builder. I once had an amateur boxing fight where I had to drop a bunch of weight quickly to meet my weight class. Then I went to Sizzler and ate a bunch of carbs the night before my fight post weigh in.

Carb cycling entails having high carb days and low to no carb days. On the days you plan on working out, have your high carb days. On your rest days have low to no carb days. Low carb meaning fewer than 30 grams of carbs the entire day. You can also cycle a few days on and a few off regardless of your exercise schedule.

The purpose of carb cycling is to limit insulin production as when you are constantly eating carbs, your body is also producing insulin. If you produce too much insulin you will gain weight and can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That’s why it’s important to have your high carb days on your hard workout days.

Side Effects

You can suffer from what is called “carb flu” when you cut back on carbs for a few days. It won’t last long and rehydration can dramatically help with this.

Carb cycling shouldn’t be attempted if you’re pregnant / breastfeeding, underweight, suffering from a eating disorder or experiencing adrenal issues.

What do you eat on low-carb days?

Try to eat high-fiber fruits and veggies, legumes, beans, lentils, peas, low fat milk, cheese, and yoghurt.