What is “carb cycling” and do I need to use it?
Carb cycling might sound complicated, but we promise it’s not that intimidating and works well for a lot of our clients!
To put it simply, carb cycling involves alternating between various carb intake levels throughout the week based on factors such as training, schedule, etc.
This is a common and effective strategy to improve body composition. Some of our clients love it because they can make progress towards their fat loss goals while still having days to work in their favorite carb sources!
The basic setup follows these guidelines:
High priority or heavier training days get higher carbs.
These days, calories come more from protein and carbs.
Non-priority or moderate training days get moderate carbs.
These days, calories come relatively evenly from protein, carbs, and fats.
Rest/active recovery days get lower carbs.
These days, calories come more from protein and fats.
This kind of strategy allows you to fuel your body for movement, while allowing a slight deficit on days you aren’t training as hard and may not need the extra carbs to fuel workouts.
Carb cycling involves a closer tracking of macros, but it can be worth it! Here are some benefits we have noticed with our clients:
They exhibit better adherence to the plan, because they don’t have to cut carbs completely.
Have you found in the past that you lose weight quicker on lower carbs but that it was hard to stick to? This strategy solves that problem by allowing you days to enjoy your carbs but also balances those days out with lower carbs so that you can better stick to your deficit.
It helps them avoid or push through frustrating weight-loss plateaus.
Plateaus typically occur because our bodies adjust to what we are doing and get really effective at matching our calorie output to our calorie input; but by changing that variable each day, we make it harder for our body to adjust to.
They see improved blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.
Your body produces insulin to digest carbs, so the decrease in carb intake and insulin release allows the body to burn through its stored carbs and switch to burning fats for fuel.
It can help better balance and regulate hormones involved in fat loss.
Carb cycling may help control leptin and ghrelin levels - which are hormones that regulate your feelings of being full or hungry. Women in particular usually find these hormones are balanced better with healthy fats, which are increased on lower carb days.
Curious about trying this strategy for yourself but not sure how to set it up? That’s where we come in! Working with one of our coaches can allow us to review your feedback and help you find those “sweet spots” that work best for you and allow you to reach your goals while still enjoying the process!
Click here to contact us through our website, or here to schedule a free 30-minute discovery call!
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