I don’t know about you, but I like simple.
And here’s a simple fact for you:
You don’t need to do anything particularly special or fancy to build the body of your dreams
At least 80% of the game is just understanding and applying a relatively small number of physiological principles related to diet and exercise.
And I’d go as far as saying that the majority of what’s left is just patience and persistence.
You don’t need convoluted training programs or diets. You need fundamentals.
That said, once you have the fundamentals firmly in place, you can look to gain slight edges.
This is where things like supplementation, fasted training, periodization, and carb cycling come into play.
In this episode, we’re going to dive deep into carb cycling and learn what it is, how it (supposedly) works, and how to do it.
We’re also going to review many of the fundamentals that supercede it, and ultimately, we’re going to get an answer to the most important question:
Is carb cycling better than traditional dieting?
That is, can it really beat the simplest way to diet?
Let’s get to it.
TIME STAMPS:
3:49 – What is carb cycling?
5:29 – Why do people carb cycle?
7:48 – What are the myths of carb cycling?
12:12 – How much protein should I take on a carb diet?
16:15 – What is insulin and how does it work in the body?
18:36 – What is energy balance?
20:29 – How does protein effect insulin levels?
21:26 – Is carb cycling better for fat loss?
23:08 – Can you use carb cycling to build muscle?
29:00 – How do you do carb cycling?
30:02 – How do use carb cycling to lose fat?
33:28 – How do you use carb cycling to build muscle?
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
- Howarth KR, Phillips SM, MacDonald MJ, Richards D, Moreau NA, Gibala MJ. Effect of glycogen availability on human skeletal muscle protein turnover during exercise and recovery. J Appl Physiol. 2010;109(2):431-438. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00108.2009
- Dietary carbohydrate and protein manipulation and exercise recovery in novice weight-Lifters. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258242414_Dietary_carbohydrate_and_protein_manipulation_and_exercise_recovery_in_novice_weight-Lifters. Accessed September 29, 2019.
- Lane AR, Duke JW, Hackney AC. Influence of dietary carbohydrate intake on the free testosterone: cortisol ratio responses to short-term intensive exercise training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010;108(6):1125-1131. doi:10.1007/s00421-009-1220-5
- Creer A, Gallagher P, Slivka D, Jemiolo B, Fink W, Trappe S. Influence of muscle glycogen availability on ERK1/2 and Akt signaling after resistance exercise in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol. 2005;99(3):950-956. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00110.2005
- Denne SC, Liechty EA, Liu YM, Brechtel G, Baron AD. Proteolysis in skeletal muscle and whole body in response to euglycemic hyperinsulinemia in normal adults. Am J Physiol. 1991;261(6 Pt 1):E809-14. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.1991.261.6.E809
- Gelfand RA, Barrett EJ. Effect of physiologic hyperinsulinemia on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and breakdown in man. J Clin Invest. 1987;80(1):1-6. doi:10.1172/JCI113033
- Fryburg DA, Jahn LA, Hill SA, Oliveras DM, Barrett EJ. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I enhance human skeletal muscle protein anabolism during hyperaminoacidemia by different mechanisms. J Clin Invest. 1995;96(4):1722-1729. doi:10.1172/JCI118217
- Miller SL, Wolfe RR. Physical exercise as a modulator of adaptation to low and high carbohydrate and low and high fat intakes. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999;53 Suppl 1:S112-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10365988. Accessed September 29, 2019.
- Bergstrom J, Hermansen L, Hultman E SB. Diet, Muscle Glycogen. Acta Physiol Scandanavia. 1967;1967(71):140-150. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1967.tb03720.x
- Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P. An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;66(5):1264-1276. doi:10.1093/ajcn/66.5.1264
- Pal S, Ellis V. The acute effects of four protein meals on insulin, glucose, appetite and energy intake in lean men. Br J Nutr. 2010;104(8):1241-1248. doi:10.1017/S0007114510001911
- Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(9):859-873. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa0804748
- Energy Balance and Obesity, Healthy Weight Basics, NHLBI, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/balance.htm. Accessed September 29, 2019.
- Kersten S. Mechanisms of nutritional and hormonal regulation of lipogenesis. EMBO Rep. 2001;2(4):282-286. doi:10.1093/embo-reports/kve071
- American Diabetes Association. 2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2019. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(Suppl 1):S13-S28. doi:10.2337/dc19-S002
- Mettler S, Mitchell N, Tipton KD. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(2):326-337. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181b2ef8e
- Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ, et al. A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2003;133(2):411-417. doi:10.1093/jn/133.2.411
- Phillips SM. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to metabolic advantage. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006;31(6):647-654. doi:10.1139/h06-035
- Leidy HJ, Clifton PM, Astrup A, et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(6):1320S-1329S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.084038
- Churchward-Venne TA, Murphy CH, Longland TM, Phillips SM. Role of protein and amino acids in promoting lean mass accretion with resistance exercise and attenuating lean mass loss during energy deficit in humans. Amino Acids. 2013;45(2):231-240. doi:10.1007/s00726-013-1506-0
- Smith J, Mc Naughton L. The effects of intensity of exercise on excess postexercise oxygen consumption and energy expenditure in moderately trained men and women. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1993;67(5):420-425. doi:10.1007/bf00376458
- Stiegler P, Cunliffe A. The role of diet and exercise for the maintenance of fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate during weight loss. Sports Med. 2006;36(3):239-262. doi:10.2165/00007256-200636030-00005
- Mettler S, Mitchell N, Tipton KD. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010;42(2):326-337. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181b2ef8e
- Horton TJ, Drougas H, Brachey A, Reed GW, Peters JC, Hill JO. Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;62(1):19-29. doi:10.1093/ajcn/62.1.19
- Leidy HJ, Clifton PM, Astrup A, et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(6):1320S-1329S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.084038
- Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004;23(5):373-385. doi:10.1080/07315724.2004.10719381
- Tappy L. Thermic effect of food and sympathetic nervous system activity in humans. Reprod Nutr Dev. 1996;36(4):391-397. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8878356. Accessed September 29, 2019.
- Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, Sears B. Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(5):1055-1061. doi:10.1093/ajcn/83.5.1055
- Hall KD, Bemis T, Brychta R, et al. Calorie for Calorie, Dietary Fat Restriction Results in More Body Fat Loss than Carbohydrate Restriction in People with Obesity. Cell Metab. 2015;22(3):427-436. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.07.021
- Thomson CA, Stopeck AT, Bea JW, et al. Changes in body weight and metabolic indexes in overweight breast cancer survivors enrolled in a randomized trial of low-fat vs. reduced carbohydrate diets. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(8):1142-1152. doi:10.1080/01635581.2010.513803
- Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(9):859-873. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa0804748
- Phillips SA, Jurva JW, Syed AQ, et al. Benefit of low-fat over low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial health in obesity. Hypertens (Dallas, Tex 1979). 2008;51(2):376-382. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.101824
- Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, Sears B. Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(5):1055-1061. doi:10.1093/ajcn/83.5.1055
- Samaha FF, Iqbal N, Seshadri P, et al. A low-carbohydrate as compared with a low-fat diet in severe obesity. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(21):2074-2081. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa022637
- Volek JS, Sharman MJ, Gómez AL, et al. Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women. Nutr Metab. 2004;1. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-1-13
- Yancy WS, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC. A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(10):769-777. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-140-10-200405180-00006
- Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, Sears B. Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(5):1055-1061. doi:10.1093/ajcn/83.5.1055
- Aragon A. AARR May 2008. 2008;83(5):1055-1061. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.39.