With all those high protein diet fads out here, it’s no wonder that Carbohydrates have gotten some serious flak.
Well, believe it or not, our muscle growth and overall wellbeing, depends on us getting in the right amount of healthy carbohydrates into our system. The challenge is to take in just the right amount of carbs, at just the right times. It turns out that what carbs you eat and especially, when you eat them can drastically affect your body’s response to them. Through a process called carb cycling, you can manipulate carb consumption to maximize muscle growth while you minimize negative effects.
How you should plan it :
On the days you lift weights, eat starchy carbs along with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
On the days you’re either off from the gym or are doing some kind of intervals or cardio, don’t eat any starchy carbs, but continue to eat protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
How to split up the days
Day 1: No carb
Day 2: Low carb
Day 3: High carb
Day 4: No carb
Day 5: Low carb
Day 6: High carb
Day 7: Low carb
High Carb Days:
stimulate an insulin response that shuttle nutrients in your muscle cells, causing them to grow
replenish glycogen stores that fuel your muscles
make you feel good and energized
Low Carb Days:
promote fat loss by tricking your body into burning fat for fuel (instead of the sugar from the carbs it would normally get)
keep your body more receptive to insulin, improving your body’s muscle-building response
Make sure you get the majority of your calories on high-carb days from complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes and fruits. On low-carb days, try to get your protein from chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs or tofu and complement it with non-starchy veggies.
Good luck and let us know if you see the results!
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