Still Having Trouble Losing/Maintaining A Healthy Weight? Try This!
Carbohydrates serve many major functions within the body, the most crucial of which is their role in providing the body with its primary energy source. Carbs also help regulate blood glucose, spare the use of proteins for energy, and help break down fatty acids. Simple carbohydrates can come in the form of baked goods, cookies, or cereal, while complex carbs can range from whole wheat bread, to carrots, or rice. The key is not to avoid carbs all together (this leads to falling off program), but instead to find and utilize the right carbs at the right times.
“Carb Cycling” is a critical strategy that can be highly affective for the right body-type [see article on “Fasted Workouts” for more information on this]. The fundamental idea is: consume carbohydrates post workout only, based on your energy expenditure. Essentially, eating in a way that allows us to stay in a fasted state, utilizing body fat as fuel and take advantage of the body’s need to replenish its glycogen stores after a workout rather than “carb-ing up” for the energy you’re ideally going to expend.
Carb cycling can be compartmentalized into two categories:
- “Post Workout” Meals
- “Anytime Meals” - or Non Workout Meals
As emphasized by Paul Carter of T-Nation, the main points of carb cycling essentially boil down to the following:
- Your carb intake should be proportionate to your workout volume and intensity.
- Longer, more strenuous workout = more carbs. Shorter, lighter workout = fewer carbs. No workout = no carbs.
- On non-training days, eliminate carbs as a whole and reduce your total caloric intake by roughly 10%.
Typically, the ideal window of time to consume carbohydrates is approximately 45-60 minutes after a workout. This is also the only opportunity for you to sneak in those simple carbs if you absolutely must. Simple carbs includes items as your favorite cereal or that donut you can’t stay away from. If you’re going to cheat, this is the best time to do it, just make sure you consume your protein first that way (a) you don’t over consume too many “bad” carbs, and (b) this will allow those simple carbohydrates to shuttle the protein into the muscle cells when they need it the most.
As for your remaining meals on training days, the rest of your caloric intake should come from foods with healthy fats like avocados, olives, nuts and seeds, clean proteins such grass fed and local chicken and beef, or wild caught fish, and of course vegetables, as their carb count is so minimal, we generally don’t even count them.
Gaining an understanding of the carb cycling method is a great way to maintain a healthy body composition even with the absence of excess “cardio.” It’s a strategy I’ve used for years.