Carb cycling is a dietary trend that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. It involves alternating your intake of sugars on a regular basis, as well as eliminating them completely for a certain period of time. Because of how carb cycling speeds up weight loss, many people opt for this diet to lose weight fast.
How Carb Cycling Works
There are many different ways to practice carb cycling. People alternate their sugar consumption on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. As a rule, during a week, you alternate between low-carb, high-carb, and moderate-carb days. Sometimes, there are also no-carb days, where you don’t eat any sugars.
To get the best results, you should program the diet based on your particular needs. For example, some people cut down on carbs while dieting to lose weight. After that, when they need to build up muscle mass, they load up on carbs to promote muscle growth.
The Science Behind the Diet
Carbohydrates have a pretty bad reputation, but the truth is that your body needs them to function properly. What effects they will have will depend on your body type, as well as your insulin resistance status.
Carb cycling speeds up weight loss by allowing you to optimize your carb intake. As such, your body gets the exact amount of carbs it needs. Some studies have also highlighted the overall positive effects of regulated carb intake on athletic performance.
On high-carb days, the sugar you eat allows your muscles to synthesize more proteins. This is beneficial, especially after intense physical activity. On low-carb days, your body uses stored fat as fuel to create energy. Using fat as an energy source is one of the main ways how carb cycling speeds up weight loss.
Word of Warning
The reason why this diet is so popular is that it incorporates many proven benefits of timed intake of carbohydrates. Although beneficial for the most part, carb cycling won’t work for everyone.
The so-called “carb flu” may occur while your body switches from sugar to fat as a source of energy. This is why it’s important to stay hydrated while on the diet. Don’t do carb cycling while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have diabetes, consult with your doctor to see if this diet could help you.
