The carb cycling diet focuses on reducing daily carbohydrate intake and thus tries to help people lose weight. As it is clear from the name of this food program, it considers specific cycles for carbohydrate consumption and by reducing and increasing its consumption, it tries to increase the body’s metabolism.
Followers of this diet receive minimal carbohydrates on some days and are allowed to eat more carbohydrates on some days, but this is only one of the mechanisms of this diet.
what exactly is a carb cycling diet?
In this diet, a three-stage cycle of low, medium, and high carbohydrates is defined, and its designers try to control the consumption of this food with the help of exercises and long-term goals.
The idea of the fans of this diet plan is that on the days when a person consumes less carbohydrates, the body starts to burn fat and the metabolism increases during the phase of receiving high carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, low-carb diets have been popular for years, and research shows that these diets achieve more weight loss than low-fat diets.
Following this diet may be difficult for most people in the long term or cause complications for its followers(1). Athletes and those who do sports on a continuous basis cannot stop consuming carbohydrates, and this diet plan makes it difficult to do sports and bodybuilding that requires high energy.
The carbohydrate cycling recommended by the Carb cycling diet is a smart alternative to weight loss for people who like to follow their professional exercise program while following the diet.
Does science support carb cycling diet?
The truth is that no independent scientific research has yet been able to confirm the effectiveness of this cycle. Weight loss approaches such as low-calorie diets and the ketogenic diet created the idea of using this cycle.
Fueling and fat burning exercises also confirm the existence of this cycle in some cases. The carbohydrate cycle tries to meet the body’s need for glucose. People need more carbohydrates on days when they have an important training or sports competition, after this the body’s need for carbohydrates decreases significantly.
Carbohydrate cycle allows people to get more carbohydrates on the day of training, and on rest days, when the body needs less of this substance, its consumption is limited in the diet. In this diet, the daily intake of protein and fat is fixed and the use of none is prohibited.(2)
What are the benefits of the carb cycling diet?
Proponents of this food plan for the carb cycling diet cite various benefits, here are some of the most important ones. Remember, no independent scientific research has confirmed or disproved these benefits:
1: Weight Loss
As with any diet that restricts calorie intake, the main goal of carb cycling is short-term weight loss. People who consume less carbohydrates usually lose weight faster and lose more weight in the same period compared to other diets.
2: Strengthen muscles
The days when a person is allowed to have more carbohydrates in this diet are intended to fuel muscle glycogen and can improve muscle performance and prevent them from breaking down during the diet.
3: Increased metabolism
Research has shown that low-carb diets slow down the body’s metabolism after a while. To increase metabolism, the presence of carb cycling is a smart choice that prevents fat burning from stalling. Fans of this diet believe that with the above trick, their weight loss process will be stable.
4: Blood sugar control
Proponents of this diet plan also believe that the carb cycling diet makes it easier to control blood sugar. Low carb days are the best time to practice reducing insulin sensitivity in the human body. In this way, the body makes maximum use of carbohydrates.
What are the disadvantages of the carb cycling diet?
Following the recipes of the carb cycling diet is not easy at all and some people believe that it is a special diet plan for professional athletes and people who need high endurance, normal people should not follow it to lose weight.
The second problem with this diet is that it is very difficult to determine the days when you should consume low, medium or high carbohydrates.
In this diet, on some days, a person is allowed to receive 2.5 to 5 servings of carbohydrates, while on high-carbohydrate days, this amount reaches 10 to 20 servings.
It is difficult to follow this diet and it will not be easy for people to check the amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat intake daily, while if a person does not pay attention to the daily intake of carbohydrates, there is a possibility of going off the path of the diet.
Following this diet without expert supervision, like any other diet plan, may lead to digestive problems and chronic diseases. People tend to take more carbohydrates on low-carb days, and on high-carb days, there is a risk that a person will not consume as much as they need.
This diet plan does not care about the person’s appetite, which may have a negative effect on the person’s desire to eat. Some people don’t have as much appetite and don’t want to eat on high carbohydrate days.
The human digestive system is sensitive and may face problems as a result of following this diet. A change in diet is not necessarily a physical thing, but too many changes may cause gastrointestinal discomfort for some people.
While following this diet, some people mentioned side effects such as reduced concentration, feeling tired, decreased body function, irregular sleep, constipation, and decreased metabolism.
Is the carb cycling diet the same as the ketogenic diet?
A carb cycling diet is not the same as a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet reduces carbohydrate intake to 20 to 40 grams per day to keep the body in ketosis and maximize fat burning for energy.
On the other hand, the carb cycling diet adjusts the amount of daily carbohydrate intake in a variable and cyclical way. No person can follow these two diets at the same time, because in one high-carbohydrate day, the body will definitely go out of ketosis.
There are different options for adjusting the carb cycle for each person to try depending on their circumstances, which one will help them achieve their goals the most.
What are the healthiest sources of carbohydrates available?
Some carbohydrates are harmful and experts recommend that people use them only occasionally and very limited. On the other hand, there are some natural sources of carbohydrates that are delicious, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and it is better to provide people’s daily carbohydrates in this way.
People on high-carbohydrate days should not go for unhealthy foods under the pretext of getting this food, but the advice of the fans of this diet is that people should choose the best and healthiest options.
Recommended good carbohydrates in this meal plan are:
- the vegetables: Each vegetable has a different amount of vitamins and minerals, vegetables with different colors should be used so that people have a good balance.
- Unprocessed fruits: Like vegetables, each fruit has unique properties, especially in this diet it is recommended to consume berries with high antioxidant and low glycemic load.
- Whole grains: Unrefined grains are completely healthy and their use has many benefits for the body. Sources include brown rice, oats, and quinoa.
- beans: They are an excellent choice of slow-digesting carbohydrates that are rich in fiber and minerals. Only the followers of this diet should make sure that they have prepared them properly.
- the glands: Potatoes, sweet potatoes and other similar ingredients.
High carb days should not be an excuse for people to overeat or be given permission to go for unhealthy foods on these days, instead one is expected to choose healthy food sources that are high in carbohydrates.
Which foods are allowed in the carb cycling diet?
Experts advise people who are interested in this diet to seek help from a nutritionist. The specialist can adjust the exact amount of daily carbohydrates needed by the person and write a specific regular program for people. Here we refer to a five-day carb cycling diet plan.
first day
rest day, low carbohydrate (allowed amount 30 to 50 grams)
- Breakfast
Tomato omelette with feta cheese and pepper (7 grams of carbohydrates)
- Lunch
Spinach and artichoke salad with Parmesan cheese (12 grams of carbohydrates)
- Dinner
Grilled chicken in a pan with mushrooms and onions with white cauliflower (12 grams of carbohydrates)
- Snack
Almonds, cheddar cheese, raspberries (5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates)
second day
average day, average carbohydrate intake (100 grams)
- Breakfast
Apple and cinnamon processed oats (41 grams of carbohydrates)
- Lunch
Baked Mexican spaghetti squash bowl (25 grams of carbohydrates)
- Dinner
Salmon with yogurt and cucumber salad with 1.2 cups of cooked brown rice (30 grams of carbohydrates)
- Snack
Almonds, cheddar cheese, raspberries (5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates)
third day
High carbohydrate day, high carbohydrate intake (200 grams)
- Breakfast
Pancakes, oatmeal with bananas and maple syrup (101 grams of carbohydrates)
- Lunch
Vegetable sandwich with whole grain bread (65 grams of carbohydrates)
- Dinner
Yatimcheh with spinach and tomatoes (35 grams of carbohydrates)
- Snack
Almonds, cheddar cheese, raspberries (5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates)
The fourth day
average carbohydrate day, average carbohydrate intake (100 grams)
- Breakfast
Apple and cinnamon processed oats (41 grams of carbohydrates)
- Lunch
Baked Mexican spaghetti squash bowl (25 grams of carbohydrates)
- Dinner
Sesame chicken and broccoli topped with scallion and ginger dressing, served with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (34 grams of carbs)
- Snack
Almonds, cheddar cheese, raspberries (5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates)
the fifth day
rest day, low carbohydrate intake (30-50 grams)
- Breakfast
Omelet with feta cheese and pepper (7 grams of carbohydrates)
- Lunch
Spinach and artichoke salad with Parmesan cheese (12 grams of carbohydrates)
- Dinner
Fried rice with cauliflower and shrimp (10 grams of carbohydrates)
- Snack
Almonds, cheddar cheese, raspberries (5 to 8 grams of carbohydrates)
On high-carbohydrate days, one must use healthy carbohydrates. Avoid processed foods, refined and sweet flours and should also use whole grains and complementary foods such as sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grain bread, brown rice and fruits in sufficient quantity.
These starchy substances are rich in fiber and have a more complex molecular structure than other carbohydrates, so the body needs more energy to break them down. Lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, and soy-related products are the best options for those following this diet.
On low-carb days, one is required to minimize the intake of starchy fruits and vegetables. In this situation, he can use low-carb vegetables such as leafy vegetables, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower and avocado.
Followers of this diet should also include plenty of protein and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish like salmon in their diet.
A carb cycling diet is a food plan that is usually used by endurance athletes and bodybuilders in a short period of time to change the amount of carbohydrates they consume based on the intensity of their training.
People who want to target their carbohydrate consumption to lose weight and get less fat can also go to this diet so that they can, at the same time, the carb cycling diet is a food program that is usually used by endurance athletes and bodybuilders in a short period of time to change the amount of consumption.
Carbohydrates are used based on the intensity of their training. People who want to target their carbohydrate consumption for weight loss and get less fat can also go for this diet so that they can follow their daily plans while losing weight.
Individuals need professional advice to determine their daily carbohydrate intake and exercise program, and should remember that the long-term effects of this diet have not yet been evaluated in an independent study, so it may be dangerous to follow it long-term.