FLAIR nutrition
The secret of carb cycling
Karen Domingos is a Brazilian fitness model and athlete who has been in the fitness industry for 13 years . Her upbeat attitude reflects on her work , home and family life , and her passion extends to motivating women who want to fulfill their goals and inspires them through her own achievements .
Want to know what carb cycling is , how it works , and if it can help you lose weight faster than traditional dieting ? Read on and find out
By Karen Domingos
Carb cycling is a method of dieting that involves planned increases and decreases in carbohydrate intake
There are many carb cycling protocols out there , but most suggest alternating between at least two of three types of days :
High-carb days
High-carb days typically call for 2 to 2.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight . They are usually your highest calorie days .
Low-carb days
Low-carb days typically call for about 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight . They are usually your second-highest calorie days .
No-carb days
No-carb days typically call for less than 30 grams of carbohydrate . They are usually your lowest calorie days .
• On one side , they ’ re conducive to muscle growth by fueling our workouts and creating a more anabolic environment in our bodies .
• On the other side , they ’ re conducive to fat storage by spiking insulin levels , which “ feeds ” our body fat with precious glucose for it to store .
The carb cycling can deliver most or all of carbs ’ muscle-building benefits with little or none of its fat gain drawbacks .
It accomplishes this rather staggering feat by using higher-calorie high-carb days to do several things :
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