Carb or carbohydrate cycling has become a popular concept in recent times. Though there is no concrete scientific evidence behind the concept, it has worked wonders for many when they used the method.
In this article, I will explain the concept of carb cycling so that even if you know nothing about it, you can easily incorporate the process into your life.
Contents
What is Carb Cycling?
Carbs or carbohydrates are essential micronutrients. Carbs are considered the energy source of our body
Some Facts About Carbs:
- There are 4 calories in each gram of carbohydrates.
- A lack of carbs can lead to digestive issues.
Carb cycling involves rotating the amount of carbohydrates in our diet. The concept is that we do not take the same amount of carbohydrates every day of the week; we tweak the intake based on our needs.
On the days when you need more energy, you will consume more carbs; when you do not need much energy, you will reduce your carb intake. Carb Cycling is usually done because of the following reasons:
- Breaking the fat loss plateau
- Increase the workout performance
- Prevent diet fatigue
How can you do the cycling?
I recommend you choose a mix of low, moderate, and high-carb days. You do not need to choose very low-carb days.
I am giving you a sample of carb cycling, assuming you workout four days a week. I will also attach an Excel file in which you can put your data and get an automated carb cycling plan.
For the sample, assume a person weighs 80 kg and has a maintenance calorie intake of 2500 Kcal. The person wants to cut down 20% on calories, which will create a deficit of 500 Kcal.
You can check out this template from here “Carb Cycling Sample Sheet”
What carb sources should you consume?
To answer this question, first, let’s see how many calories and carbohydrates our regular carb sources have:
Sources | Calories (Approx.) | Carbs (Approx.) |
White Rice (100 gm) | 130 | 28 gm |
Whole Wheat Bread | 250 | 40 gm |
Oats (100 gm) | 375 | 65 gm |
Sweet Potatoes (100 gm) | 94 | 20.7 gm |
Corn (100 gm) | 96 | 27 gm |
Broccoli (100 gm) | 31 | 6 gm |
Zucchini (100 gm) | 21 | 3.9 gm |
Carrots (100 gm) | 25 | 12 gm |
There are thousands of carb sources, and I just listed the popular ones. You can get carbs from any source if it fits your plan.
However, I recommend you fill up your carbs from vegetables and fruits on Low-carb days. The reason for that is the volume. The table shows that vegetables have very low amounts of calories and carbs compared to their portion. You can consume a lot of vegetables, which will make you feel full throughout the day.
If you eat 100 g of oats in the morning, you will fill up the day’s carb requirement with just one meal, and you may suffer from not having carbs throughout the day. If you consume more fruits, you can satisfy your Ghrelin and Leptin Hormones.
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