Carb cycling - how to actually do it?
I want to try carb cycling instead of strict keto. High carb on training days, low carb on rest days. But I can't find a clear guide. How do you set it up?
Basic carb cycling setup:
- High carb days (training): 2-3g carbs per lb bodyweight, lower fat
- Low carb days (rest): 0.5-1g carbs per lb bodyweight, higher fat
- Protein: stays the same every day (0.8-1g/lb)
- Total weekly calories: should match your goal (deficit, maintenance, or surplus)
Match high carb days to your hardest training days for maximum performance benefit.
I do high/medium/low: training days are high, light training days are medium, rest days are low. Gives more flexibility than just two levels.
Carb cycling is popular in bodybuilding. The theory: high carb days fuel training and fill glycogen, low carb days promote fat oxidation. In practice, the benefit over just eating consistent macros is probably marginal. But if you enjoy the structure, go for it.
The real benefit of carb cycling for me: I can eat more on training days (pizza after leg day!) and still maintain a weekly deficit. It makes dieting more psychologically sustainable.
I did strict carb cycling for a competition prep. 400g carbs on leg day, 100g on rest days. The performance difference was noticeable. Leg day felt amazing with all those carbs.
The math has to work out weekly. If you eat 300g extra carbs (1200 cal) on high days, you need to eat 300g fewer on low days. Otherwise you're just eating more overall.
Awesome, this is the framework I needed. Going to do high/low with 250g and 100g carbs respectively. Keep protein at 180g daily. Will report back!
Just make sure you track carefully on both types of days. It's easy to overeat on "high carb day" and underperform the low carb day deficit. An app that makes tracking easy is key here.