Carb Cycling And Keto: Can They Coexist?

Carb cycling is a dietary approach that alternates between low- and high-carb days. While it can be applied to any diet, it is particularly relevant for those on low-carb or keto diets, as it provides a happy medium between the two. Carb cycling can be an effective strategy for keto dieters as it allows for the reaping of ketosis benefits while providing more flexibility and the potential for improved athletic performance. The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) involves a period of low-carb eating, typically around six days, followed by a day or two of higher carb consumption. This high-carb period is referred to as a refeed day, which restores the body's glycogen reserves, particularly beneficial for athletes.

Carb cycling for athletic performance

Carb cycling is a nutrition strategy that involves adjusting your carbohydrate intake to align with your training needs. It is a popular approach among endurance athletes, such as cyclists, swimmers, and marathon runners, who seek to optimise and boost their performance.

Carb cycling typically involves alternating high-carb days with low-carb days. On high-intensity workout days, athletes increase their carbohydrate intake to fuel their bodies and improve performance. During these periods, the body uses glycogen as its primary fuel source. On rest and low-intensity work days, athletes reduce their carb intake and increase their consumption of protein and healthy fats, which aids muscle recovery and forces the body to burn fat for energy.

The benefits of carb cycling for athletic performance include:

• Improved energy levels during high-intensity workouts
• Enhanced muscle recovery
• Increased fat burning
• Better endurance
• Improved body composition

It is important to note that the effectiveness of carb cycling may vary depending on the type of sport or activity. It seems to be more beneficial for endurance sports, such as long-distance running or cycling, compared to sports with short bursts of activity, like tennis or martial arts. Additionally, the length of the fat-adaptation period, which can take up to six months or more, may impact the results of carb cycling.

When implementing carb cycling, it is crucial to prioritise complex carbohydrates over simple carbs. This means choosing unprocessed carbs such as whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, and starchy vegetables. Additionally, protein and fat intake should remain consistent throughout the carb cycling regimen.

While carb cycling can be a useful strategy for athletic performance, it may not be suitable for everyone. It requires careful planning and experimentation to determine what works best for an individual's goals and health status.

Carb cycling for weight management

Carb cycling is a planned approach to eating carbohydrates on a schedule as part of your diet. It involves any temporary or cyclical increase or decrease in carbohydrate intake. While it can apply to any type of diet, it is most commonly associated with low-carb or keto diets, where it is also known as carbing up or cyclical keto.

On a low-carb or keto diet, carb cycling can be an effective strategy to support weight management. By alternating between low- and high-carb days, carb cycling can help to regulate weight loss hormones, break through weight loss plateaus, and support overall weight management goals.

Here's how carb cycling can support weight management:

Leptin Regulation

Carb cycling can help regulate leptin, a key hormone that controls hunger, satiety, and metabolism. By including occasional carbohydrate-rich meals, carb cycling can pulse leptin levels, enhancing satiety and promoting weight regulation. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who have become leptin resistant due to dieting or other factors.

Weight Loss Plateaus

Carb cycling can also help break through weight loss plateaus. When the body adapts to a consistent low-calorie diet, metabolism can slow down, leading to a stall in weight loss. By introducing high-carb days, carb cycling revs up the metabolism and prevents this adaptation, helping to overcome plateaus and promote continued weight loss.

Gut Health

The cyclical nature of carb cycling can benefit gut health as well. Low-carb days can be rich in butyric acid, found in butter or ghee, while high-carb days can trigger butyrate production through the fermentation of dietary fiber from low-toxin vegetables. This can lead to improved gut health and enhanced weight management.

Metabolic Flexibility

One of the key benefits of carb cycling is the development of metabolic flexibility. By varying carb intake based on activity levels and individual goals, carb cycling helps the body maintain sensitivity to important hormones like insulin and leptin. This metabolic flexibility can support weight management by allowing the body to efficiently utilize different fuel sources.

Dietary Freedom

Carb cycling can also provide a sense of dietary freedom, making it easier to stick to a low-carb or keto diet long-term. By allowing for occasional carb refeed days, individuals can satisfy their cravings and maintain morale, reducing the risk of falling off the diet or binging on restricted foods.

While carb cycling can be a powerful tool for weight management, it is important to note that it may not be suitable for everyone. It is recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant dietary changes, especially if you have a history of disordered eating or other health concerns. Additionally, the effectiveness of carb cycling for weight management may vary depending on individual factors such as activity level, overall diet composition, and underlying health conditions.

Carb cycling for gut health

Carb cycling involves switching between periods of low- and high-carb intake. While there is no fixed definition, it generally refers to eating low-carb most of the time, with short periods of increased carb intake.

Carb cycling may improve gut health by supporting the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in metabolic health. Carb cycling offers more opportunities to pack in beneficial fibre in the form of veggies, fruits, legumes, and other whole-food carbs. This increased fibre serves as fuel for good bacteria in the gut, leading to the production of beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that support the production of glucose-regulating hormones. Eating ample fibre is also vital for maintaining a healthy gut mucus barrier and keeping inflammation in check.

• Figure out your goals and outline a schedule: Consult with a registered dietitian to help you plan your schedule according to your goals.
• Calculate macros for low-carb and high-carb days: Establish your baseline macros and adjust your fat and protein intake accordingly.
• Consider using a CGM and testing ketones: A CGM can help you understand how carb cycling impacts your blood sugar. Testing ketones during low-carb stretches can also reveal if you're metabolising fat more efficiently.
• Focus on how you feel and adjust as needed: Give yourself time to see if carb cycling elicits the desired outcomes. If not, or if you experience unpleasant side effects, make adjustments or consult a nutritionist.

It's important to note that the body of evidence on carb cycling is still small, and more research is needed to fully understand its long-term effects.

Carb cycling for metabolic flexibility

Carb cycling is a dietary approach in which you alternate between low and high-carb days. Carb cycling can be done daily, weekly, or monthly, and it's a flexible strategy that you can adjust to fit your needs. Carb cycling is not the same as the cyclical ketogenic diet, although the two are often compared. While the cyclical keto diet involves adhering to a standard keto diet protocol for 5-6 days and then having 1-2 days of higher carb intake, carb cycling doesn't reduce overall carb intake drastically enough to reach ketosis.

Carb cycling can be beneficial for those who want to improve their metabolic flexibility, which is the body's ability to efficiently shift between burning glucose and burning fat, depending on the available fuel source. When you're in a low-carb state, your body will burn predominantly fat and ketones, and you may experience increased fat burn and fat loss, as well as an elevation in ketones. On the other hand, having periodic high-carb days will help refill muscle glycogen, providing your body with an additional fuel source for high-intensity activities.

To improve metabolic flexibility through carb cycling, you can follow a weekly schedule where you have 5-6 low-carb days and 1-2 high-carb days. Your high-carb days should coincide with your high-intensity workout days. This strategy ensures that your body has the fuel it needs for intense exercises while also allowing you to experience the benefits of a low-carb state, such as increased fat burn.

When implementing carb cycling for metabolic flexibility, it's important to choose healthy, nutrient-dense, and complex carbohydrates on your high-carb days. Opt for unrefined carbs such as whole grains, vegetables, whole fruits, and legumes. Avoid simple sugars and refined carbs, which are found in processed foods, cakes, desserts, and baked goods. Additionally, consider consulting a registered dietitian to create a plan tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Carb cycling for dietary freedom

The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) is a great option for those seeking dietary freedom while reaping the benefits of the ketogenic diet. CKD involves cycling in and out of ketosis by having a "refeed" or "cheat" day where you can eat carbs to your heart's content. This not only helps with weight management and athletic performance but also provides dietary freedom, making it easier to stick to a keto lifestyle long-term.

The standard ketogenic diet is a high-fat, ultra-low-carb diet, with carbs restricted to as low as 25 grams per day. On the other hand, CKD typically involves 6 days of low-carb eating followed by a day of higher carb consumption. During the refeed day, you would eat enough carbs to replenish your muscle's glycogen stores, which is essential for strenuous activities and athletic performance.

Benefits of Carb Cycling

Dietary Freedom

The near-complete carbohydrate avoidance of a conventional keto diet can feel restrictive. CKD provides freedom by allowing you to eat carbs once or twice a week. This can boost your morale and make it easier to maintain a keto lifestyle in the long run.

Weight Management

CKD can help with weight management by regulating weight loss hormones. Specifically, the reintroduction of carbs can boost leptin levels, which controls hunger and satiety. This can help break through weight loss plateaus and optimize your weight.

Enhanced Exercise

CKD is particularly beneficial for endurance athletes like cyclists and marathon runners who rely on carbohydrates for energy. The refeed days allow them to 'race high and train low', maximizing their performance.

Gut Health

The cyclical keto diet can also improve gut health. The low-carb days can include gut-friendly butyric acid found in butter or ghee, while high-carb days can trigger butyrate production through the fermentation of dietary fiber from low-toxin veggies.

Metabolic Flexibility

Cycling in and out of ketosis through CKD allows for unique metabolic flexibility, keeping your body sensitive to important hormones like insulin and leptin.

Things to Keep in Mind

While CKD offers many benefits, it may not be suitable for everyone. It is important to assess your goals and health status before deciding to try CKD. Additionally, there is limited research on the long-term effects of CKD, so it is essential to monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Frequently asked questions