5. Is There any Sense of Using Carb Cycling Diet?
That depends. Each diet should be considered according to your individual preference.
An unquestionable advantage of carb cycling is that on days with high carbohydrate intake during long-term reduction, the person using this strategy can afford more products, which in general are not “healthy” such as: jellybeans, bars or sweetened drinks.
Another advantage during days with high carbohydrate supply is an increased quantity of food when the person will be able to saturate, eat more, which will result in better mental comfort.
However, it should not be forgotten that a well-balanced and properly prepared diet with a constant energy supply should also have such an effect.
One aspect that also needs to be touched is that after intensive training the athletes often get their so-called “wolf hunger”.
Days with high carbohydrate supply will be helpful in reducing the risk of snacking and will provide greater mental comfort. At the other end of the spectrum, there will be people who will have problems with eating more energy after intensive training.
In such people, we can use the flexibility of this strategy and apply low/medium carbohydrate supply on days of intense exercise, while remembering to maximize the glycogen recovery process.
People from the example above may have more pressure to eat on non-workout days and in this case, we can use days with high carbohydrate intake.
Another benefit of using carb cycling will be the phenomenon of introducing “something new” in our dietary management.
Each of us has a friend who loves new things, whether it’s the latest smartphone features, the latest apps for new opportunities, etc. For such people, the application of the new nutritional strategy will give a new impetus to action.
Their motivation will increase, which will result in the faster achievement of the goal and less risk of breaking the recommendations during the “traditional” approach.
This strategy has both advantages and disadvantages. This method (especially for people who are perfectionists) may increase the risk of eating disorders, which in the future may result in bulimia or anorexia.
In summary, carb cycling diet is a strategy that can be successfully applied to athletes. Their lifestyle must be taken into account and the strategy must be adapted to ensure that they are as comfortable and as individual as possible.
The interview should include questions aimed at getting to know the athlete’s current habits, such as: number of meals, number of snacks, the intensity of training, physical activity other than the discipline, amount of sleep, taste preferences, supplementation, medications taken, allergies, etc.