Research paper

Carb Cycling: Fad or Effective

Virgil Campbell

BSC 1025C

November 6th, 2020

Carb cycling is a very strict diet made popular by athletes to gain more lean muscle mass while losing fat. This fad is becoming more popular with people wanting to kick-start weight loss. “Whether you want to lose fat, gain lean muscle or simply maintain your current weight, the plan is adaptable to whatever goals you have in mind. The idea behind carb cycling is to time your macronutrient consumption in such a way that you take full advantage of your body's anabolic and anticatabolic states (Fitzgerald 2010).” Insulin level are a contributing factor as well, “This type of carbohydrate manipulation is effective because it gives you full control over your insulin levels (Fitzgerald 2010).” While carb cycling may be a great way to lose fat, it may also present some dangerous side effects. For example, “When you decrease carb intake, your body needs to rely on burning fat for fuel instead, and to do that it needs special fat-burning enzymes. Since you haven't been using those enzymes at the level required when carbs are limited, your body has a rough time making the change (Brown 2009).” This paper will discuss how glucose depletion, insulin control, and being in a catabolic state can contribute to effective carb cycling diet.

Brown, Jordana. “Keeping up with Carbing up: The Pros and Cons of Cycling Carbs.” Flex, no. 2, 2009, p. 302. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.195340902&site=eds-live&custid=hcc.

Fitzgerald, Rob. “Ripped Rotation: Shed Fat, Build Mass and Optimize Your Training with This Simple Carb-Cycling Diet Plan.” Joe Weider’s Muscle & Fitness, no. 2, 2010, p. 152. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.215139953&site=eds-live&custid=hcc