Carbohydrate loading in bodybuilding - features, principles and reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Carb loading, or refeeding, is a sudden increase in the amount of carbohydrates eaten over a period of hours or days. Unlike cheating (increasing the number of calories eaten), refeeding is useful not only psychologically, but also physically. It is good for every athlete or dieter to do some carb loading at least once in a while.

In the article we will talk about the features of refeed.

The role of carbohydrates in the human body

Carbohydrates are considered the most important source of energy for humans.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

• Complex. This group includes legumes, starchy vegetables (peas, potatoes, corn), beets, carrots and grains.
• Simple carbohydrates. They can be found in milk, dairy products, fruits, and sweets (cakes, candies, etc.).

What is the userefeed?

During a carb-load, you can take a break from your diet and eat well. But these are not all the benefits of a refeed. This nutritional system provides some physiological benefits. Below are the benefits of carb-loading:

1. Restore muscle glycogen stores. Almost all diets are based on the rejection of food that contains carbohydrates. During such a diet, a person feels constant weakness, and, as a result, training becomes unproductive. Refeed will help you stick to the diet for a long time. In addition, your workouts will become more effective.
2. Temporary suspension of catabolism. The risk of losing muscle mass increases if the percentage of body fat is too low. Carb loading can protect muscles from breakdown.
3. Improve hormonal levels. The most important advantage of refeed is the maintenance of the level of leptin, ghrelin and insulin in a normal state. These hormones are responsible for adaptation to hunger, weight regulation and metabolic rate.

Who needs a download?

Let's find out who really needs a refeed and when:

1. Carbohydrate loading on drying. It is recommended to do in the middle of the cycle. Refeed helps reduce the load on the body.
2. To athletes before performances. Carb loading in this case helps to increase the volume of muscle tissue by about two centimeters.
3. Athletes who need endurance during training. Carb loading before a marathon allows you to get extra energy. Sometimes marathon runners keep refeeding while running.
4. Athletes involved in power sports. Crossfitters and bodybuilders often practice carbohydrate loading. It helps increase strength endurance.
5. Carb loading on a keto diet. This diet involves a complete rejection of carbohydrate foods. Very often, people on this diet just need a break. After a refeed, you can safely continue the diet without fear of losing a large amount of muscle tissue. In addition, after a carbohydrate load, strength and desire to continue the process of losing weight will return to a person.

Refeed before a competition or during a diet is a temporary panacea. Remember that carbohydrate loading only works when the body is depleted. The body can only respond to a stressful situation. If you have always consumed a lot of carbohydrates and decide to load, then the result of the refeed will not be significant.

Basic rule of carb loading

Refeeding is not a way to figure out how many carbs to eat in a few days or hours. Don't take loading as an opportunity to eat your fill. A refeed is just an increase in carbohydrates in your diet. Fat and protein levels should remain the same.

It is acceptable to eat foods such as marshmallows, sherbet, marmalade and marshmallow. These sweets contain only carbohydrates. Cake, ice cream, cookies, donuts are prohibited. These foods are high in fat.

Remember that refeeding requires strict compliancerecommendations for proper nutrition. Your diet should still have the optimal amount of proteins and fats. Only carbohydrates should be an order of magnitude more than on a normal day. Please note that within one week you can either refeed or cheat.

What carbs are there?

During loading it is better to use:

• low-fat pastries;
• bread;
• cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice and others);
• pasta;
• marmalade;
• grapes;
• carrot;
• zephyr;
• beets;
• bananas;
• marshmallow.

Sweets, as mentioned above, should be eaten in small quantities so as not to provoke an increase in body fat. Focus on foods you don't normally eat while cutting or dieting (bananas, grapes, bread).

If you feel bad on the refeed

There are people who can't tolerate carbohydrate loading. These include those who have poor insulin sensitivity and those who often follow a low-carbohydrate diet. These people may experience sudden drops in blood sugar. How to avoid it? Here are the solutions:

• do not exclude proteins, fats and fiber from your diet;
• eat whole grains;
• eliminate refined foods from your diet.

How long does a refeed last?

Let's consider three options:

• One day. Refeed lasting one day lasts from breakfast to dinner. Don't go to extremes andeat everything. Eat in moderation, just add some carbs to every meal.
• Two days. Refeed lasting two days lasts from breakfast to dinner during the days allotted for loading. It is recommended to eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates on both days to avoid spikes in blood sugar and energy.
• Five o'clock. If you decide to do a five-hour carbohydrate load, then start it in the afternoon. For example, from 15.00 to 20.00. Finish your refeed just before bed. Continue your diet the next morning.

During a carb-load, eat every three hours. If your work schedule does not allow you to comply with this mode, then it is better to transfer the refeed to a day off.

Reverse refeed

Here are the main postulates that characterize this reverse carbohydrate loading method:

• Eat little in the morning.
• By evening, the caloric content of the diet should be significantly increased.
• Don't eat carbs before your evening workout.
• After training, you need to eat a large amount of carbohydrates. Moreover, it is worth eating carbohydrate food before going to bed.

Reviews

Judging by the reviews, carbohydrate loading is tolerated quite easily. Athletes who go to their goal observe an improvement in strength indicators after it. Dieters find it much easier to keep losing weight after a refeed. Moreover, according to them, carbohydrate loading helps to overcome the effectplateau.

In closing

Unfortunately, many people misunderstand the concept of "carb loading". In order to competently refeed and choose the right amount of carbohydrates to be consumed during loading, you should contact a professional. Nutritionists take many factors into account when formulating a diet. These factors include:

• How hard an athlete trains and what sport they practice.
• Does the athlete take hormonal drugs. For example, an athlete who consumes AAS will be assigned a different amount of carbohydrates.
• Did the athlete follow the pre-diet.
• Has the athlete experimented with monodients.
• Athlete's calorie intake.
• The goal of carbohydrate loading (before the competition, a break during the mono-diet, etc.).

Therefore, it should be borne in mind that the amount of carbohydrates during a refeed should be calculated as individually as the caloric content of the diet. Take your carb-loading seriously, don't overeat during it.

During the refeed, do not change the amount of fat and protein in your diet. By following all the rules of carbohydrate loading on a diet or in another situation, you will get the desired result and achieve your goals.