How To Cycle Carbohydrates

Cycling your carbohydrate intake allows you to generate enough energy to train without storing excess carbohydrates as fat. Carbohydrates remain your body's preferred fuel, and adequate carbohydrate intake allows you to train longer and harder. Your intake depends on your goals -- if you wish to gain muscle or improve performance, you must eat more than if you are planning to lose fat. Regardless of how you cycle your carbohydrates, if you eat too many, you will gain fat. Consult a health care practitioner before making any dietary modifications.

Step 1

Calculate your daily nutrient intake, counting each gram of protein and carbohydrates as 4 calories and each gram of fat as 9 calories. Track your intake over a period of three weeks, and calculate a weekly average. If you are not gaining or losing weight, you are consuming your maintenance calories.

Step 2

Limit your carbohydrate intake on non-training days. Cut at least 25 to 50 g of carbohydrates. Make your cuts first from simple sugars and junk foods, then limit cereals and grains. Cut carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables last.

Step 3

Increase your carbohydrate intake by 25 to 50 g per day on training days. Get half of this increase prior to training. Consume the extra carbohydrates in the form of fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries or cherries.

Step 4

Drink a shake of carbohydrates and protein immediately after your workout. Use whey protein and dextrose or maltodextrin. All are quickly digested and will go to speed your recovery. Count this shake toward your total caloric intake for the day. The shake's nutritional content will speed recovery from training, according to a 2007 study in the "Journal of Nutrition."

Step 5

Cut your calories by an additional 25 to 50 g of carbohydrates per day if you wish to lose fat. Increase your calories by an additional 25 to 50 g of carbohydrates on training days if you wish to gain muscle.

Tips and Warnings

Record everything you eat and drink. The key to success with carbohydrate cycling is adjusting your energy intake based on activity levels. Record your workouts and all other athletic activity.
Do not cut your carbohydrates to zero one day, then eat a surplus the next day. Doing this will cause extreme fluctuations in your blood sugar and insulin levels and lead to fat storage. Make small adjustments at first and see how they work. It is always easier to continue to make minor adjustments than it is to correct a mistake.