Cyclic ketogenic diet
Encyclopedia
A cyclic ketogenic diet (or carb-cycling) is a low-carbohydrate diet
with intermittent periods of high or moderate carbohydrate consumption. This is a form of the general Ketogenic diet that is used by bodybuilders as a way to maximize fat loss while also building body muscle. A ketogenic diet limits both the number of carbohydrate and protein grams that a person may eat. The remainder of the caloric intake must come from fat sources in order to maintain ketosis. Ketosis is the condition in which the body burns fat (ketones) instead of glucose for fuel. The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet can be complex, as it requires the dieters to closely watch the number of carbohydrate grams they eat during the intermittent period that they are not maintaining a strictly low carb/moderate protein diet.
When following a low carbohydrate diet, for the first few days, there is an adaptation period during which most people report feeling run-down or tired. The slightest exertion causes muscles to burn. People feel irritable, out of sorts, and unable to make decisions. For most people these feelings disappear after the adaptation period, however, and are replaced with feelings of calm and balance, consistent energy
.
Not everyone is dedicated enough to wait long enough for the body to adjust, so the potential for burnout
on a non-cyclic ketogenic diet (like Atkins
) can be high. People crave carbohydrates during ketosis, for physiological reasons. During a hypocaloric ketogenic diet, this temptation becomes even stronger, as the carb cravings are combined with the usual hunger pangs that accompany reduced calories.
A CKD offers a way to combat this. It offers a cyclical
"refeed" (sometimes also called a carb-up). What happens during a refeed is that the dieters will change their diet to comprise mostly complex carbohydrates
, limiting dietary fats as well as sucrose
and fructose
. Since the glycogen
stores in their liver and muscles are depleted, these carbohydrates go straight to refilling them, instead of being added to the body's fat stores. For this reason, the amount of calories consumed during a refeed can be far above an individual's maintenance intake.
The goals of a refeed are threefold:
a) to refill depleted glycogen stores
b) to upregulate hormones and thyroid activity that is depressed during dieting
c) to provide a psychological "break" that makes the rest of the diet easier to bear
A refeed is risky, as careless individuals can end up gaining fat, instead of losing it, if they eat more carbs than is needed to refill their glycogen stores. The timing, duration and macronutrient composition of a refeed are crucial to the overall success of the diet.
Low-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity. Foods high in digestible carbohydrates are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats...
with intermittent periods of high or moderate carbohydrate consumption. This is a form of the general Ketogenic diet that is used by bodybuilders as a way to maximize fat loss while also building body muscle. A ketogenic diet limits both the number of carbohydrate and protein grams that a person may eat. The remainder of the caloric intake must come from fat sources in order to maintain ketosis. Ketosis is the condition in which the body burns fat (ketones) instead of glucose for fuel. The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet can be complex, as it requires the dieters to closely watch the number of carbohydrate grams they eat during the intermittent period that they are not maintaining a strictly low carb/moderate protein diet.
When following a low carbohydrate diet, for the first few days, there is an adaptation period during which most people report feeling run-down or tired. The slightest exertion causes muscles to burn. People feel irritable, out of sorts, and unable to make decisions. For most people these feelings disappear after the adaptation period, however, and are replaced with feelings of calm and balance, consistent energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
.
Not everyone is dedicated enough to wait long enough for the body to adjust, so the potential for burnout
Burnout
Burnout or burn-out may refer to:*Burnout , a psychological term for a syndrome characterized by long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, especially in one's career*Burnout , when a vehicle's tires are spun so they smoke...
on a non-cyclic ketogenic diet (like Atkins
Atkins Nutritional Approach
The Atkins diet, officially called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, is a low-carbohydrate diet created by Robert Atkins from a research paper he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association published by Gordon Azar and Walter Lyons Bloom. Atkins stated that he used the study to resolve...
) can be high. People crave carbohydrates during ketosis, for physiological reasons. During a hypocaloric ketogenic diet, this temptation becomes even stronger, as the carb cravings are combined with the usual hunger pangs that accompany reduced calories.
A CKD offers a way to combat this. It offers a cyclical
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
"refeed" (sometimes also called a carb-up). What happens during a refeed is that the dieters will change their diet to comprise mostly complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates may refer to:*oligosaccharides, a saccharide polymer containing a small number of component sugars...
, limiting dietary fats as well as sucrose
Sucrose
Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its role in human nutrition. The molecule is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose with the molecular formula...
and fructose
Fructose
Fructose, or fruit sugar, is a simple monosaccharide found in many plants. It is one of the three dietary monosaccharides, along with glucose and galactose, that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream during digestion. Fructose was discovered by French chemist Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut in 1847...
. Since the glycogen
Glycogen
Glycogen is a molecule that serves as the secondary long-term energy storage in animal and fungal cells, with the primary energy stores being held in adipose tissue...
stores in their liver and muscles are depleted, these carbohydrates go straight to refilling them, instead of being added to the body's fat stores. For this reason, the amount of calories consumed during a refeed can be far above an individual's maintenance intake.
The goals of a refeed are threefold:
a) to refill depleted glycogen stores
b) to upregulate hormones and thyroid activity that is depressed during dieting
c) to provide a psychological "break" that makes the rest of the diet easier to bear
A refeed is risky, as careless individuals can end up gaining fat, instead of losing it, if they eat more carbs than is needed to refill their glycogen stores. The timing, duration and macronutrient composition of a refeed are crucial to the overall success of the diet.