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As a followup to my recent question about my own weightloss stall, I am wondering if anyone can explain carb re-feeds to me. More specificially, assuming I don't want to continue to be in a mild ketogenic state, what are the benefits/detriments to a carb re-feed plan versus moving toward a more moderate intake of carbs on a daily basis (i.e., 50-100 g instead of sub-50 g)? Thanks in advance.

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7 Answers

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Carb re-feeds are a useful and necessary component to a cyclic carb diet. I am sure you understand that while eating low carb <30g day, your body will eventually deplete its glycogen stores creating a less than optimal situation for many athletes. The carb re-feed allows those individuals to fill their glycogen stores over the course of the refeed and then return back to their normal diet after the refeed closes.

It is also understood that the cyclic refeed will also be a high calorie experience which promotes a boost in metabolism after a long period of reduced calories.

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it also has something do do with resetting lepitin levels maybe? I know it helps me to carb up about once a week.

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i lift heavy 2-3 days a week- short, very intense affairs. on those days i eat 2-3 potatoes post workout and this has helped me feel better in the subsequent days, my muscles don't feel flat and i sleep better. On days i don't lift, i almost always stay below 50g carbs/day on nonworkout days. This has made me feel much much better than when i was basically low-carbing all the time.

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Same here. did not tolerate VLC very well when i trained. upped the carbs (from tubers, that is), all good now. – Jan Feb 15 2011 at 16:47
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But don't you want to use up glycogen stores if you are trying to lose bodyfat?

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yes, but then you replenish them and use them up again. – mari Feb 15 2011 at 21:40
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I'm in the same boat. Hope someone has the answer!

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I was wondering this as well...would there be any difference between carb refeeding after each large workout (assuming crossfit style workouts 4-5 times/week) or simply once a week as prescribed by the cyclical ketogenic diet?

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When doing a carb-refeed how much grams of carbohydrates should one aim for? I feel my glycogen is highly depleted.

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Doubtful unless you are training for excessively long periods every day. The body is quite capable of replacing glucose overnight via gluconeogenesis. The longer you are fat-adapted the easier this is of course. – Alan Feb 28 2011 at 5:30

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