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How many carbohydrates do you need to fuel a high-intensity
bodybuilding workout? This question has triggered a heated
debate. High-carb proponents often base their position on
studies that examined endurance athletes, who tend to deplete
muscle-glycogen stores and thus require higher carb intake.
Low-carb advocates point to recent studies that indicate that
the body might adapt to a higher-fat, lower-carb intake by
up-regulating fat-burning enzymes in muscle. In addition,
fat byproducts, such as ketones, can be a direct energy source
for muscle. Another valid point is that there is no physiological
requirement for carbs, since they can be synthesized from
protein and, to a lesser extent, from the glycerol portion
of triglycerides (fat).
A recent study from Texas Christian University analyzed the
effects of low-carb vs. high-carb diets consumed by 11 male
weight trainers. First, the men depleted their leg-muscle
glycogen stores through cycling. Then, for two days, they
followed either a highcarb or low-carb diet. Next, the men
were put through a workout consisting of five sets each of
squats, leg presses and leg extensions, reps done to failure,
with three minutes rest between sets.
No differences in either muscle strength or endurance were
observed in either the high-or low-carb groups. However, those
who consumed the low-carb diet showed an increased reliance
on circulating blood glucose relative to those on the high-carb
plan.
What does this mean? Circulating blood glucose
is controlled by levels of liver glycogen. The glycogen stored
in muscle, in contrast, can be used only by the muscle it’s
stored in, due to lack of a certain enzyme in muscle that
permits systemic release of glucose. However, byproducts of
muscle-glycogen metabolism, such as lactate, can be released
into the blood, then converted into glucose in the liver through
a process called the Cori cycle.
As long as liver-glycogen stores are intact, limiting carbs
before a bodybuilding workout will not adversely affect workout
intensity. Taking carbs right after a workout might provide
an anticatabolic effect through limited cortisol release.
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