Unfortunately, these extremes won’t be quite as effective for runners because the energy systems required for optimal training are different between weight lifters and runners. Bodybuilders will often use severe carbohydrate and calorie restrictions on their “non-carb” days and load up on their “high carb” days. These cycles are usually a couple of days long and are usually based on the days in which you train. Simply speaking, carb-cycling is a process of alternating between lower carbohydrate, lower calorie days and higher carbohydrate, higher calorie days. By modifying the time-tested bodybuilding strategy of carb-cycling to the specific metabolic and training demands of runners, it’s possible to attain that delicate balance between weight loss and optimal performance. Perhaps we can look again to bodybuilders for an answer. So, what’s the solution if you’re a runner who wants to balance training hard and running well with losing weight? Being in a constant caloric deficit and not providing the muscles with the right type of fuel will leave you tired, struggling to recover, and will derail your performances. However, on the opposite spectrum, to train hard and recover quickly from difficult workouts, a runner must consume adequate calories and fuel with complex carbohydrates (and even simple carbohydrates at the right times). This is why low-carb diets are effective. To do so, not only do you have to measure portion sizes, but you have to control the quality of the foods you consume specifically, limiting your intake of simple carbohydrates. If you understand the basic principles of weight loss, you recognize that the most critical factor in weight loss is incurring a calorie deficit. Unfortunately, despite how it may seem, losing weight and training hard aren’t easy to do in conjunction. Whether it be for optimal performance, general health, or even the reason they started running in the first place, weight is a critical issue for runners. Losing or maintaining weight is usually a goal that ranks pretty high on a runner’s priority list.
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