Chapter 5: Are There Other Benefits to Carb Cycling?

Carb cycling’s primary benefit is rapid weight loss. However, there are some other benefits offered by this way of eating that other diets don’t provide. When you cycle between high and low carb days, you reap the benefits offered by both forms of dieting. Even better, many of the negatives of those diets are eliminated.

Some of the benefits of carb cycling include improved insulin sensitivity. This helps to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It can also improve cholesterol levels and enhance metabolic health. Anyone who is pre-diabetic, insulin resistant, or who has type 2 diabetes already can benefit from this way of eating.

Also, those who are resistant to weight loss may benefit from this regime. By decreasing carb intake, insulin release is also reduced. This allows the body to burn rapidly through carbohydrate stores, switching to burning fat for energy instead. As a result, faster weight loss can be triggered.

During the higher carb refeeding period, hormones can enjoy positive effects. Thyroid hormones, leptin and testosterone can all reap a positive impact. All these factors have a key role to play in dieting success over the long-term. Hormones play a vital part in exercise performance, metabolism and hunger management. Therefore, controlling them more efficiently will ensure better function.