Contest Carb Deplet/Load

[jerrywear]

Carb depleting and loading is a two-part formula for bodybuilding success. Competitors use this technique in the final week before a contest to create the appearance of a harder, denser and more impressive physiques.

Depriving your body of carbs and then putting the carbs back is an effective approach for two reasons. First, this procedure redistributes water in your body: Water beneath the surface of the skin is shed to reveal deeper cuts and separations. Second, as a bonus, once you load carbs, your muscles are pumped with glycogen(a sugar that is the principal form in which carbohydrates are stored in tissues) which helps to create a fuller look. Here are a few tips that will help anyone to carb deplete and load for maximum gains.

Burn fat before depleting carbs
The objective of carb depletion/loading is to make your physique look lean and muscular, but do not think that manipulating carbs at the last minute will make up for not burning enough fat in the first place. The depletion and loading approach is a complete waste of time if you?re not lean enough.

Determine depletion time according to size
Larger bodybuilders(over 190 pounds) can store more muscle glycogen than their smaller counterparts. Its no surprise, then, that it takes longer for the big guys to deplete their bodies of stored glycogen. Typically, larger male bodybuilders should deplete carbs for four-days and load for four days; smaller men require three days to deplete and three to load. Most female bodybuilders require only tow days for depleting and two for loading.
Note that, regardless of a persons size, the depleting and loading phases should be of equal duration.

Deplete, but don?t overdo it
Depleting on zero carbs is too sever and can result in a loss of hard-earned muscle mass. A bodybuilder who goes to extremes in carb depletion will often try to recapture lost muscle size by packing in hundreds of grams of carbs. At that point, its too late to minimize your losses.

Cut carbs by 50% during the depletion phase
As you reduce carbs, muscles use up much of their glycogen reserves; your then stuck with flat-looking muscles that are sponge-like. In turn, lowered glycogen levels increase the activity of enzymes that help to form new glycogen when a greater amount of carbs are reintroduced into the body.
The plan of action is as follows: If you?ve been eating 300 grams of carbs per day while dieting for a contest, cut back to 150grams of carbs during depletion. A woman dieting on 140g of carbs can easily deplete in two days by consuming only 70g of carbs each day.

Train with high reps on depletion days
High-rep, low-weight training ensures a loss of muscle-glycogen stores without any loss of muscle. Pick two exercises per body-part and do 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

Maintain levels of fat and protein intake
Many bodybuilders increase the number of calories coming from fat and protein sources during the depletion phase. This is a mistake because the body can make sugar from protein, and can use dietary fat for fuel instead od depleting its muscles of glycogen.

Increase carbs by 50% during the loading phase
In the depletion phase, cut carbs by 50%(see the fourth suggestion); in the loading phase, eat 50% more carbs than you did during your precontest diet. Think of it this way: if you eat 300g of carbs during your precontest diet, and you deplete by consuming only 150g of carbs per day, then you should load by consuming 450g of carbs per day. A woman whose precontest carb count is 140g per day should deplete on 70g and load on 210g.

Don?t train on loading days
The reason for this edict is quit simple: Training calls upon muscle glycogen for fuel, which will leave muscles looking flat.

Opt for high glycemic-index carbs on loading day one
Glycogen-starved muscles stimulate the glycogen-producing machinery in muscles. On the first loading day, take advantage of this situation by eating carbs that are simple in nature, easy to digest and high on the glycemic index. Examples of recommended carbs include Cream of Rice cereal, white rice, mashed potatoes and sodium-free white bread. Half of your daily carbs should come from these sources. On the other days of loading, you should go with complex carbs(yams; potatoes; long-grain, brown and wild rice), or whatever carbs you relied on during your precontest diet.

Reduce water intake during loading
If you follow the tips to the letter, you will lose water under the skin, because loading carbs into glycogen-deprived muscles require water. Cutting back on the water you consume during carb loading will lead to a fuller and tighter appearance. Reduce your intake of water by 50% on the days you load carbs.

[wyldeone]

This article is very well written and a good baseline for a standard carb depleation/carb load of coarse there are other variables that factor into the carb load such as sodium manipulation,ect.............but this is a very good baseline and a great starting point for beginners.

wyldeone

[CLEAN1]

It is a good writting with numbers and grams; looks prety scientific and worthy to follow. Don't fall for it especially if you new. It's not a base line and good start... It probably works for the author of the article. There are overlooked such things as a persons body type, insulin sesativity and so forth.If someone is endomorph and follows the articles recomendations,I can prety much tell one will be screwed. It is however very personal stuff and for every one is diferent. You try, you lose, you learn to know yourself and then you come up with your won plan and what's the best for you.

[CLEAN1]

It is a good writting with numbers and grams; looks quite scientific and worthy to follow. Don't fall for it especially if you new. It's not a base line or a good start... It probably works for the author of the article. There are overlooked such things as a persons body type, insulin sensitivity and so forth. If someone is endomorph and follows the articles recommendations,I can pretty much tell one will be screwed. It is however very personal stuff and for every one is different. You try, you screw (after 4-5 month dieting),that's how you learn about yourself and then you come up with your own plan and what's the best for you.

[wyldeone]

Clean1,

To some extent i agree with you although the basic formula is very close to what i use as far as timing is concerned although as you stated i custom taylor each depleation and loading phase based on each individuals specific needs and bodytype. Insulin sensitivity doesnt really play a role in the carb loading process other than people that are more insulin sensitive tend to load faster when repleneshing glycogen stores but there again you are constantly adjusting the type of carbs as well as the amount from meal to meal the last 2 sometimes 3 days based on your look. I would be more concerned with specific timing of specific types of carbs and how they relate to water/sodium manipulation because that in itself will either make or break you. If the person is lean enough and you dont get them carbed up enough, they still look great they are just a little flatter in pre-judge and therefore you adjust accordingly between pre-judge and finals to fill them back in. I honestly have never seen someone IN SHAPE AND DRY overcarbed and those that do spill and look like shit its because they either re-introduced water,sodium or they werent lean enough to begin with. I am keeping this very broad and general because i could go on for days with specifics of all the different variables but that gives you a basic outline

wyldeone