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*The HIGH CARB Cutting Diet!

BigNShredded

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As I've discussed numerous times before, both here and on my radio show, CARBS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BODYBUILDERS! Reducing or eliminating carbohydrates will result in muscle loss, and for those who are actually trying to BULK on low carbs--you're just wasting your time. Here is an article from MD that was actually very effective at consolidating the evidence against low-carb diets for BODYBUILDERS. If you are a 300lb OBESE WOMAN, then a KETOGENIC DIET is perfect for you, lol. Otherwise, you MUST be consuming carbohydrates--for (non-catabolic) FAT-LOSS AND FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE GROWTH.

Disadvantages of a Ketogenic Diet


Ketogenic diets promote acidosis in muscle (reduced Ph), which can increase muscle tissue proteolysis.
Ketogenic diets turn on genes for catabolism. (SEE AMPK section).
Reduced exercise intensity
Insulin is a potent anti-catabolic hormone.
Carbs suppress cortisol
Low-carb diets are currently being used to reduce prostate cancer via reducing IGF-1.
Lowers SHBG (i.e., lowers free testosterone)


Why Ketogenic Diets May Not Be Conducive for Muscle Anabolism

During the Pre-competition Diet

Many people on the message boards were asking, “Where is your proof that you need carbs to build muscle?” There are two studies that lead one to speculate that training in a glycogen-depleted state leads to impaired genes for muscle hypertrophy. This study does not prove that being in a glycogen-depleted state all the time may not be healthy for muscle anabolism.

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and reported that performing resistance training in a glycogen-depleted state results in impaired genes for muscle hypertrophy.1 The study follows a 2005 study in which researchers from the Human Performance Lab in Indiana reported that a glycogen-depletion diet blunts the expression of the muscle protein Akt. Akt, or protein kinase B (PKB), is an important molecule in cellular signaling. Akt is also able to induce protein synthesis pathways and is therefore a key signaling protein in the cellular pathways that lead to skeletal muscle hypertrophy and general tissue growth.

Akt is regulated in response to a wide variety of growth factors, including insulin and more recently has been associated with rapid activation in response to exercise in human skeletal muscle. In the study, they didn’t use rats or cell cultures; they used resistance-trained athletes. (The athletes had trained for almost 8 years, using resistance exercise and had exceptional leg press strength). Resistance-trained males performed resistance exercise in the glycogen-depleted state or with adequate glycogen stores. The next day the subjects returned to the weight room and completed 1-legged leg presses (8 sets of 5 repetitions ~80 percent of a 1 RM) with one leg that was glycogen-depleted while the other leg was not. Muscle biopsies were taken before exercise, immediately after and three hours after recovery.

When they examined the muscle biopsies, the researchers found that depleted muscle glycogen concentrations reduced the gene expression of muscle hypertrophy genes. Some of the more disturbing findings were that resting levels of genes involved in muscle hypertrophy (Myogenin and IGF-1) were lower in the glycogen-depleted muscle.2 Akt expression was similar in both groups before and immediately after exercise (after 10 minutes of recovery in the high carbohydrate trial). The Akt/mTOR regulates muscle hypertrophy and is downregulated during muscle atrophy. Akt phosphorylation increased 1.5-fold after resistance exercise with glycogen. During the low glycogen trial after exercise, Akt remained unchanged.2 The study concluded that commencing resistance exercise with depleted muscle glycogen does not enhance the activity of genes implicated in promoting hypertrophy. This is the stance that Steve Blechman took on the message boards; low-to-moderate carb diets are better for losing fat and maintaining an anabolic state than a low-carb ketogenic diet. The study raises awareness that low-carb ketogenic diets may not be conducive for putting on muscle mass.

For a look at a brief overview of the study, download a free copy of the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Performance Training Journal and go to page 5. The article is titled, “Is Muscle Glycogen A Concern For Athletes Who Want To Stimulate Muscle Hypertrophy?” by Gregory Haff, Ph.D.

**broken link removed**

The AMPK Connection

AMPK is activated during states of energy stress such as hypoxia, glucose starvation and restores the energy-depleted status by concomitantly inhibiting anabolic and stimulating catabolic pathways.11-13 Protein synthesis, a major consumer of ATP in mammalian cells, is inhibited upon AMPK activation.14 Protein synthesis as mentioned previously is inhibited by increased levels of AMPK.10 Furthermore, the degree of AMPK activation during sub-maximal exercise was also shown to be dependent on the fuel status of the contracting musculature, with AMPK activity elevated to a greater extent in muscle with glycogen depletion compared with high glycogen levels.15 A new study released this month in the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that low levels of glycogen caused an increase in levels of AMPK. They examined athletes (not resistance trained, but endurance athletes) and assigned them to high fat/low carb/high protein diets. The subjects were prescribed a high-fat (4.6 g/kg/bw, 68 percent of energy), low-CHO (2.5 g/kg/day, 17 percent of energy) diet. High carbohydrate was used as a comparison. CHO was an isoenergetic diet providing 10.3 g/kg/day-70 percent of energy from CHO and 1.0 g/kg/day, 18 percent of energy from fat. Protein content was maintained at 2.3 g/kg/day during both trials and diets were constructed to maximize, or at least match, absorbable energy. After 5 days of a high fat/lo-carb diet, levels of AMPK were higher than those on the carbohydrate-rich diet. This is valuable data, but does not prove that carbs play a role in the regulation of muscle mass.

All Anabolic Reactions Occur in a Hydrated Cell

Many of the research studies investigating ketogenic diets have reported that dehydration is a common adverse event that occurs with low-carb diets. Cells that experience decreased hydration have impaired anabolic reactions. There is evidence that cellular hydration is an important factor in controlling cellular protein turnover, while protein synthesis and degradation are affected in opposite directions by cell shrinking and that an increase in cellular hydration (swelling) acts as an anabolic agent, whereas cell shrinkage is catabolic.16 Additionally, subsequent studies on the effects of cell volume on protein synthesis have reported similar findings. The results strongly suggest that cell volume is an important cellular signal for the control of protein synthesis in general.17 Being on a ketogenic diet naturally disposes you to dehydration and as mentioned previously, training in a dehydrated state also blunts testosterone levels.18

Ketogenic Diets and Exercise Intensity

Resistance exercise is intermittent in nature so typically, resistance exercise does not result in significant reductions in muscle glycogen. Some of the respondents in the debate say that they feel they can train harder on ketogenic diets. The literature suggests that reduced muscle glycogen is associated with muscle weakness,3 decreased isokinetic force production,4 and reduced isokinetic strength.5 The only athletes who have been shown to benefit from low-carb diets are endurance athletes training at low intensity, which enhances fat oxidation. Some members in the debate reported having increased strength gains on a ketogenic diet— remember that resistance training at low reps (5 reps are less) is dependent on the ATP-PC system. However, high intensity training using resistance exercise (10-12 reps, multiple sets, with short rest periods) can result in depletion in muscle glycogen.6,7 In a review article written in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research titled “Carbohydrate Supplementation and Resistance Training,” the author makes several points about the benefits of carbohydrates and resistance exercise.

Spiking insulin occasionally can increase elevations in GH later in the day through hypoglycemia by insulin. Therefore, occasional carbohydrate spikes lead to increases in GH that may enhance hypertrophy induced by resistance exercise. For example, a study reported that the supplements which promote the greatest insulin spike post-exercise lead to significantly higher GH levels 5-6 hours later. In the study, the supplements that contained carbohydrates and/or carbohydrates/protein caused this spike.8 So occasionally spiking insulin with a carbohydrate may be good for muscle.

The author also concluded in the review article that, “Current research strongly suggests that resistance training, especially using large-muscle mass free-weight exercises performed with high training volumes with moderate loads, is partially dependent upon muscle glycogen stores. The amount of glycogen used in these exercises also appears to be related to the total amount of work accomplished and the duration of the resistance-training bout. The ingestion of liquid carbohydrate may serve to promote a faster recovery, which may enhance subsequent exercise and training sessions.9”

The bottom line is that there is no universal diet that works for everyone. My graduate professor always told me to remain objective. Each year at major conferences such as Experimental Biology, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and American College of Sports Medicine, scientists present research from their laboratories and at the end of each session, there are other scientists who question the validity of their ideas and research. In the scientific community, being skeptical stimulates thought and leads to other questions and keeps the scientific community pursuing more answers.

Based on the literature, it seems that carbs, although not essential to the human diet, are needed for muscle anabolism, as indicated by certain genes being blunted during glycogen-depleted states. I am not recommending a high carbohydrate diet, but I am also not recommending a low-carb ketogenic diet. I personally believe that occasional increases in carbohydrates and insulin are necessary to hold on to muscle while losing fat during the pre-competition diet. Based on the literature, training in a glycogen-depleted state adversely affects genes for muscle anabolism. No one has looked at changing the fat ratios either; no study has ever looked at zero-carb diets while using healthy fats (mono and omega-3s).

Unfortunately, there will probably never be a study performed for bodybuilders dieting for competition and muscle growth. We can only make conclusions based on peer-reviewed research articles; there is no one shoe that fits everyone. Only through trial and error can you find out exactly how many carbs you need and how frequently they should be consumed.

Key Points:

· Ketogenic diets are great for enhancing fat loss, but may cause more muscle loss.

· Training in a glycogen-depleted state resulted in reduced genes for muscle hypertrophy.

· Weight training performance is limited by low muscle glycogen levels.

· Low glycogen turns on AMPK which is a molecular component of a functional signaling pathway that allows skeletal muscle cells to sense and react to nutrient availability. Interestingly, age-related atrophy and decreased growth capacity is specific to fast-twitch skeletal muscle. When muscle biopsies are performed, AMPK is elevated with age in resting muscle; additionally elevated AMPK activity would correspond with atrophy in growth in fast-twitch muscle.

· Ketogenic diets promote acidosis in muscle (reduced Ph), which can increase muscle tissue proteolysis.

References:

Creer A, Gallagher P, Slivka D, Jemiolo B, Fink W, Trappe S. Influence of muscle glycogen availability on ERK1/2 and Akt signaling after resistance exercise in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol, 2005 Sep;99(3):950-6.
Churchley EG, Coffey VG, Pedersen DJ, Shield A, Carey KA, Cameron-Smith D, Hawley JA. Influence of preexercise muscle glycogen content on transcriptional activity of metabolic and myogenic genes in well-trained humans. J Appl Physiol, 2007 Apr;102(4):1604-11.
YASPELKIS, B.B.D., J.G. PATTERSON, P.A. ANDERLA, Z. DING, AND J.L. IVY. Carbohydrate supplementation spares muscle glycogen during variable-intensity exercise. J. Appl. Physiol, 75: 1477-1485. 1993.
MACDOUGALL, J.D., S. RAY, D.G. SALE, N. MCCARTNEY, P. LEE, AND S. GARNER. Muscle substrate utilization and lactate production during weightlifting. Can. J. Appl. Physiol, 24:209-215. 1999.
ROBERGS, R.A., D.R. PEARSON, D.L. COSTILL, W.J. FINK, D.D..PASCOE, M.A. BENEDICT, C.P. LAMBERT, AND J.J. ZACHWEIJA. Muscle glycogenolysis during differing intensities of weightresistance exercise. J. Appl. Physiol, 70:1700-1706. 1991.
TESCH, P.A., E.B. COLLIANDER, AND P. KAISER. Muscle metabolism during intense, heavy-resistance exercise. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol, 55:362-366. 1986.
TESCH, P.A., L.L. PLOUTZ-SNYDER, L. YSTRO¨M, M. CASTRO, AND G. DUDLEY. Skeletal muscle glycogen loss evoked by resistance exercise. J. Strength Cond. Res, 12:67-73. 1998.
CHANDLER, R.M., H.K. BYRNE, J.G. PATTERSON, AND J.L. IVY. Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise. J. Appl. Physiol, 76:839-845. 1994.
Haff GG, Lehmkuhl MJ, McCoy LB, Stone MH. Carbohydrate supplementation and resistance training. J Strength Cond Res, 2003 Feb;17(1):187-96. Review.
Rolfe DF, Brown GC 1997 Cellular energy utilization and molecular origin of standard metabolic rate in mammals. Physiol Rev, 77:731-758
Long YC, Zierath JR 2006 AMP-activated protein kinase signaling in metabolic regulation. J Clin Invest, 116:1776-1783
Hardie DG 2004 The AMP-activated protein kinase pathway— new players upstream and downstream. J Cell Sci, 117:5479-5487
Mu J, Brozinick JT, Jr., Valladares O, Bucan M, Birnbaum MJ 2001 A role for AMPactivated protein kinase in contraction- and hypoxia-regulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Mol Cell, 7:1085-1094
Wojtaszewski JFP, MacDonald C, Nielsen JN, Hellsten Y, Hardie DG, Kemp BE, Kiens B, Richter EA. Regulation of 5AMP-activated protein kinase activity and substrate utilization in exercising human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 284: E813-E822, 2003.
Steinberg GR, Watt MJ, McGee SL, Chan S, Hargreaves M, Febbraio MA, Stapleton D, Kemp BE. Reduced glycogen availability is associated with increased AMPKalpha2 activity, nuclear AMPKalpha2 protein abundance, and GLUT4 mRNA expression in contracting human skeletal muscle. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Jun;31(3):302-12.
Latzka WA, Montain SJ. Water and electrolyte requirements for exercise. Clin Sports Med, 1999 Jul.
Busch GL, Völkl H, Ritter M, Gulbins E, Häussinger D, Lang F. Water, electrolyte and acid base disturbances in renal insufficiency. Physiological and pathophysiological significance of cell volume. Clin Nephrol, 1996 Oct;46(4):270-3. Review.
Judelson, A. et al. Effect of hydration state on resistance exercise-induced endocrine markers of anabolism,catabolism, and metabolism. Journal of Applied Physiology, July 10, 2008.
 
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I see SHELBY is reading this, who I've battled with continuously on this issue over the past few years lol
 
!! BULLSHIT !!

their is no such thing as an essential carb , it's utter stupidity to think that you can't build muscle on protein and fat alone

yes carbs might make it easier for some but they are not essential by any means
 
!! BULLSHIT !!

their is no such thing as an essential carb , it's utter stupidity to think that you can't build muscle on protein and fat alone

yes carbs might make it easier for some but they are not essential by any means

GLUCOSE IS ESSENTIAL!!

IT IS SO ESSETIAL, THAT THE HUMAN BODY EVOLVED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CREATE GLUCOSE FROM OTHER MACRONUTRIENTS, IF IT MUST!

Glucose is ESSENTIAL for BRAIN AND BODY FUNCTION. WITHOUT GLUCOSE = DEATH
 
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ALSO--you CAN grow while on a low-carb diet, but NOT OPTIMALLY. Look at the data, HORMONALLY, BIOCHEMICALLY, and physiologically, high-carb diets are far superior.
 
GLUCOSE IS ESSENTIAL!!

IT IS SO ESSETIAL, THAT THE HUMAN BODY EVOLVED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CREATE GLUCOSE FROM OTHER MACRONUTRIENTS, IF IT MUST!

Glucose is ESSENTIAL for BRAIN AND BODY FUNCTION. WITHOUT GLUCOSE = DEATH

then the Eskimos should all be dead then!!

the body will make glucose from excess protein
 
Im no pro (or Medical Doctor for that matter) but don't the ketones act as "glucose" for the brain to function?

however, even the biggest keto diet advocate (Dave Palumbo) would use massive amounts of carbs during his offseason. I have no doubt it was because even he knew that carbs were essential for muscle growth whether it be from a physiological standpoint (taking advantage of insulin) or a psychological standpoint (training intensity, motivation, mood etc.)


Good post, Im looking forward to reading the discussion...
 
then the Eskimos should all be dead then!!

the body will make glucose from excess protein

THAT'S MY POINT!! THE BODY WILL MAKE GLUCOSE--BECAUSE IT IS ESSENTIAL!!
 
Im no pro (or Medical Doctor for that matter) but don't the ketones act as "glucose" for the brain to function?

however, even the biggest keto diet advocate (Dave Palumbo) would use massive amounts of carbs during his offseason. I have no doubt it was because even he knew that carbs were essential for muscle growth whether it be from a physiological standpoint (taking advantage of insulin) or a psychological standpoint (training intensity, motivation, mood etc.)


Good post, Im looking forward to reading the discussion...

Yes, the point is that the human brain and body NEED GLUCOSE in order to FUNCTION. That's a fact. I am not using that as an argument against low-carb diets even, because the body WILL make glucose from other macronutrients. I was simply responding to his statement that "there are no essential carbs", which is a gross misrepresentation of the truth, based on linguistics. The body needs glucose to function. The word 'essential" is just a TERM used to note what the body can and can not PRODUCE ENDOGENOUSLY.
 
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then why do we "NEED" to eat carbs then

Dude, did you even READ the article I posted? NO, you definitely did NOT. PLEASE DO SO NOW!! :)
 
Just how many carbs are you referring to ? According to your theory where would you place carbs in your macros ? 40 - 50 % , more ??
 
Just how many carbs are you referring to ? According to your theory where would you place carbs in your macros ? 40 - 50 % , more ??

That would depend entirely on genetics and activity level, and whether or not you're trying to lose fat as a primiary goal, or build muscle. In general, around half of your calories should come from healthy carbohydrate sources such as beans, whole grains, dairy, whole fruits and veggies, potatos and oats.
 
I still dont see you cutting up on high carb.

Have you seen the George Farrah thread?

This assumption of yours is based purely on your PERCEPTION of "carbohydrates" and their role in fat metabolism. YOU HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED DUDE. In the absence of significant dietary fat intake, spiking insulin levels will not store fat.

I am ripped up year-round on a high carb, high protein, low-moderate fat diet. Even in a calorie surplus, so long as I train hard about 5 times per week, I can lose fat while building muscle. Yes, lose fat WHILE building muscle--without TREN OR HGH! :)
 
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Have you seen the George Farrah thread?

This assumption of yours is based purely on your PERCEPTION of "carbohydrates" and their role in fat metabolism. YOU HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED DUDE. In the absence of significant dietary fat intake, spiking insulin levels will not store fat.

I am ripped up year-round on a high carb, high protein, low-moderate fat diet. Even in a calorie surplus, so long as I train hard about 5 times per week, I can lose fat while building muscle. Yes, lose fat WHILE building muscle--without TREN OR HGH! :)

:rolleyes:
 
Here is the deal -

I have gotten in serious contest shape on both diets. High carbs and high fats.

I truly feel I never lost ANY muscle on either approach. However --- I approach my "higher fat diet" more intelligently than most "cookie cutter" trainers.

I have NUMEROUS variables in my higher fat approach, and I mean things that are considered "non pre-contest" food items....

Things like variosu forms of cold cut cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, variety of all nut butters etc.... Because you will be stopped so dead in your tracks if you do the basic "chicken and almonds" "salmon and asparagus" ---- all that tedious bullshit will MAKE SURE your ass is doing excessive "low intensity cardio" and double sessions + silly "protein and veggie days."

With my higher fat diets you have much more to "pull" from, and cardio is barely used (if at all for lucky people).

Now where the higher carb or carb based diet becomes EVEN MORE "ESSENTIAL" for the competitor (in my experience) all has to do with metabolic rate and the ability to "fill out" and process adequate glucose --> into glycogen.

I have found with keeping ample carbs well into the pre contest phase it will be MUCH more predictable to know how you will respond to filling out, and your insulin sensitivity will actually be HIGHER believe it or not. The pancreas never takes a vacation and also stays very efficient.

When I have filled out with the higher fat approach, I had to do it much more mild and for only a very short period of time due to unpredictable management of glucose.

FF
 
I still dont see you cutting up on high carb.

i see cutting up on a moderate carb diet possible, high carb dont see it with out the use of extra drugs........but ross can do it i guess!:confused:
 

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