I am doing KETO for prep i.e. 50 grams of carbs per day or less. When I have a re-feed or cheat meal typically it has a quick effect thus I am thinking that overdoing carb load could be bad (although I will employ dyazide). So the main question generally for someone who is more carb sensitive and been following a Keto protocol would be when is best to begin the carb load and what types of carbs. Assuming water cut off at 8 PM the day before show.
Yes, you will almost certainly be more sensitive to carbs than someone who has been eating a lot of carbs, BUT...you actually have a reduced possibility of spilling over because your glycogen stores are currently very low.
However, there are a few things helpful things you can do which apply to just about everyone in your situation. Regarding your question about carb sources, I recommend consuming the "same" carb sources to load on as you have been eating all along (someone else mentioned this as well). Changing carb sources at the last minute could easily backfire, as the body's digestive system adapts to the foods we have been eating.
By throwing in a bunch of new foods at the last minute you stand a greater risk of experiencing digestive problems leading to water retention and bloating. Most people, especially at that point in prep, have been relying on carb sources like rice, potatoes (any kind), and oats simply because they are some of the easiest, cheapest, effective, and most well known foods in the American bodybuilder's diet, even though there are 100's other equally effective alternatives.
While I think oats are a great food with a ton of benefits, unless you know you don't have an allergy to them (a decent percentage of people do, but don't know it because there aren't any serious side effects), you may not want to rely on them at this stage in the game because they can cause substantial water retention in those with allergies, making it impossible to get as dry as your body will allow. A safer alternative is white rice and/or potatoes (all kinds). Of course, if you aren't currently eating any of those foods, then I don't recommend switching to them at the last second either.
Those who have been following a low-carb diet for several weeks or more should also be including digestive enzymes (those specific to carbohydrate digestion) during loading (every carb containing meal), as the body decreases production of enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion during times of carbohydrate restriction. This is especially true in those following keto diets. These enzymes are cheap to purchase, so just about anyone can add them in without significant financial strain.
Opinions vary regarding the optimal length of time to carb-load. While degree of depletion is an obvious factor that needs to be considered, I tend to ascribe to the "get in early and get out early" method of loading. If someone was doing a 3-day load, I normally approach it like this. At 4 days out we will start loading and it will be the highest carb day of the load. Each successive day will contain fewer carbs than the day before it, and the last (4th day) will contain only maintenance amounts of carbs. By doing things like this you are provided with a safety net...because if you over-do you have plenty of time to rectify the situation.
Oh, and don't count on diuretics to remedy the problem if you spill over...because it doesn't work like that. Diuretics will cause you to lose water, but they will cause you to lose water from everywhere, including under the skin AND the muscles. This is because diuretics are non-selective in their actions; they cause water loss from everywhere equally...and you cannot alter the ratio of water loss so that it favors the sub-q region. In other words, the more water you lose from under your skin via diuretic use, the more water you will lose from your muscles. This will cause a decrease in muscle fullness (start to flatten out), which can make you appear less defined and even watery, despite there being very little water under the skin. This is because a flat muscle does not press outward against the skin surface, which is essential for maximizing hardness and definition, as well as the appearance of dryness.
Ideally, you want to get as dry as possible without diuretics via the proper application of diet and pharmacology, as this will allow you to maximize both fullness and condition. Clearly, diuretics can potentially be of benefit in this area...experience has proven that, but the key is to get as dry as possible without diuretics first, and then use them ONLY as a finishing touch (which isn't always necessary depending on the individual) in small quantities over a short period of time. If you have done things properly, you shouldn't need to use diuretics until the night before the show, at best.
You can NOT screw-up in the areas of diet and pharmacology and expect to make up the difference with diuretics. Attempting to do so will only result in the deterioration of your physique. Diuretics are very much a double-edged sword. Used properly they can make a great physique look awesome, but when used improperly (too much for too long) they can make an unconditioned physique look even more out of shape.
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