Carb cycling - carbs on refeeds (fat content; GI preference)

[Sim882]

I'm doing my first serious cut ever (5'6, 70kg, 10% bf I think, 4 pack only), and have decided to carb cycle. So far its working well but just wanted some advice re: carb cycling which would be greatly appreciated.

Currently, I'm doing 5 days per week, approx 1800-2000 calories, 30/50/20 (C/P/F); and 2 days of high calories 2800-3000 of 50-55% carbs (fat uncertain).

The goal of the high carb days is to replenish glycogen, raise leptin, and be anabolic for my 2 heaviest weights workout days. IT IS NOT A CHEAT DAY (I don't seem to have cheat temptations)

I had 2 questions for the high carb days:

(1) How much fat is desirable on the high carb days. For example, oats are 7% percent fat or 15% of their calories - if I was to use them throughout the day as my carb source, that would be far more fat than say sweet potato. What % of calories should come from fat on high carb days.

(2) I have been doing some reading and raising leptin seems to be related to insulin secretion. Therefore, I was wondering whether it was preferable to use some skim milk (although I realise not too much as galactose replenishes the liver), and in addition high GI healthy carbs (white potato, pumpkin) over sweet potato and oats which are my staples. I was happy to do this provided it was also consistent with the goal of glycogen replenishment, my primary goal. At this stage, I have only been using the low GI carbs for carb cycling.

 

[Tatyana]

Fat on high carb days, around 20% a bit less, but I wouldn't take it anywhere under 10% (if that is even possible).

Depending on how long you run low carbs for, you will want some high GI carbs to 'kick start' the enzymes that process the carbs.

GI is a useful concept, however it has been superceded by GL or glycaemic load.

Again, GI is an artificial concept, only a single food is measured for the impact on glucose and insulin in the body, and this is not going to happen in a BBing diet.

GL is more of a measurement of food combinations, taking in fat or protein with carbs will slow the digestion of the carbs, lowering their GI so to speak.

Vinegar also slows the digestion of carbs.

I also came across this interesting concept of 'active carbs' which you calculate your carbs by subtracting the amount of fibre from the total amount of carbs.

 

[Sim882]

Yeah, they call "active" carbs "net carbs" I think in US.

What is interesting is for some foods such as flaxseeds, fitday and nutritiondata.com count the calories from the fibre, whereas for most other foods they don't. Haven't worked this out, but they always seem to count the carb calories for ground flaxseeds, and a few other foods.

Fat on high carb days, around 20% a bit less, but I wouldn't take it anywhere under 10% (if that is even possible).

Depending on how long you run low carbs for, you will want some high GI carbs to 'kick start' the enzymes that process the carbs.

GI is a useful concept, however it has been superceded by GL or glycaemic load.

Again, GI is an artificial concept, only a single food is measured for the impact on glucose and insulin in the body, and this is not going to happen in a BBing diet.

GL is more of a measurement of food combinations, taking in fat or protein with carbs will slow the digestion of the carbs, lowering their GI so to speak.

Vinegar also slows the digestion of carbs.

I also came across this interesting concept of 'active carbs' which you calculate your carbs by subtracting the amount of fibre from the total amount of carbs.