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Are carbs necessary to increase muscle?
Posted on 3/30/22 at 12:10 pm
Posted on 3/30/22 at 12:10 pm
My trainer says I can’t build muscle without eating carbs like rice, potatoes and bread in large quantities. Because I’m in my 50s, concerned with longevity, and have an Apoe4 allele with its attendant Alzheimer’s implications, I generally keep carbs below 30g a day and those come from berries, avocados, and whatever naturally occurs in the rest of the food I eat [meat, eggs, olive oil, a few nuts, grass fed protein shakes and butter, vegetables, Two Good Greek yogurt, a little cheese, MCT oil, etc…].
I understand I need to consume more calories than I expend daily, and I’m shooting for 120 grams protein a day. I also understand that the carb would help to give you energy to lift heavier/more sets/more reps which is necessary to build muscle. But the trainer acts as if the carb is somehow biochemically necessary in and of itself.
I’m 5’11”, 140 lbs, female, BMI prob 20. So my question is whether you can build muscle without eating more than 20 to 30 carbs per day as long as I’m not in a caloric deficit and I keep my protein up.
I understand I need to consume more calories than I expend daily, and I’m shooting for 120 grams protein a day. I also understand that the carb would help to give you energy to lift heavier/more sets/more reps which is necessary to build muscle. But the trainer acts as if the carb is somehow biochemically necessary in and of itself.
I’m 5’11”, 140 lbs, female, BMI prob 20. So my question is whether you can build muscle without eating more than 20 to 30 carbs per day as long as I’m not in a caloric deficit and I keep my protein up.
9
Posted on 3/30/22 at 12:15 pm to amgslg
quote:
I’m 5’11”, 140 lbs, female, BMI prob 20. So my question is whether you can build muscle without eating more than 20 to 30 carbs per day as long as I’m not in a caloric deficit and I keep my protein up.
you can, its much harder, but the new studies show you dont need nearly as much as previously thought.
if you are going this path, i would drop your trainer and start the ketogains protocol and program and look into one of their bootcamps.
Posted on 3/30/22 at 1:09 pm to amgslg
Personal experience is that yes you can add muscle mass without carbs.
Posted on 3/30/22 at 2:05 pm to amgslg
There are good and bad carbs. You want complex carbs coming from whole grain style foods. Brown rice, quinoa, whole grain toast etc.
Simple carbs shouldn't be the primary source and would be considered bad. If that makes sense, which is more processed style foods like white sandwich bread. Normal pasta, etc. Potatoes are fine.
I believe if you incorporate complex carbs within the diet, you will see a difference in energy and fat loss/muscle gained.
Simple carbs shouldn't be the primary source and would be considered bad. If that makes sense, which is more processed style foods like white sandwich bread. Normal pasta, etc. Potatoes are fine.
I believe if you incorporate complex carbs within the diet, you will see a difference in energy and fat loss/muscle gained.
Posted on 3/30/22 at 2:19 pm to amgslg
From what I've read carbs are more anabolic than fats and after hitting your protein goal you should fill as many of your remaining calories with carbs as possible assuming you're getting enough fats to maintain hormone health-.3g/lb which you should be able to hit that from your meat and eggs. I personally think it's splitting hairs and not a huge deal.
I struggle big time with eating carbs and I think it's probably the biggest weakness in my diet. It's not easy to do when you're trying to keep them clean.
I struggle big time with eating carbs and I think it's probably the biggest weakness in my diet. It's not easy to do when you're trying to keep them clean.
This post was edited on 3/30/22 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 3/30/22 at 2:19 pm to bad93ex
You need to head over to peterattiamd.com and search through his old podcast feed re CHO restriction and how it relates to exercise performance. He has quite a bit of material on ketosis producing dietary regimens and athletic performance, as well as the role of dietary fructose in disease state formation and you can take as deep a dive on the subject as you want to.
Posted on 3/30/22 at 7:05 pm to amgslg
Unless your trainer is some kind of certified in nutrition I wouldn’t fully follow their word as gospel. Even today there are a lot of people who claim to know nutrition and fail miserably. If you can consult a nutritionist or other qualified nutritional expert, and not just a coach or trainer, they can help steer you towards your goals
Posted on 3/30/22 at 7:07 pm to amgslg
Protein is the building blocks of muscle.
However it's hard to build muscle if in a calorie deficit.. Not impossible but very hard.
The easiest way to increase your calorie intake is carbs. Maybe that's the angle he/she is taking
However it's hard to build muscle if in a calorie deficit.. Not impossible but very hard.
The easiest way to increase your calorie intake is carbs. Maybe that's the angle he/she is taking
Posted on 3/30/22 at 8:15 pm to amgslg
quote:
My trainer says I can’t build muscle without eating carbs
Correct.
quote:
in large quantities
Incorrect.
As you stated, carbs are fuel. When exercising you want your body to tap into your carb stores to find the energy to workout. It’s the most readily available source of energy. Next is muscle. If you don’t have enough carbs, your body is going to the next easiest form of energy. I wish it was fat but it’s not.
How many carbs? That’s different for everyone. I know a ripped guy that eats 100g a day. Another one eats 300g a day. Depends on so many factors.
Posted on 3/30/22 at 8:42 pm to amgslg
quote:No. In fact, there is no requirement AT ALL for ingested carbohydrate, as your body will make as much glucose as it needs to power itself (and your brain.) This doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULDN'T have any carbs. But it's helpful to remember as a framing mechanism. And it's juxtaposed against fat and protein - you will basically die if you have neither of those.
Are carbs necessary to increase muscle?
Posted on 3/31/22 at 11:34 am to amgslg
quote:
My trainer says I can’t build muscle without eating carbs like rice, potatoes and bread in large quantities.
This is demonstrably false by so many studies that I'm not going to bother linking any. You need carbs for "energy" but not in any particular quantities for myofiber synthesis.
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