Hey thanks so much dude! I think a bit part of that has been becoming fat adapted. It took a while for it to happen, but it was like a switch flipping once it did. I remember the first time I did my annual 10 mile run with the Mrs and discovered that I just wasn’t getting tired any more.
In that regard, I don’t feel like the carb meal really does much for me from an energy perspective (although I DO think there is some value in being metabolically flexible, able to burn fat or carbs as a fuel source). Most of my training efforts, even the hard ones, are fueled by fat. But that hormonal response is definitely a part of it, along with a metabolic response. I’m so big on the idea of waving energy intake, vs a static intake, and the carb meal tends to also be a high energy intake meal, simply because carbs are so much easier to take down compared to high fats. When I’m losing fat, that little spike there helps shake things up and keeping the basal metabolic rate humming. I also notice that I go from flat to filled out, which is kinda nice from a “mind f–k” perspective, because it SUCKS when you’re losing fat but look fatER because you’re totally flat and your abs are blurred out.
I think it’s cool how many folks have had these conclusions before, and how often we see it come into play. Vince Gorinda’s “definition/steak and eggs diet” had the carb refeed, Jamie Lewis’ Apex Predator diet, Palumbo had a similar approach with low carb diets, Justin Harris’ carb cycling approach, etc. Stan Efferding also points out just how much carbs we tend to OVEReat with his Vertical Diet, talking about how, when the training isn’t as intense, he pulls out rice and puts in more fats. I feel like carbs can find a place in any diet, but that a lot of folks overvalue them.
I interesting you say about the energy (lack thereof) following the carb up.
I notice something similar. I actually take a day to feel “normal” again after a heavy carb feed. “Normal” is in quotes because I feel much more stable, physically, when I’m back to primarily using fat for energy. So for instance, if I carb up heavy on a Sunday, I won’t feel physically back to baseline til Tuesday, when my endurance and mental focus is better.
Monday will be a little more sluggish (mentally and sometimes physically) and notice physically getting fatigued more easily as I assume my body has primed itself burning glucose for several hours prior. My DOMS is also worse from workouts when I am in the glucose burning state.
This does not occur if I keep my more frequent refeed to 50-100g of carbs or so (depending on how much volume I’m doing, can fluctuate).
I used to eat only one carb meal per week or every 2 weeks. and felt physically very well on this. Very hard to get fatigued, great mental focus. But without what I assume was the serotonin release from carb feed, I was always on edge, limited patience, no fuse for bullshit.
Of course, a lot of this can be fixed with training the mind (which I’m working on). But there is definitely a physiological change.
One that I can see would be advantageous for a hunter gatherer trying to take down a large mammal for dinner… but not so advantageous when your career involves high amounts of patience and listening to people complain all day
I actually feel the reverse. The morning after my carb up i feel great. And what ive always felt odd is the scale moves down more for me the 2 days after my carb meal. I feel leaner too.
This is only when I overdo the carbs. If I keep it within reason I feel similar to what you described.
I’ve also felt a bit sluggish the next day when using slow digesting carbs (oatmeal, or even pasta, for example) which is not what was recommended anyways, but I’m a fat Italian boy at heart
Oh, I’m not lacking energy afterwards, it’s more that nothing is really different about it. I don’t get like a big energy spike or anything. Although when I FIRST started doing the refeeds, I definitely saw effects. The very first time, it was like I was hit by a bomb: I needed to go find somewhere to lay down and take a coma. I’d also experience severe sweating for hours/the next day. With more refeeds, this went away.
I heard a great analogy on this. Carb fueled and fat fueled are like 2 different sets of train tracks, and there’s a switch to switch the track. If we don’t use that switch often, it starts to rust, and it gets harder and harder to flip the switch. When we keep using the switch, we keep it greased up, and it’s easier and easier to flip it.