How long should one cut carbs extremely low in order to deplete glycogen stores? And how long might it take to rebound to full glycogen storage?
I ask this question for a fitness challenge contest, where the winner is based upon % of body weight lost, plus % of BF last.
Obviously, depleting glycogen stores will reduce weight, but for the BF test, it’s done with the hand held electrical impedence kind, so being dehydrated would be counterproductive
From what I’ve read, the average human holds about 2,000 kcals worth of glycogen. Obviously, someone with larger muscle mass would hold more. Glycogen stores can be restored in about 24 hours when adequate amounts of carbs are eaten.
I may reading your question wrong but I don’t think that focusing on depleting glycogen stores would cause a significant reduction in BW in the short term.
[quote]CthruPants wrote:
I may reading your question wrong but I don’t think that focusing on depleting glycogen stores would cause a significant reduction in BW in the short term.[/quote]
it would actually. that’s one reason why low-carb diets produce quick results on the scale.
every 1 part glycogen, holds 2.3 (or is it 2.4, lol) parts water.
deplete glycogen and you can shed a good amount of water weight, but that will need to be restored in order to show a positive reflection on the hand held BF device.