Keeping carbs high when on recomp?

RepswithRyan

Currently I'm losing weight while trying to preserve muscle mass! I bulked to 225lbs and now I'm looking to reduce my bodyfat while shedding weight. After recomp for the first few weeks, I'm now 216lbs and starting to look more defined. I'm trying to keep my carbohydrates high as I don't want to lose muscle. How is my cutting diet? I'm currently going for 2,500-2,750 calories a day on gym days and 2,750-3,000 calories on non-gym days.

Breakfast
Quaker Oats - Quaker Rolled Oats
Semi Skimmed Milk, 250 ml
Bulk Powders - Whey Protein (Bulk Powders), 1 Scoop
Total: 404 calories, 43 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fat

Workout
600-800 calories burned on calisthenics and weightlifting four times a week
Non-gym days, I do HIIT which burns about 300-400 calories

Post-workout
Bodybuilding Warehouse Performance Mass
Premium LUX Protein flapjack
500ml, semi-skimmed milk
Total: 1,044 calories, 144 grams of carbs, 68 grams of protein

Lunch
Two slices of bread
Tin of Tuna
Pure Orange Juice
Total: 669 calories, 88 grams of carbs, 38 grams of protein

Dinner
White rice - half cup
4 Atlantic cod fillets
Jacket Potato
Total: 616 calories, 54 grams carbs, 50 grams of protein

Before Bed
Bulk Powders - Whey Protein (Bulk Powders), 1 Scoop
Semi-Skimmed Milk, 250ml

Total: 3,235 calories, 379 grams of carbs, 84 grams of fat, 245 grams of protein
Total after exercise: 2,486 calories

Thank you.

mmapags

How does keeping carbs high preserve muscle? Protein high for that reason, I get but carbs?

RepswithRyan

mmapags wrote: »

How does keeping carbs high preserve muscle? Protein high for that reason, I get but carbs?

Not sure, hopefully looking for some answers to know whether I could cut my carbohydrates or not.

"The first reason being that carbohydrates are much more muscle sparing than fats during times of stress when glucose becomes a primary source of fuel (i.e. anaerobic exercise, injury, infection, etc). The muscle sparing effects of carbohydrates occur via several different mechanisms. When the body is in a low energy state, it may try to produce energy by converting amino acids to glucose. Carbohydrates prevent this since they can be easily broken down (and converted if need be) to glucose molecules. Carbohydrates then spare dietary protein from oxidation and these proteins can be stored rather than oxidized.Carbohydrates are also very muscle sparing during exercise. When one lifts heavy weights, the primary pathway that is used to produce ATP (cellular energy currency) is the anaerobic or glycolytic pathway (as the name implies this pathway operates in the absence of oxygen). The only substrate for this pathway is glucose, which can be obtained from dietary carbohydrates or by breaking down glycogen (the cell’s stored form of glucose)." - Layne Norton

angelexperiment

Mostly it’s usually low carb and moderate fats and high protein for recomposes from diets similar I’d done where you don’t lose but you body slims out.

sardelsa

As long as you are getting adequate protein, fats, and getting enough carbs for energy and optimal workout performance (this will be different for everyone) you should be good. Don't overthink it, your macros look fine, but you can always adjust as you go.

mmapags

sardelsa wrote: »

As long as you are getting adequate protein, fats, and getting enough carbs for energy and optimal workout performance (this will be different for everyone) you should be good. Don't overthink it, your macros look fine, but you can always adjust as you go.

This ^^