Should I lower carbs on non training days?

dtaber38

There seems to be lots of conflicting information out there, some say lower carbs on non training days, others say that you shouldn’t because it contributes to muscle growth and protein synthesis. Obviously my post work out shake counts towards my daily goals, but on non training days, do I just cut this out and replace with other carbs, or just cut out those calories altogether?
Some advice would be great.
Thanks

psychod787

dtaber38 wrote: »

There seems to be lots of conflicting information out there, some say lower carbs on non training days, others say that you shouldn’t because it contributes to muscle growth and protein synthesis. Obviously my post work out shake counts towards my daily goals, but on non training days, do I just cut this out and replace with other carbs, or just cut out those calories altogether?
Some advice would be great.
Thanks

Why? As long as tdee equals out for the week, the research shows it doesn't matter meal timing or composition of calories. Some minor variations with protein and fiber, but not enough to change the big picture. I will also say that you don't need nutrition exactly post workout unless you are getting super lean or work out fasted. The anabolic window is more like a anabolic garage door. As long as you have amino acids in your blood stream.

sardelsa

What are your goals?

If you are leaning out sure it can help to cycle carbs especially if you have been consistently hitting your calorie intake and have more advanced goals. It can benefit workout performance to have more carbs on workout days. However some people actually like more carbs on rest days to recover or if they workout first thing the following morning. You might have to experiment to see what makes you feel and perform your best.

But in the end what ultimately matters is your overall intake, so you can split it however you'd like. You don't need to overcomplicate it.