I usually workout fasted, I usually eat a low-carb diet, and I usually practice 16:8 - 22:2 intermittent fasting. I've been doing this for around 5yrs with good results. Lately, I'm experimenting with taking a different approach and including a much larger eating window, a higher caloric intake / surplus, a higher carb intake, a much higher protein intake, and I'm adding in peri-workout nutrition. Basically, it's a sort of "winter bulk" -- maybe the last one I engage in. This is having a great effect on energy and strength, without much noticable negative effects in terms of fat mass gain in the short-term. Although, oddly, I feel quite a bit different eating this way and training harder -- there's an unexpected shift in awareness that accompanied this shift in diet & training. Eventually, I'd like to get back to that sweet low-carb + fasted spot which does have a much better effect on my productivity and creativity / cognition.
While I'm at it, I'm thinking about trying out an intra-workout carbohydrate -- I find that eating a meal or some fruit / starches beforehand usually decreases my energy, so I'd like to try something that I can sip on. I'm looking at either Highly-Branched Cyclic Dextrin (ClusterDextrin, better than maltodextrin), Carb10 ( low-GI legume starch), or SuperStarch (low-GI corn starch). Are any of these complex carb sources associated with a better metabolic profile or better gut health / lipids / insulin sensitivity?
Edited by brosci, 12 November 2016 - 04:26 AM.
