AG asked:
Are carbs necessary to build muscle? I eat a lot of protein (200-300 grams a day) and plenty of “good” fats (flax seed, almonds, etc), but I probably only eat 100 grams a day of carbs.
I realize that in order to build muscle I have to eat enough total calories. So assuming that my overall caloric intake is high enough, will my relatively low carb intake hinder my muscle growth?
Thanks!
Raymond
more important than the protein intake. in order to keep the body in a anabolic state insulin levels must be kept low and stable. this is why when bulking the carb intake should range between 40-50% of the total calories. insulin is the most anabolic hormone that the body produces. regarding protein to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the body it really only needs 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass, not total bodyweight. so 30% protein is almost always sufficient when dieting to gain muscle mass. a high carb intake also causes a protein sparring effect. since there is an abundance of glucose the body does not have to readily catabolize muscle proteins for energy. so the protein that is ingested can be predominately used for muscle repair and growth.