Research says Cut down on carbs for faster fat loss and better health

A new study published in 'The Endocrine Society. "Cut down on 'carbs' to reduce body fat."Gower et al, 2011. ScienceDaily, 24 Jun. 2011. Web. 7 Aug. 2011 demonstrates that even a modest reduction in your consumption of carbohydrates may promote loss of harmful deep abdominal (visceral) fat and total body fat, which is great news if you are looking to slim down and reduce your risk of diabetes II, stroke and coronary artery disease.

The study, which used 69 overweight but healthy male and female subjects, split the group into two, with subjects either eating a standard lower fat diet, or one with a modest reduction of carbs but slightly higher fat than the standard diet. The latter group were also given carbs that had a relatively low glycemic index, a measure of the extent to which foods raise blood glucose levels.

The study found that, whilst both groups lost weight, those who consumed the moderately carb-restricted diet had 11% less deep abdominal fat than those who ate the standard diet, as well as a 4% greater loss of total body fat, indicating that the lower carb plan encourages preferential loss of fat rather than lean tissue (the latter of which is key to maintained metabolic efficiency).

So, the take home message is, reduce your carbs for faster fat loss! At Phoenix Pro Fitness we find the easiest way to do this is to limit starchy carbs (ie bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc) to the post-training 2 hour window, when glycogen stores are depleted and insulin sensitivity is high.

To Your Success!