The benefits and risks of crab cycling
There are benefits and risks associated with everything, and just like anything else, before you make carb cycling an intrinsic part of your diet, it is important that you look at both faces of the coin.

Benefits of carb cycling

• It is good for metabolism
  Alternating between low and high carb days helps in weight loss and ensures that the body gets the right amount of essential macronutrients. This switch, more importantly, helps in maintaining metabolism.
• Formation of lean mass of muscles
  As the body’s fat percentage is cut and enough fuel is provided for muscles to regrow, carb cycling helps in the creation and restoration of lean mass.
• Production of insulin
  During high-carb days, insulin is released by your body into the bloodstream, which further carries carbs either to muscles or the liver.
• Carb cycling pre-exercising is good
  Research has shown that the consumption a specified amount of carbohydrate 3-4 hours before physical activity can improve performance. If the right amount of carbs are coupled with the right amount of protein just before exercise, it would lead to muscle protein synthesis.
• Carb cycling post exercising is even better
  Taking the right amount of carbs after workout stimulates glycogen re-synthesis at a faster rate, which increases muscle protein synthesis.
• You develop a habit of healthy eating for a long period of time
  When one adheres to carb cycling, they consume foods like grains, fruits, and legumes once or thrice per week. Also, the diet also enables you to involve various other healthy macronutrients because of which you open yourself to a healthier diet.

Risks associated with carb cycling

• You may be at a risk of putting on extra water weight on high carb days. People who are lean may be at risk of this kind of weight gain.
• Sometimes, when a person avoids carbs, it could be that every other day they have increased cravings for sweets.
• A person may be vulnerable to a plateau in weight loss as carb cycling may or may not be plateau-free.
• Carbohydrates are important for the secretion of a neurotransmitter in brain called serotonin. This gives the brain a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Low carbs are, therefore, indicative of low levels of serotonin because of which symptoms of mild depression may show up. If proper guidance and care are not taken, insufficient carb intake may even lead to prolonged sadness and anger.
• During carb cycling, your body may not receive the right amount of dietary fiber, which is a complex carbohydrate that helps in the maintenance of stool. As a result, you may have to face issues like constipation.
• Limiting your carb intake for weeks together may put your body in a state known as ketosis. It is a metabolic state, which can get converted into a disorder characterized by ketones, an excessive buildup of compounds. Ketones occur as a byproduct when dietary fat is metabolized. The ketones make the body excrete electrolytes like sodium and water. As a result, there may be a sharp dip in the water-weight of a person, something which has been noticed amongst those who frequently practice a low carb diet.