Hey guys,
This is my first post and I have a quick question for all of you knowledgeable tnationers out there. I will be coming off a cut in the next 2/3 weeks and I have heard of this “anabolic window”. Basically, after a few months/weeks of being on a diet your body enters a catabolic state.
So, when you reintroduce normal feeding levels your test/glycogen levels rebound and our bodies put on muscle mass a lot faster. My question is how long does this window last for? I would assume at least 2 weeks but I am totally clueless. If anyone who answers can site their source or the study, bro-science is evil.
Thank you!
Cody Greco
Post script: I have checked google, tnation, mayoclinic, pubmed, and other various forums and cannot find much information. I think this is due to the various name this phenomenon has. Thanks again!
I would refer you to the December 2010 edition of Muscular Development. In it is an article written by Layne Norton titled “Pre-contest to Off-season Reverse Dieting: Preventing Metabolic Disaster,” which basically outlines everything you are looking for.
Although it doesn’t discuss what you refer to as an ‘anabolic window,’ a phenomenon I suspect is very individualistic and reliant on too many variables to note, it does however guide someone in your situation into an off-season diet.
The article addresses some of the misconceptions surrounding the post-contest bulk many competitors parttake, and focuses on how to practically and immediately restore metabolic activity to a more robust rate with the intention of handling off-season calories for muscle gain as opposed to fat gain.
[quote]skwasny wrote:
I would refer you to the December 2010 edition of Muscular Development. In it is an article written by Layne Norton titled “Pre-contest to Off-season Reverse Dieting: Preventing Metabolic Disaster,” which basically outlines everything you are looking for.
Although it doesn’t discuss what you refer to as an ‘anabolic window,’ a phenomenon I suspect is very individualistic and reliant on too many variables to note, it does however guide someone in your situation into an off-season diet.
The article addresses some of the misconceptions surrounding the post-contest bulk many competitors parttake, and focuses on how to practically and immediately restore metabolic activity to a more robust rate with the intention of handling off-season calories for muscle gain as opposed to fat gain. [/quote]
I’m going to have to find a copy of that article!
OP: I’m not sure the duration of your diet/cut, and like skwasny mentioned, it’s highly individual. I can only speak from experience; during post contest I can put down over 500 carbs with a moderate fat and protein intake and ‘feel anabolic’ if that makes any sense at all.