Mark Ottobre explains why muscles look flat when you cut carbs. Glycogen stores water in muscle tissue, so depleting them makes muscles appear smaller even though the actual tissue stays the same. Load carbs and sodium before a photo shoot or competition to maximize fullness.
I have 2 Coke cans here, one fully sealed and one completely empty. I put a 20-kilo plate on the full can. Nothing. Sits there, totally stable. Now the empty can crushes it instantly. Same plate, same pressure, completely different result. That's muscle glycogen. When your muscles are filled with glycogen, they will appear full, just like this can. When you restrict carbohydrate, it drains muscle glycogen stores. The muscle goes flat, just like this can. That's why you can train hard all week and look in the mirror and think you've lost You haven't lost muscle, you've lost glycogen. Sodium plays a role too. It helps pull water back inside the muscle. That's why bodybuilders use both salt and carbs just before a bodybuilding show. If you're in a calorie deficit, some days you're going to look flatter than others. That's not failure, that's the plan working. So if you have a photo shoot or an event or just want to look your best, load your sodium and your carbs in the days leading up. So now we know why this happens. Be the full can, not the empty can. Make sure you follow my page, Mark Ottobre, for more tips.
