Built for rugby
Off-season mass. Pre-season cuts. In-season maintenance. Eat to match the phase.
Low-carb on rest days, high-carb around hard training and match day. Macros split for both.
Why pick carb cycling
For experienced, already-lean athletes who want to keep carbs lower on rest/recovery days and load them around training. Helps with insulin sensitivity if you're dialed in, or for a slow recomp without dropping intensity.
How to use it: high-carb on match day and the day before (top up glycogen for kickoff), plus heavy gym + skills sessions. Low-carb on full rest days and walk-through days. Mid-week pitch sessions sit either side depending on intensity.
95% of athletes should stick with Standard. Carb cycling adds tracking complexity for marginal real-world gains unless you're already tracking macros every day and your training stays consistent.
Low-Carb Day
Rest day · walk-through
Daily target
0
kcal
High-Carb Day
Match day · day before
Daily target
0
kcal
Sub-20g carbs on most days, refeed around heavy sessions. Macros split for both.
Why pick keto cycling
Specialist tool for athletes who train under 20g carbs on most days and refeed around heavy sessions. Useful for niche metabolic adaptation goals or specific medical reasons (epilepsy, insulin resistance, type-2 management) where a clinician has signed off.
95% of athletes should stick with Standard. Rugby is a glycogen sport — repeated sprints, contact, scrums all run on carbs. Going keto without a sports dietitian on board usually leaves you flat in the 60-minute window where games are decided.
Talk to a sports dietitian before starting
This is a calculation tool, not medical advice. A ketogenic diet is a metabolic intervention with real performance, recovery and health implications. Get a registered sports dietitian or doctor to sign off on it for your body, your training load and your medical history before you commit.
Stop immediately and consult a clinician if you experience persistent fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, kidney concerns or any unusual symptom. The numbers below are estimates — your individual response is what matters, and only a professional who has assessed you can judge that.
Keto Day
Sub-20g carbs · most days
Daily target
0
kcal
Refeed Day
Match day · heavy session
Daily target
0
kcal