18 thoughts on “Carb Shock Ingredients”

1. Minor correction – Pancreatin is 300mg instead of 250 🙂

   Tried it for the first time yesterday on an AM-training program. Certainly can’t gauge results based on one datapoint, but I didn’t feel lightheaded or any negative side effects. You can taste what I think is the Licorice Root and It’s a bit harder to mix into water by spoon, but otherwise looking forward to continuing it.

   1. Correction made! Thanks for pointing that out to me!

      Let me know how things go with the supplement? It’ll be at least another 6-8 weeks until I can pick some up.

      1. Happy to do so! I might also try to take some 15-min-apart blood glucose readings just to see what it’s doing in that regard.

         1. I think there’s something to the CarbShock protocol.

            For background, I started using CS on 10/28 for 6 workouts so far. However, since the Supplement Blackbook (and Kiefer’s appearance on Ben Pakulski’s 10/7 podcast), I started waiting the 1-hr period and pieced together a crude half-approximation of CS with what I had around the house: BCAAs (incl. 3.75g leucine) + systemic enzymes (incl. pancreatin, papain, protease) + whey. I didn’t have threhalose, licorice root, fenugreek, etc.

            Before starting the protocol, I’d been on my current training regimen for 8 weeks, so I had a solid baseline. It seemed like I was hitting a plateau at 8 weeks, but after starting the protocol, have made noticeable strength gains. Importantly, I feel like I don’t miss target reps. The gains seem to have continued after CS-proper.

            I’m not naive enough to think that it couldn’t be a placebo effect, but I’m generally a skeptical guy and do track my supplements & training. So far, I’m quite positive about it. I also started T3Fuel around the same time as CS.

            In summary, I’ll stick with the 1-hr waiting period for sure and would probably reorder CS when I’m done with the current supply to support Kiefer, but I’m curious about further experimenting with a concoction based on the ingredients.

            1. Wow… those seem like great results… at least good enough to keep going to see if it persists.

               Are you back-loading with carbs? or doing Carb Nite and just using Carb Shock post workout?

               Have you noticed any difference since using T3 fuel? After 2-3 weeks I can’t say that I have. I did some thyroid tests before taking it… and plan on repeating them after 4 weeks to see if there are any changes in my numbers that I can attribute to the T3 fuel.

            2. I generally follow Kiefer’s “carbs after dark” philosophy, but not a strict CBL protocol. In fact, I don’t track macros as I have a decent intuitive handle on what seems to work for my n=1. Am at my target body fat (sub-10% according to the past 2 annual DXA scans) and roughly where I want to be weight-wise, so my goals are mainly overall health and gaining strength, but not a lot of additional bulk, if that makes sense.

               As for T3Fuel, the jury’s still out for me as well. I take ThorneFX’s AM/PM multi along with Mg supplements, so was already getting 4 out of 7 of the ingredients. The watermelon fruit extract, L-carnitine, and resveratrol are the only new ingredients.

               My last thyroid labs were just a basic panel, so it would be hard for me to compare before/after. The readings were normal, but given the limitations of a basic panel, I currently view supplementing with T3Fuel as insurance and support for ongoing thyroid health. I’d certainly be interested in how your numbers change, if any.

            3. I plan on writing a post on my pre T3Fuel thyroid panel in the next week or so… keep an eye out!

2. He mentions leucine in CBL as a potent insulin activator without affecting it increasing blood glucose. Leucine has also been shown in a couple of studies to be very good for muscle building with an effective dose of just 5g. I would Kiefer has based Carb Shock on this. My point is, why not just buy a tub of leucine?
   Trehalose might be good for autophagy but I find it difficult to imagine this is as magic as Kiefer says. Licorice root is also very easy to find and incorporate in your diet. Do you know exactly why Kiefer included that?

   1. Good that you bring these questions up.. I hope to address them in a future post going over his supplement black book.

      But in short:

      Trehalose – helps cells clean themselves out, and is beneficial for recovery and blocking the ability of fat cells to store more fat.

      Licorice Root – helps with hepatic glucose metabolism and improves insulin resistance. Allows eating carbs to maximize glycogen without increasing fat.

3. Bought it, but feel my training needs to be more intense before I spike my insulin. Thoughts?

   1. For training intensity, I tend to follow his guidelines for CBL. Excerpt of relevant section here: http://athlete.io/5012/book-excerpt-carb-back-loading-2/

      I also add some HIIT or anabolic cardio, especially the high-resistance bike HIIT described towards the bottom of this article: http://www.flexonline.com/training/anabolic-cardio

      He’s changed his Leucine timing recommendation since then, of course.

   2. I’d probably have to pull a Kiefer and say that it ‘depends’ on what your goals are.

      If you’re going for mass gain, then doing CBL with Carb Shock is fine, but yes you do need to make sure you work out hard enough to warrant the increase in carbs AND insulin with CBL + Carb Shock, otherwise you’ll get fat.

      IF you’re trying to lean out with Carb Nite, then I don’t see a problem with using Carb Shock with training during the week while ultra low carb, AND during the Carb Nite.

      According to Kiefer, insulin can’t make you fat if there aren’t any carbs around.

4. While I can see this product is in line with his research, I feel Keifer has sold out. Having no supplement on the market gave him more credibility, in my opinion. Now, I am not so sure. I was very letdown when he announced what really in the end is a massive money making scheme and not about health.

   1. I see what you mean. I’m gonna reserve judgement until I give it a try. If it does what it says it does… then I’d be ok with it.

5. just wondering. what would be the point of carbshock? the insulin spike? one already gets a sufficient insulin spike for mps by consuming the minimal amount of protien..

   would the point be so one doesn’t have to consume carbs?

   1. You bring up a few good issues.

      For people who need to eat fewer carbs, then Carb Shock allows them to get the benefits of the insulin spike without the carbs.

      For people who are ok eating carbs with their workouts or on carb nites, Carb Shock is supposed to induce an even greater insulin spike than that attained with just simple carbs alone.

      1. I guess my question should be refined to why would one need or want a super big insulin spike? As I mentioned there is no need for A HUGE one for muscle gain and one gets a sufficient amount for mps when you consume the minimal amount of protein.

         Also carbs would only be necessary for people with super high or intense training volume (like yourself). Is this supposed to be the replacement for carbs? I guess I am just having a hard time understanding why somebody would want to use it and what for. To not have to deal with the negatives of carbs(extra calories, bloating, cravings, inflammation etc)?
         Any thoughts?

         On another note T3fuel seems to be possible for benefits. I appreciate your blog and detail. I use to blindly follow Kiefer but I feel like he puts out some wrong info sometimes whether it is to support his agenda or not I don’t know.

6. Yes, he HAS sold out. Carb Backloading 2.0 “coming soon” forever. Now he makes supplements – which are NOT needed – paying twice/thrice the price for low cost ingredients. Good researcher and has great ideas. But he’s off the rails now.

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