Contest Peak Week: Glycogen Supercompensation & Water Balance

Peak week is the precise physiological science of super-saturating intracellular glycogen while eliminating extracellular subcutaneous water.

1. Physiological Manipulation Stages

• Glycogen Depletion (Days 1–3): Low-carb training drains muscle glycogen, upregulating glycogen synthase enzyme activity.
• Carbohydrate Loading (Days 4–5): High carb intake (8–10g/kg) supercompensates glycogen stores, pulling 3 grams of water per gram of glycogen into myocytes.
• Electrolyte & Water Management: Keeping water high until 18 hours out prevents rebound aldosterone spikes that cause watery physique appearance.