refeed day

Intermediate ⚽ Sports / Fitness

Definition

A planned day of increased carbohydrate intake during a diet to restore glycogen and leptin levels, theoretically. In practice, it's the diet loophole that turns into psychological warfare between your meal plan and your pantry.

Example Usage

My refeed day started scientifically with calculated carbs and ended emotionally with me considering whether ice cream counts as dairy or carbs for tracking purposes.

Origin

Popularized in bodybuilding nutrition strategies in the 1990s

Fun Fact

Leptin levels can increase by 30% after a refeed, but they drop back to baseline within 24-48 hours, making weekly refeeds more psychological comfort than metabolic necessity.

Source: Bodybuilding nutrition and physique sports terminology