The benfits of a CKD as opposed to a standard LC WOE are best applied to the hard training athlete or fitness enthusiast who has a combination goal of fat loss and muscle gain.

That said, it has been shown that when a person stays on a LC WOE for an extended period of time, thyrois hormone levels may become depressed (specifically, T3 which is THE powerhouse of the thyroid hormones.) By breaking the low carb sessions up with the weekend carbs ups, you are keeping your thyroid active and your metabolism revving high.

Also, there are benefits to the insulin spike that the carbs will give you each weekend (or whatever 54 hour period you choose). As you go through the low carb portion of the week, you will deplete your glycogen stores so that you will enter ketosis by Monday night ... so you are running on ketones all week until Friday night when it is time for carb-up and the great insulin spike that follows.

Everyone has heard of insulin. Few truly understand it. Understanding this important hormone can help you understand why the CKD will maximize muscle growth and minimize fat accumulation.

Insulin is secreted by the pancreas. More specifically it is secreted by the islet cells within the pancreas. There are three types of inslet cells - alpha, beta and delta. The beta cells secrete insulin. What dictates the secretion of insulin is the ever changing level of sugar/glucose in the bloodstream.

The human body works to maintain blood sugar/glucose in a very narrow range. When blood sugar/glucose is high (after a carb meal) insulin is released to transport the blood sugar/glucose out of the bloodstream and into tissue.

As blood sugar/glucose falls insulin secretion is reduced. The primary deposit site for insulin transported blood sugar/glucose is muscle tissue and fat cells. In response to insulin, muscle and fat cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream effectively lowering blood sugar/glucose levels. However, since muscle cells are depeleted of carbs at this stage of the CKD EVERYTHING is stored in your muscles ...

Insulin facilitates muscle cell glucose uptake. Glucose can only enter your muscle cells through insulin mediation. Insulin also stimulates the uptake of amino acids, contributing to it's potent anabolic effects. Low insulin levels shifts the balance towards protein degradation.

As you can see, manipulating insulin at certain times can enhance nutrient utilization and ultimately enhance muscle growth.

Using certain foods and supplements to manipulate insulin release while also supplying anabolic nutrients at key "insulin sensitive" times is paramount in building serious muscle.

It's a intricate balancing act. Kind of like the game where you have a steal ball resting on two movable rods that are at a slight uphill angle. The object is to move the rods apart to get the ball rolling upwards, but not too far apart that will cause the ball to fall through. It takes precision and control, but when it's done right the ball defies gravity by traveling up the incline. Glucose and insulin manipulation done right defies normal nutrient transport creating a hyper-nutrient transport environment.