If you're doing a really long, intense workout with lots of sets, or working out twice in one day, eating carbs might help you lift more—but only if you were hungry or hadn't eaten, not if you're...

If you're doing a really long, intense workout or two hard sessions in one day, eating carbs might help you lift more—but only if you were hungry or hadn't eaten, not if you're eating the same number of calories from other foods.

If you’re doing a ton of sets for one muscle group (like 12+ sets of squats) or training twice in one day, eating more carbs might help you push harder — otherwise, it doesn’t matter much.

Eating carbs before a normal weight workout doesn’t make you stronger or let you do more reps, unless you’re training super hard with lots of sets or haven’t eaten all day.

Eating carbs before or during a normal weightlifting session doesn't make you stronger or let you lift more reps, as long as you've eaten recently and aren't doing super long workouts.

Whether you eat a lot of carbs or very few for months, your strength and muscle growth won’t change — as long as you’re eating enough total calories and protein.