Bodybuilders have been known to carb cycle during a diet, increasing carbohydrate intake on certain days to trick their metabolism into not slowing down so much from caloric restriction. Endurance athletes like to load up on carbs before long distance race events, and a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) suggests going overboard with carb loading might be hard on your heart.

Researchers from Vanderbilt and the University of Alabama Birmingham gave 33 subjects a 264 calorie carbohydrate shake. This high-carb load suppressed the heart’s production of a hormone called ANP by 25% over several hours. Because ANP helps rid your body of excess salt and reduces blood pressure, restricting this process can contribute to salt retention and hypertension.