There’s a number of myths, misconceptions, and misinformation floating around that are confusing a lot of people about the ketogenic diet. They’re proposing ideas like “carbs are absolutely necessary to build muscle” and “The ketogenic diet hurts exercise performance” that take a small finding and exaggerate its meaning.
With all of the conflicting information about these topics, it is easy to become discouraged and think that you can’t get the health benefits of keto without losing muscle mass, strength, and endurance. Fortunately, this isn’t the case.
The truth is that — with a deeper understanding of how the body works and what it needs when carbohydrates are being restricted — it is possible to experience the health benefits of keto, increase muscle mass, and improve exercise performance at the same time. No carbs required.
You Need Carbs To Build Muscle
People that tell you this don’t understand how muscle building really works – it’s entirely possible to be gaining muscle mass while on keto.
In a simple way, the 3 easy steps to build muscle are:
- Eating enough protein – For mass building between 1.0 – 1.2g / pound of LEAN body mass.
- Eating a calorie surplus – You can’t build muscle without eating more calories than you need, and these come from fats in a ketogenic diet.
- Training correctly – You need to promote hypertrophy in your muscles.
Are carbs good for building muscle? Of course they are – they promote insulin release and help restore glycogen in the muscles. With carbs, you gain mass quicker, but that’s because you’re also gaining fat.
What exactly is glycogen? It’s a molecule that our bodies use as energy.
What exactly does glycogen do? Wikipedia explains it nicely:
In humans, glycogen is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and the muscles, and functions as the secondary long-term energy storage (with the primary energy stores being fats held in adipose tissue).
Muscle cell glycogen appears to function as an immediate reserve source of available glucose for muscle cells. Other cells that contain small amounts use it locally as well.
As you can see, glycogen is being used as a secondary source of energy, where fats are being used instead of it. Once your body has become adapted to using fats (you’re in ketosis), then little glycogen is actually needed.
That little amount of glycogen you need? Well, it can be created from the protein you eat in a process known as gluconeogenesis.
Are carbs necessary for building muscle? Of course not – You can still refill glycogen stores in muscles by following a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is great for building muscle as well because the protein intake is relatively high and you’re unlikely to lose muscle mass.
In fact, even if your protein intake is low, the ketogenic diet can still elicit a muscle sparing effect. More specifically, the ketone body called beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) — that is produced by keto-adapted individuals in higher quantities — has been shown in one study to decrease leucine oxidation and promote protein synthesis.
On top of that, carbohydrate restriction provides an adrenergic stimulus to the body that has been found to prevent muscle breakdown. In other words, when blood sugar levels are low, the body releases adrenaline, which prevents muscle proteins from being broken down.
Although ketones and adrenaline can help preserve muscles mass, this doesn’t mean that you should eat less protein. It is essential that you eat the appropriate amount of protein that you need to meet your goals. If you are unsure of what your nutrient intake should be, head over to our Keto Calculator to help out.
Putting mass on may be slower on a ketogenic diet, but that’s because you will primarily be putting lean mass on (without the extra fat). If you need to put total mass on quicker with the keto diet, then you can achieve your goals through other methods. Check out my alternative ketogenic diet post for more specific advice.
Key Takeaway: Carb consumption is not essential to maintain or build muscle. As long as you eat the right amount of protein and calories and train correctly, you will gain muscle mass. On the other hand, if you are looking to preserve muscle mass while you lose fat, the ketogenic diet is your best option. By limiting carbs, you will stimulate two processes — ketosis and adrenaline release — that reduce muscle protein breakdown.
It Will Hurt My Performance
If it’s not about building muscle, people will argue that performance is decreased while on a ketogenic diet. That just isn’t true at all. This study was done on well-trained cyclists who were on a ketogenic diet for 4 weeks.
The results show that aerobic endurance was not compromised at all. Their bodies adapted through ketosis, limiting both glucose and glycogen stores, and using fats as the predominant energy source.
Before your body enters ketosis and can use fats as the primary source of energy, you will see some strength and endurance loss. BUT, once your body becomes adapted to the fat intake, you will begin to convert fats into ketones to be used as a source of energy for both strength and endurance.
Even if you are doing very long cardio training, marathons and biking included, a ketogenic diet has been proven time and time again.
Summed up, the paper explains that a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet can be useful for weight-class based athletes in their respective sport. Over the 30 day period of the study, on 8 different athletes, the results came out to be the same.
The athletes were fed a strict diet of green vegetables, olive oil, and high-quality proteins (fish and meat). In all of their physical tests, they performed the same as when the initial tests were done.
Each athlete decreased their body weight, their body fat, and kept their muscle mass near enough the same. None of them had negative effects on their strength performance over the course of the study.
The only real time where ketosis can give performance loss is in exercises that need an explosive action. If you need a little boost in your performance during these, you can “carb-up” by eating 25-50g of carbs about 30 minutes before you train. This “carb-up” approach is otherwise known as the targeted ketogenic diet (for more on this variation of keto, click the link).
Another way to improve high-intensity exercise performance is by following the cyclical ketogenic diet. This is a variation of the ketogenic diet that requires you to eat a strict ketogenic diet for 5-6 days to get the benefits of ketosis and a higher-carb diet 1-2 days a week to restore glycogen levels and help improve high-intensity exercise performance. Athletes who play explosive sports like football, soccer, lacrosse, and hockey and people who do high-intensity training multiple times a week like CrossFit and heavy weight-training will benefit most from the cyclical ketogenic diet.
In general, carbing up — whether it is right before training or during carbohydrate refeeding days — will give your muscles the instant energy that they need to be explosive without mitigating the benefits of the ketogenic diet. If you are still curious as to why certain types of training require carbohydrates while others don’t, you’ll find an in-depth look at this issue in our guide to keto bodybuilding.
Key Takeaway: The ketogenic diet will not hurt exercise performance for endurance activities like jogging and cycling. High-intensity athletes and exercise trainers, however, may experience a decrease in explosive power while they adapt keto. This is why they may benefit from properly timed carbohydrate consumption. The targeted ketogenic diet works best for high-intensity exercise beginners, while the cyclical ketogenic diet is ideal for high-intensity athletes and experienced exercise trainers.
Timing is Everything With Protein
Many people seem to believe that a large amount of protein eaten in 1 sitting is wasted. The myth that’s floating around is that if you eat more than 30g of protein in 1 sitting, the rest is wasted.
Where did this 30g of protein come from? I have no clue, it may have been assumed from the 10g/hour standard that many bodybuilders use in their typical meal approach.
Nutrient timing provides minimal results in regular trainers. Fulfilling your daily nutrient needs is, by far, the most important thing. That being said, you probably don’t want to sit down and eat 150g of protein in one sitting, as this can bring you out of ketosis.
Eating too much protein at once is fine; none of it will be wasted. As you eat high amounts of protein, your body can regulate the speed at which the intestines contract, resulting in slower digestion for proper absorption.
In normal conditions, your small intestine is responsible for sucking up all that fantastic protein as you digest it. In fact, it’s been shown that it absorbs about 95% of your protein.
If by chance you skip a meal and have to eat 100g of protein in one sitting, your small intestines won’t be able to properly absorb all of it. When this happens, your small intestine will store the proteins amino acids and release them as the body needs, and even recycling them if that’s needed.
Key Takeaway: Make sure you are eating enough protein every day to meet your body composition goals. To keep protein from kicking you out of ketosis, break up your protein intake evenly throughout your daily meals.
Practical Applications for Exercise Training on The Ketogenic Diet
Now that we know the truth behind these common keto training myths, what can we do about them?
Here’s a quick overview of actionable steps that you can use to implement what you have learned from this article:
- Eat enough protein. For example, to gain muscle the body requires around 1.0 – 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. However, to get a much more accurate estimation of your personal protein needs, use our Keto Calculator.
- Distribute your protein intake evenly amongst your meals. Protein timing doesn’t matter nearly as much as your daily protein intake. But this doesn’t mean that you should eat 100 grams of protein at one meal — this will rapidly decrease your ketone levels. On the ketogenic diet, it is best to break up your protein intake evenly throughout your daily meals.
- Eat the right amount of calories to meet your goals. If your goal is to build muscle on the ketogenic diet, you must eat more calories than your body needs, and make sure those calories come from fat. On the other hand, if you want to lose body fat and maintain muscle mass, then you must increase protein intake while you are in a calorie deficit. To clear up any calorie confusion, use our Keto Calculator.
- Train correctly. To promote muscle growth, you must lift weights (e.g., free weights, machine weights, body weight, etc.).
- Use carbs as a tool to improve high-intensity exercise performance. High-intensity exercise requires glucose. The best way to ensure that you get the benefits of keto and carbohydrates at the same time is by using the appropriate ketogenic diet.
By using these recommendations, you will get the positive results that you expect from the ketogenic diet. If you want to take your results one step further by using supplements or keto-specific training methods, you will find some helpful options in our keto bodybuilding article.
On the other hand, If you still have some concerns about the safety of a high-fat, low-carb diet (that aren’t related to exercise training), then read through our article on the safety of keto and ketosis. There, you’ll find the answers to the most common keto questions and concerns.
When you are ready to get started on your keto journey, our beginner’s guide to the ketogenic diet will give you the information you need to follow the diet properly.
Thank you for all of the time, effort, and sacrifice you have put out to put this info out . . . I do appreciate it and will get the word out about you and your site!!!!
No problem 🙂 I always appreciate just a simple “share” on facebook or twitter! If you ever want to see certain topics written about, let me know and I will see what I can do.
Hi Craig, I’m back to pick your brains again ! I’m finding my usual exercise routine pretty difficult and I’m wondering if you could advise me. I go running every morning (3.5 miles) then swimming breaststroke (1 mile) , the swimming i’m managing fine but its my running.. It just seems such an effort and my muscles feel tired and heavy.Before I go out running my breakfast is usually just coffee, a salty boulion drink and my vitamin pills.. although I do crave for fat and would eat a whole block of butter like it was a chocolate bar ( is that normal on this diet ??? 😉 ) Anyway I would like you advise please..i dont know if eating a small amount of fruit before running would help ?? Thank you again Craig x
Margaret,
How long have you been doing keto? Normally if you’re exercising before you become fat adapted (which takes up to 6 weeks), tiredness/soreness can happen. You can take L-glutamine and BCAA’s to help, but it would probably be best to just be a bit patient. You can alternatively eat fats 1-2 hours prior to working out (meaning you could drink bulletproof coffee in the morning to fuel your workouts). Hope that helps!
Endurance training shouldn’t need carbs at all, so you shouldn’t need to introduce fruit into your diet for the performance.
Thanks Craig for your speedy reply.. Yep its only been about 5 or 6 weeks on the diet. I’ll fire some coconut oil and butter into my morning coffee and just get on with it 🙂 Hee hee …thanks again Craig ! x
Sure thing! I’d rather you wait until you’re completely fat adapted to see what your body needs. But really, there’s not many people that should need carbs with endurance training. Hopefully that spark will be felt soon 🙂 The fats in the coffee should do it for ya!
I’m new to keto and am weight training. How do supplements interact with your body’s state of ketosis when weight training on a keto diet? I ask because I just started keto dieting and want to boost my workouts with whey protein and bcaas. What are your thoughts?
BCAA’s are fine, and most supplements in general don’t interfere with ketosis. But that said, whey protein will if you’re taking it in high quantities. You can take protein post-workout (with no fats) but I would not suggest having multiple protein shakes a day.
Why with no fats?
Fats slow down the digestion (and therefore absorption) of protein.
Sorry if it’s a dumb question but why does it matter how fast you absorb the protein? I thought fats were good on keto?
I assume that you’re training, so the absorption of protein matters after a work out. Your muscles are able to absorb and effectively use that protein better after a work out, so you’d want that protein to be digested and go into your blood stream as soon as possible. Fats are good on keto, but I am assuming that people that are working out are looking to build muscle as fast as they can on keto.
And that i are doing everything this text states. therefore nice information i’ll reconstitute and focus a lot of on muscle gain and tone down excessive cardio.
Sure thing – best of luck training!
Hi Craig!
I have just started back in the gym since being in ketosis (I always test small on test strip), I am doing a 4 day split hitting lower body twice and abs every day. I am lifting heavy and am type 1.5 diabetic. My blood sugar rises after working out and I have gained 7.5 pound in 4 weeks and can’t seem to drop an ounce. I started tracking my foods again and always hit around 70% fat, my carbs will be between 5-7% typically, and the rest protein. I am doing low carb moderate protein high fat diet to help control my diabetes. Can you think of what I am doing to cause such a weight gain and not be able to shed any of it for month. I am frustrated.
Are you overeating? Normally this can cause some fat gain and muscle gain at the same time (which would account for the workouts). Your blood sugar rising after a workout is nothing to be scared of, it is a normal reaction from the body from the stress of the workouts.
Hey, I’ve been on a keto diet for a month now, and I am hoping to start incorporating a workout. I like to do full body HIIT workouts, but I’ve read a lot of conflicting information on exercise and ketogenic diets. I’m not really sure where HIIT falls on the scale of workouts, but I’d your opinion on whether or not they’d be a good idea for this diet or if I’d be better off jogging and doing yoga. The end goal is just weightloss, and general fitness. Thanks!
You could easily include HIIT to your workouts while using Keto. You don’t have to carb-load for any type of training, it is just an option for people. I generally suggest keeping keto (strictly) for at least 4-6 weeks so that you can become fat adapted before you decide on doing any type of carb loading or introduction to carbs. Once you are fat adapted, you normally don’t need carbs for HIIT and light lifting.
Craig
Thanks for all the work you do. Currently week 6 of keto. How long before fat adaptation and what is expectations for fat loss? Would you suggest using a post workout protein or just whole food? Strength and conditioning for obstacle course racing. Thanks again.
Jim
You should be looking at fat adaption right around this time. You can do post-workout protein shake (water and protein powder), but you could also just eat very lean fish or chicken. Most say whole foods are better, but it’s really up to you. Keep with it – as long as you’re starting to feel that energy come back during workouts, it usually means you’re fat adapted.
what do you thing of the carb backloading approach? high fat, medium to high protein in the morning then in the afternoon post workout you consume protein and all the carbs you need, fast carbs. on cardio or non workout days you keep carbs low 30-50 grams a day.
I don’t always agree with carb backloading. Most people (once fat adapted) can do just fine on a standard keto diet. If you’re doing it for the health benefits, then I suggest trying that first before you try any carb backloading/tkd/ckd approach.
hey craig, just looking for advice on keto diet, does this meal plan look as though it will get me into ketosis? 1) 2 egg 2 egg white 2) protein powder 1 tbsp. nat p-nut butter 3) 4oz chicken 1/4 cup raw almonds 4) salmon spinach salad w/ olive oil cider vinegar 5) 2 egg 2 egg whites thanks
Patsy,
That sounds like a very low calorie diet that’s low in fat. It also sounds like a lot of protein – why the egg whites and protein powder?
Hey Craig, I do the eggs and egg whites together for extra protein, and after my morning workout I do the isolate protein powder in water, with 1 tbsp. all natural peanut butter…..all meals are spread 3 hours apart….also, every couple of days,i will throw in a protein and veggie day only….just to keep the body guessing….5 meals a day, 3 hours apart, thanks
Patsy,
It still sounds to me like you are eating a high protein and low fat diet – doesn’t sound ketogenic to me to be honest.
Hey Craig, what would I have to add to make my diet a ketogenic diet? More fat?
Patsy,
I suggest taking a read through the website and adjusting that for your own needs. It’s not as simple as just adding more fats.
Hello Craig. I am doing some research on being on the Ketogenic diet and body building/sculpting. Years ago I body sculpted while doing low fat, but I don’t want to dot hat route this time. I have been on the ketogenic diet since mid-May and have decided to start body sculpting/building again starting October 1st ( I should be released by the hand surgeon to start lifting at that time). Anyway, are there any words of advice you could give me as to how to eat this way and lift. I’m hitting cardio really hard right now, as that’s basically all I can do, and I notice that I’m so wasted afterward . . . I’ve never tried to do this without carbs, so this is virgin territory for me. Can you help?
thanks, dawn
Dawn,
Have you been tracking your macros since May? As in not overeating on protein, staying in ketosis the whole time? Have you been eating enough to fuel yourself? If so, you may be interested to try TKD or CKD (mentioned and linked to in the article). I normally tell people to stay on a standard ketogenic diet and see how they feel – use the fat to fuel your workouts. But some people just can’t find the power they need in lifting and have to sub in some carbs (targetted) to properly give them results. A standard ketogenic diet, though, should be just fine for normal cardio – so it sounds like you may be under eating or not fully fat adapted yet.
Hi Craig, I thank you for your reply. I would like to stay on the keto diet and not cycle carbs . . . I am fully keto-adapted, but do have a tendency to undereat my fat intake. (I will be working on that for sure from now to October – gotta get it right, don’t cha know). I have recently found an article that mentioned that if you’re basically zapped, it could be sodium depletion from sweating so much. I do believe this is my problem with my cardio and will be making the added adjustments. Thanks so much for you’re help! Greatly appreciated!
Sure thing Dawn. Keeping your fat intake high, and your protein intake moderate is vital when it comes to working out on keto. That would certainly be something you should look at for.
Just a small tid-bit – if you think it’s your sodium that’s low, I’d look into supplementing some potassium and magnesium along with the sodium to replenish those electrolytes. Hope you start feeling less exhausted after you work out!
GREAT suggestion! Thanks!! 🙂
No problem – keep calm, keto on! 😉
Wanted to get your insights on using a keto diet approach using the “Leangains” approach
Daily fasting 16/8
Cycle calories with workouts.
Used to get lean and or lean bulk.
Not sure if you are familiar with it.
I have done this approach with great success in the past. But used Martin’s recommendation of macros/ carb cycling.
Currently I have been doing keto for over 3 years.
Want to apply the leangains approach using a SKD.
On the leangains approach one would cycle calories at or above maintenance level and do a slight under feed or calorie deficit on off days. Usually 3 days a week lifting and the other 4 days below.
Adjusting calories depending on goals – lean bulk, maintenance or cut.
Question: using a SKD do you think calories need to be cycled up and down on days or same calories each day depending on goals?
The idea of cycling is much like the CKD or TKD where you put extra calories on workout days to offer deficit relieve and an anabolic effect after lifting. In the LG approach one would cycle in carbs. On a SKD (hyperd-TKD) one would cycle in more fat and perhaps protein on these days. I would imagine a bit more carbs could be tolerated and still remain in ketosis as a fat burner.
My self I like the 16/8 – 20/4 hour fasting.
Just wanted your thoughts on cycling calories or not when remaining on a 100% SKD and looking for making gains and loosing fat. – performance as well.
One thought is that with calories being even each day perhaps this allows more recovery can be made on off days instead of just the lifting days.
Thanks!
I really like your page.
I would still suggest on SKD to cycle calories to build lean mass. I’ve heard and read some about leangains and it sounds similar to IF so I think that it would work. I know plenty of borderline keto people that are doing Paleo that have had plenty of success with IF and lean mass gains, and I have heard of plenty of people using SKD to get lean mass gains. So I believe that it would work just fine. One thing that may happen is a slight slowing in the usual gains you see, though, so just keep that in mind.
What you’ve said (cycle calories, increase fat/protein on your workout days) is what I normally suggest to people when they are lifting weight on a split like you are. So I’d stick to that and see how it goes at first. Remember that when you first start keto, you will lose some strength and endurance while you become fat adapted.
Hope that all helps (though I’m just confirming what you said).
I an doing something similar currently as I have tried everything to break this plateau in my transformation training hard, eating right and then i found out about this ketogenic then realized my problem may be carb related. so that plus getting better endurance has really helped me only time will tell over the next few months however. I fast through the day and eat nightly a fairly high cal meal, I also have a small amount of olive oil in the mornings to get me through the day some how it seems to help me anyway after the research and videos I was watching regarding it I figured time to get into it and add more fat to my diet the one thing I kept cutting off.
Hi Craig, I am 28 y/o, 205lbs, female, w/ 44% body fat (mostly in midsection), borderline diabetic, and on my second week of the Keto diet. (1st week felt like death) What are your thoughts on this meal plan? bf) three scrambled eggs with four slices of fatty bacon and 3 Serrano peppers, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, and 1/2 avocado AM snack) 1/2 ounce of pork rinds Lunch) skip due to lack of hunger or if hungry 4 cups of baby spinach, vinaigrette, 3 radishes, lime juice, 10 olives, 1/2 avocado, and lemon pepper. Dinner) 3 serrano peppers, 6 oz. grilled boneless pork loin or leg quarter w/skin baked, cup of broccoli sautéed with butter/ coco oil. PM snack) 3 ounces of summer sausage with tobacco sauce. Multivitamins/mineral pill, 250mg magnesium pill after 30 min of elliptical cardio, 3% potassium pill after walking dog for 20 min, fiber capsules 5 at every meal. 2 fish oil pills before bed, and biotin twice a week in pill form. Water intake 16 glasses of water spread out through the day. I always drink green tea (16oz. a day, oolong 8 oz, and accustomed to taking a buckthorn pill a week to detox) If I feel symptoms of any illness, I run to my pantry and take some type of tea: mint, sage, etc.
Besides the elliptical and walking the dog, I lift 2-5 pound dumbells at home for 15 minutes and stretch every morning and before bed. Calories per day range between 750-1600 consumed. I subtract about 300 calories from exercise.
Any pointers? Believe it or not I have always been an avid gym goer, doing Zumba for an hour, elliptical 45 minutes for glute work out, 5rep- 1 minute jump roping but never really liked weight lifting. I was consuming 1800-3500, mainly carbs…this is a lifestyle change for sure. I am more clear headed now, but I want to make sure I lose body fat. My goal is to lose 10% by next Dec. (2015). I bought ketone strips and for the last 5 days I have registered high on ketones in urine (80-160) Thanks for any advice. 🙂
Sarae,
I really can’t comment on your meal plan because I personally don’t know your macros and don’t know all the macros of the meals you are doing. It sounds good, but again – I can’t exactly comment.
That said, if it’s making you feel better and you feel like you’re getting enough – go for it 🙂
Hi Sarae
I hope whatever you tried worked for you. I’ve stumbled across this page, a good article i think, and would just like to add that science now is showing that if one already has high body fat % then cutting carbs is enough – no need to increase fat much, if at all.
All the best,
Mark.
Not sure if you will read this or can respond but I stumbled onto this article and am curious about trying this out. What kind of results did you receive and have you unlocked the body of your dreams currently in 2018?
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan,
What are you curious about trying specifically?
Regarding the ketogenic diet, here is a link to some of our success stories so that you can see what’s possible:
https://www.ruled.me/health/success-stories/
Hey Dan,
What are you curious about trying specifically?
Regarding the ketogenic diet, here is a link to some of our success stories so that you can see what’s possible:
https://www.ruled.me/health…
That “carb-up” advice may have just saved me! Struggling so much for energy with things like squat jumps, box jumps etc. My legs just don’t want to lift off like they did on a normal “clean eating” diet.
Thank you
Glad to hear it! Some people can definitely get away with little to no carbs, but others seem to need it. Happy that it’s working out 🙂
What about using pre-workout supplements, I know they have their risks and tax the dopamine levels and adrenal glands like any other stimulant but I find my muscular endurance rarely get’s to lactic acid build up unless I go very hard on legs. Another approach might be to do less intense or explosive workouts and try more conventional movements like squats, lunges or dead-lifts? Just my thoughts on the matter.
Hi, nice article – this website is like a breath of fresh air from all the ‘bro-science’ and bodybuilding.
I train very hard everyday for triathlons, and I also lift weight. I used to eat loads of carbs. However, for the past week or so I have tried a low carb diet, and have been doing just fine. I also leaned down a bit at first and am sitting around 9% BF.
I have a question though:
My main question is how does one carb cycle to keep the body happy and healthy while following this diet?
Does anyone have any information?
Also, I usually supplement with Omega 3 fish oil capsules. With the high level of fat in this diet, should I reduce supplementation of it as most likely I will be getting it from fish etc.?
Thank you,
Marco
Marco,
I think you found the answer to your first question already (sorry for the late replies).
As far as supplementing fish oil – you can still do it depending on your other intake of fats. Not all fats are high sources of Omega 3’s, so you’ll have to work that out, trying to go after a 3:1 to 1:1 ratio 6:3’s.
So if my macros tell me I should only eat 20 grams of carbs a day, but I do an ‘explosive’ workout most days (Insanity Max 30) It’s okay for me to carb up before my workout? But if I go on a run, or use a spin bike for 30 minutes I don’t need to?
That’s correct, yes. In general, it’s always better to try SKD and not carb up prior to workouts unless you really need to.
1g protein/lb lean weight would be ~155g of protein for me (80.1kg total BW / 70.8kg lean)
With protein at 15% calories that’d require 4130 cal/day total, which seems quite hard to do.
It seems the amount of protein it’d take to build muscle is an amount that would make ketosis hard to maintain.
You could keep levels of protein as they are (~155g) and reduce the fat intake. Depending on your body, you may not need all of the fat to continue building muscle.
Hi, I have changed to a Keto woe about 2 months ago and have maintained my regular workout schedule all the while. I workout early morning, fasted, 30 min hiit cardio and 30 min resistance (Orange Theory). I have been testing Ketones and glucose before and after exercise….typically my pre-workout ketones are around 2.5 and glucose around 75. Testing after workout (still fasted) ketones are about the same but glucose goes up to about 100. Could you explain, simply, why the glucose rises? Is this a “good” or “bad” thing? Is there something else I should be doing? I am a 51 yo woman, 107 lbs and about 19% bf. Goal is to lean out a bit more and gain muscle/definition. Thanks
Sounds good as far as your goals. Just in general exercise will raise your blood sugars. It’s natural, so you don’t need to worry about it. It’s generally due to a spike in cortisol since you’re putting stress on your body – again, no worries at all!
I have been IF’ing for a while….but when I crossfit I don’t feel like I have as much energy while being on keto. I didn’t/haven’t started your 30 day meal plan but do I need to do weeks 1-3 or can I just go straight into week 4? I want to lose fat….I am 5’9″ 176#. My BMI is 26 and my fat % is 36.7. I want my fat % to be around 25% and my BMI at 20. I do 50 min of cardio 3-4 x a week and I crossfit 3-4 x a week. I tried fasting more lately but I haven’t lost any weight. I started this lifestyle change about 6 months ago but started the keto diet a minth ago. I’ve lost 32# so far. I just don’t know how to get to my goals…
It may be better to stop the fasting and see how that effects your body. As far as the energy goes, it will probably take around 5-8 weeks to see that energy back to normal levels while in keto when you’re doing more than just endurance training.
I’ve lost 40 pounds on this diet and it’s been quite a trip. I’m down to the last ten vanity pounds but my weight loss just keeps going without starvation or my muscles feeling deflated. My body just requires 1800 to keep losing. Not 1700 calories. Not 1900 calories….but 1800. Lol! I dip lower than that and absolutely nothing happens. It took me about a week to figure this out as I was dipping into the 1400-1500 calories range with no results. Bump the calories up and I lost three pounds overnight.
I’ve always been confused with the protein intake thing. Whatever the ratio is supposed to be, does it mean per lean mass that you currently are or the lean mass that you want to achieve? If I ate the amount for my current lean mass I’d probably be eating way too much protein I’d think. I’m wanting to build muscle AND lean out on this woe if that’s possible.
Yes, it means per lean mass. If you want to gain, you increase protein (1.2g per lean pound). If you want to stay the same and still work out, 1g. If you’re just wanting to maintain, 0.8g.
Building muscle AND leaning out is kind of a myth. You can do it if you’re very overweight and haven’t trained in years, but it has a plateau point as well. At the end of the day, to gain muscle you have to eat above your needs. To lose fat, you eat below your needs. Generally that’s why you see bulk/cut programs.
Hi Craig,
Desperately needing advice here. I am 8 days into Ketogenic diet. I had done it before for fat loss but have taken it on again for migraine relief. Because my diet was already whole food and lower carb based, I didn’t experience keto flu apart from mild nausea for a day or two. My problem lies in my exercise. I run 5k(or slightly less) 3-5/week first thing in the morning. Before I started keto, I was doing really well and getting ready to increase my distance. However, since starting this way of eating, I am really struggling with muscle fatigue. It starts right away, within two minutes of the run. It feels the way my legs have felt after intense Spin classes when my glycogen has been depleted. My question is, does this go away or is there a way to fuel before runs that will help me? I have read that people who train long distances do a small carb load before a run but for 5k/half hour run should I really need to? Right now I don’t eat or anything, I just wake up throw on my shoes and go. Not being able to even complete a 5k without walking most of the way is really frustrating. I would really appreciate advice!!!
Hi Friends. I just started the keto diet this week and I’m still learning and experimenting. I’m tracking my macros with MFP and I’m getting the hang of it. I have a 3 day backpacking trip schedule a month from now and I’m trying to figure out what to bring for food. The trip consist of one day of hiking 16 miles on a very steep trail (7300 feet). One day of camping and rest and one day of hiking out. My question is this: During the two days of intense activity, should I keep eating the way i’ve been eating? in other words, should I stick to my macros, or should I carb up? if so by how much? or should I increase the fat intake? I don’t want to hurt myself or have some kind of food failure while on the trail. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
question, from my understanding that muscle store glycogen. if with keto diet, I’m guessing glycogen will deplete right? does that make your muscle look smaller?
Hello George,
Your glycogen levels will be much lower while on keto. This will cause your muscles to look “less full” or a bit smaller. How much smaller they will get really depends on the person.
Ok so my question is… If my goal is to lose lots of body fat and gain lean muscle at the same time and I am weight lifting do I still need a gram of protein per pound when doing keto? The keto diet says I need 280g of protein but on 160g of fat and 20g of carbs.
Hey Bobby,
In your case, it is probably best to estimate your protein needs based on your lean body mass. To find this out, estimate your body fat using the pictures in this article: https://www.ruled.me/visually-estimate-body-fat-percentage/
Then multiply your body weight by your lean body mass percentage. This is the amount of protein you should eat.
For example, if your estimated body fat percentage is 30%, then your lean body mass percentage is 70% (100%-30%). Multiply .7 (70%) by your total body weight (280 lbs) and you’ll get the daily protein target you should aim for.
Hey Bobby,
In your case, it is probably best to estimate your protein needs based on your lean body mass. To find this out, estimate your body fat using the pictures in this article: https://www.ruled.me/visual…
Then multiply your body weight by your lean body mass percentage. This is the amount of protein you should eat.
For example, if your estimated body fat percentage is 30%, then your lean body mass percentage is 70% (100%-30%). Multiply .7 (70%) by your total body weight (280 lbs) and you’ll get the daily protein target you should aim for.
I am about 3 weeks into my keto diet – 43 y/o, female, 24% BF – I exercise regularly (before and after diet change). I like to exercise first thing in the morning – do I need to refuel my muscles after heavy lifting or can I continue a fast? The days I am really hungry post workout I have had a fat bomb which has some carbs and protein, but mostly fat. Will a protein shake instead at this time hurt my keto progress? Also, I haven’t felt too slowed down in my workouts at all.
Hey Nicola,
After you complete a heavy lifting workout while fasting, it is best to consume your highest protein meal of the day if you want to maximize muscle gain. I suggest having a meal or protein shake that has at least 30 grams of protein within an hour after working out.
This shouldn’t cause your ketone levels to drop much at all, and as long as you are eating the right amount of calories and protein to meet your goals, this will not hurt your progress. In fact, it will most likely help you meet your goals more quickly.
To figure out what the right amount of calories and protein is for you, try plugging your info into our keto calculator:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
This way you’ll have a good estimate of how much you need to eat to reach your goals.
I started the keto way of life about 12 yrs ago and I have fallen off the wagon more than my fair. I started it for 2 reasons, I have epilepsy and needed to loose weight. After my pitfalls I eventually return back to it because I remember the mental clarity and mood improvement..taking anticonvulsants is the pits and I had great success with weight loss. When I became pregnant and after the birth of my daughter I went through a period where I didn’t follow it and gained a lot of weight but when she turned 3 I returned to it and also started back on my workouts. I added quite a bit of weight training but cardio was ok but cardio did not give me the results I wanted. I lost weight but I didn’t loose it where I had hoped. I recruited a trainer and as the weightlifting increased, I was even more exhausted. What’s the point in working out if you stay in a state of crashed out the rest of the time. She urged me to increase my carbs. I was scared of carbs! However, I slowly added some back in..an apple, peanut butter especially right after and I took off on getting lean. Then life threw me a curve ball.. I started to not be able to metabolize various genetic anticonvulsants, had a lot a seizures, ended up with a spinal fusion c4-c6 , a rotator cuff repair and then a VNS implant. Over those 3 years depression took hold, my marriage and family life suffered from the stress but..here I am..once again getting back in the saddle. While I was enduring my recovery I stayed low carb, but higher protein..I really wasn’t paying much attention to it and although I still suffered loss of stamina and some muscle atrophy, I believe it spared a lot of muscle loss. So, I’m at the gym again now..with a trainer again who put me on a macro diet. I have very high protein, low carbs and even lower fats. After working out..I crash. Macros are 160 protein, 85 carbs, 44 fats (grams). So, I decided to try it. Not a happy camper right now. I’m going back to keto. After 3 months, I’ve only lost 2 lbs of fat and gained 1/2 lb of muscle. The higher carbs have triggered cravings which although I haven’t gone way out of bounds, have definitely hindered progress. I’m going through adapting right now. I realize my strength may suffer some and I’m going to tell my trainer at the next session his plan isn’t fitting my needs or goals. I’m doing straight ketogenic right now and will adjust carbs as needed later. I work out fairly intense but I can’t manage cardio after weight lifting. This time doing ketogenic I have a lot more info to help..supplements and nutrition to minimize adaptations and I really need to get my fats higher but I get sick thinking of eating so I’m planning on doing fat bombs. I just can’t go on like this because it’s like I have no life between recovery from exercise and the desire to have an active family life, managing my duties as a wife and mother. Overall, it’s about prioritizing. Health has to come first or the other 2 will suffer. I feel frustrated because I’m kinda boxed in already by having to adhere to a lifestyle required to prevent seizures. I just hope and pray that the changes will prove beneficial and I can find that middle ground. Words of encouragement to all..life is a bumpy road, there will be times you feel lost when you’ve been bucked by the horse and your spinning around trying to find your way..never give up. You can dust yourself off and get back in the saddle. It’s sites like these where I find a touch stone because most, if not all, the people I love, do not live this lifestyle. I still bake their special treats on rare occasions but they really do look at me like I’m weird when it comes to eating. Meal prep isn’t always easy..a hubby who eats anything and never gains a pound, a vegetarian daughter and both eat a lot of junk but stay thin which doesn’t equate to healthy..and me..the keto. Lol..it could be worse. I just needed to vent..any advice in managing my macros are welcome. I can’t wait to see what’s underneath my extra adipose! Lol.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Julie, I will be thinking of you and I wish you great success!
Thank you for sharing your experiences, I assume that for the long period of being on keto you were still healthy internally with your blood work, it’s none of my business but I’d assume you were if you kept it at and saw the results. I’m really into body building and gained a few pounds of fat over the years and would like to experiment with this lifestyle. I have a beer addiction so that would have to be eliminated and perhaps if nothing else going Keto for me would be a way to curb my alcohol consumption. It must be very hard having so much sweets and junk food in the house, I tried this diet in the past but lived with a roommate that had 2 daughters and so much junk food in the house between, juices, chocolate milk ><, and chips and dip etc. I salute you as a mother and having the discipline to walk away from all of those tasty treats.
God bless you!
Hi Craig, I am 41 year old and I am doing Keto for about 2 months now. My weight was 208lbs and CW is 188lbs with a body fat @ 21.5%. Therefore, I lost 20 pounds through the diet without workout. I need your advice!! Can you take a look at my routine?
Morning– 6:30am Coffee with 3-4 Teaspoons of coconut oil and 2 Tsp of half & half (600ish calories)
Lunch– 12:30pm I have a serving of Macadamia nuts with sea salt. (230ish calories)
Dinner– 6:30pm I usually have a chicken tight, some broccoli or vegetables for dinner. (450ish calories)
Dessert– 2 Tsp of Almond butter! (180 calories)
Total about 1500 calories per day.
Am I on the right track? I don’t really feel hungry because of the Keto coffee in the morning till night. Not that I am starving but I felt I have to eat something. I used to eat lots of bacon and eggs and ended up my LDL bumped up so much because of egg yolk cholesterol. I still eat it but not on everyday basis.
My experience on workout: I was on a treadmill doing a fast walking on level 15 slope at 175 HR. I did it for 45min and after that I wasn’t eating much as well. I fell sick and had a fever for one week. Learn my lesson after my first workout. What is your advice base on my diet and workout?
My concern is how to increase my muscle mass and losing fat at the same time. My aim is to get healthier and stay in shape and have more energy throughout the day! Please help . . . . .
Thanks,
Joel
Hey Joel,
Congrats on the weight loss! Yes, it seems like you are on the right track.
From a dietary perspective, there are two approaches you can use to meet your goals:
The first is the quickest way to gain muscle, which consists of eating a 10-15 % calorie surplus and getting around 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight per day. The downside of doing this is that you will probably gain a bit of fat along with the muscle, but you can easily lose it by maintaining a calorie deficit with the same protein intake.
The second approach is to try gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time. To do this, aim for the same protein intake that I recommended in the first strategy, but make sure you are in a small calorie deficit (10-15% calorie deficit is ideal). If you are a beginner weightlifter (which it seems like you are from what you told me), then this strategy should work wonderfully for you.
You can use our keto calculator to figure out the exact macronutrient numbers you should aim for:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
From an exercise perspective, lifting weights 2-3x a week and doing some cardio exercise(like an abbreviated version of what you did on the treadmill) on the remaining days of the week will probably be best. I think you may have did too much too soon by doing that treadmill workout without doing any exercise training leading up to that. You don’t have to push yourself so hard to get results from working out, especially in the beginning.
I recommend starting with workouts that are manageable, workouts that make you feel good (not absolutely drained) after you finish. Every week, make it a bit more difficult by changing one of the variables. For example, if you are walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes, try doing 25 min the next week or if you are doing 3 sets of 10 reps for an exercise, try increasing the weight by a bit the next week or doing 4 sets with the same weight as before. Also, make sure you take a week of every month to workout with less volume for less intensity to give your body a chance to fully recover.
By eating and working out in this way, you will be on track to losing fat and gaining muscle.
This is a rather complex topic, so please let me know if you have any other questions.
Also, if you still need help optimizing your cholesterol levels, check out this article:
https://www.ruled.me/the-ketogenic-diet-and-cholesterol/
It has plenty of info on how to interpret your cholesterol numbers and how to improve them with your diet.
Thanks for the questions, Joel!
Been trying to get going on this Keto Diet…but not only have i been dead tired…to tired to even walk into my neighborhood Y…i was spending 2 to 3 hours a day there…also my blood sugars have been dropping to crazy dangerous lows…under 40…how do i keep my blood sugars up…trying to keep them between 85 and 100…but having to take glucose tabs or candy i know is not good.
Did you just start the diet? If so, then you may be experiencing the “Keto Flu”. We recently published an article about keto flu and how to remedy it that you can find here:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-flu-remedy/
On the other hand, if you’ve been on the diet for longer than a week or so, then you may need to readjust your calorie intake.
Do you think you are eating enough fat and protein? By eating the right amount of these macros, your body will have enough energy to fuel activity and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
To find out if you are eating enough, plug your info into our Keto Calculator:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
And try tracking your macros for a couple of weeks:
https://www.ruled.me/carb-tracking-for-keto-diet/
By eating the right amount of protein and fat, you may notice an increase in energy and healthier blood sugar levels.
I hope these suggestions help. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Did you just start the diet? If so, then you may be experiencing the “Keto Flu”. We recently published an article about keto flu and how to remedy it that you can find here:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-f…
On the other hand, if you’ve been on the diet for longer than a week or so, then you may need to readjust your calorie intake.
Do you think you are eating enough fat and protein? By eating the right amount of these macros, your body will have enough energy to fuel activity and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
To find out if you are eating enough, plug your info into our Keto Calculator:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-c…
And try tracking your macros for a couple of weeks:
https://www.ruled.me/carb-t…
By eating the right amount of protein and fat, you may notice an increase in energy and healthier blood sugar levels.
I hope these suggestions help. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Craig! Dude…dude…DUDE! This was succinct, science-based, and severed all the B.S. Thank you for illustrating for us (me). I’d been one of those numb-skulls. You’ve taken me from the “Darkside”. May the Keto-Force be with you…
Craig, et al:
Thank you for access to your amazing website. I’ve learned so much from you – You are my go-to. I’ve been keto for exactly 1 month today. I know now that, after all the other things I’ve tried, this works best for me. I’m not hungry, and after adjusting my carb levels in the afternoons, I have enough energy to run around with my classes. I have lost 27 lbs since I started on 3/16/18. I know that’s a crazy number, but it’s real. I’m assuming that I’m going to plateau soon. I have questions:
Question #1: Is that (27 lbs in 30 days) too big of a number? Should I be concerned? I’m assuming most of it was simply calorie reduction, as my diet was full of carbs and junk before.
Q #2: I am pretty sure I’ve lost a lot of muscle along with fat. I have a stocky, athletic build, and usually carry a good amount of muscle without having to work out much. I’ve lost muscle. I plan to start lifting 3-4x/wk and doing cardio 5-6x/wk. My question is this: I want to continue to lose weight, but add muscle back on at the same time. I saw a response you had written months ago, where I multiply my Body Weight x Lean Body Mass% to find out how many grams of Protein I need. Is this accurate and correct?
Q#3: When I begin my workout routine, do I “up” my protein grams only on the days I’m lifting – or all of the time?
Current macros: 1575 cal; 75% Fat 131g; 20% Protein 79g; 5% Carbs 19g.
Thanks so much,
Scott
Hey Scott,
Congrats on the results!
1. You did lose weight more rapidly than most, but there’s no need to worry. Just stick to the diet and start weight training, and you should be fine.
2. The simplest way to find your ideal protein intake (which is 1-1.2 grams per pound of lean body weight) is by using our Keto Calculator:
https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
3. To maximize your muscle growth, I recommend eating 1-1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass every day.
Does this all make sense? If you have any other questions, please let me know.
If you’d like to dig into the research behind this, check out this research review of 60+ studies:
https://sci-fit.net/bulking-deficit-gaining/
“It’s not impossible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It’s actually a very do-able, predictable process” – https://www.bodybuilding.co…
I’d be interested in hearing your feedback on this article.
Thanks for sending this our way.
It is possible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time, but how successful you are at doing this depends on how much fat mass you already have and how long you’ve been lifting for.
In general, beginner lifters who are overweight or obese will be able to lose fat and gain muscle more reliably than advanced lifters with low body fat %.
Advanced lifters who are low in body fat would need to up their protein intake to around 1.2 grams per pound of LBM, train hard, and eat a -800) and still gain muscle as they lose fat (as long as they eat enough protein and stimulate muscle growth with resistance training).
If you’d like to dig into the research behind this concept, check out this research review of 60+ studies:
https://sci-fit.net/bulking-deficit-gaining/
Just something to add. (Sorry for any English mistakes. Non native here).
Protein won’t take you out of ketosis by gluconeogenesis. It has been show in some studies that gluconeogenesis is done by our bodies in a regulated by need speed. And not by substrate avaiability.
What does it mean? You will turn protein into glucosis if your body feels like you need the glucosis. Not because you ate too much protein and your body have to get rid of it.
If you are keto adapted, and your body have enough fuel to go through that moment, even if you eat a lot of protein, the body won’t turn the excess into glucosis. This is a misconcept. If you have fat for energy, and there is enough glucosis for the brain, you can eat all the protein you want, that it won’t be turned into glucosis just because of it.
Hey Henrique,
Thanks for your input. However, I disagree with one of your points. Although it is true that any glucose your body makes from digested protein won’t cause blood sugar spikes, eating too much protein can still cause insulin levels to increase, which can impair ketone production. This is why it is important to eat the right amount of protein based on your health and your goals.
We have a new article coming out soon on this topic, so keep an eye out for that. If you have any other questions in the meantime, please let me know.
Hi there Tyler,
I’m just wondering if the new article you mentioned is nearly ready for consumption? 😀
This is a topic that I’d imagine most keto folks would be interested in.
Cheers
Yes, it is!
Here’s the link:
https://www.ruled.me/too-much-protein-bad-for-ketosis/
Yes, it is!
Here’s the link:
https://www.ruled.me/too-mu…
Hi, we turned to a ketogenic lifestyle back in April….took a 2 week sabbatical in July and wee are back on it again. My thyroid medication has been reduced in dosage twice since i started and my Life partner…well he has been able to stop his high blood pressure medication completely. So we have seen health benefits so far. I have also not had a single IBS attack since starting EXCEPT when we did the little sabbatical. I would love to read more about the studies you speak of here. Could you please provide the specific identification information for each study you cited…name of source/study, year etc so that i may look them up? Also i would like to read further regarding benefits snd/or or detriments of keto as related to muscles, joints and bones (musculoskeletal). Could you provide me some sources? Thank you
Congrats to you and your husband for the incredible results!
We made sure to link the studies we were referring to throughout the article. If you see any words with an orange color to it, then it contains a clickable link that will send you to the relevant resource.
If you have any other questions after checking out the sources, please let me know.
It says “Don’t consume all your protein in one sitting”. But I’ve been doing this since I only eat One Meal Day during Non-Workout Days and , eating at least twice to thrice Meals per day given in a specific hours of feeding window either on 16/8 IF or 18/6 IF when during Intense Workout Days. That said, I just don’t consume Protein alone but together with other macro nutrients like Healthy Fats and Healthy, Complex & Low Glycemic Index Carbs usually coming from Mixed Non-Starchy Vegetables, Avocados, Chia Seeds, Nuts, et.al.
My Basal Metabolic Rate is somewhere 1,631 Calories.
On Non-Workout days, I only consume at least 1,500 Calories to +/- 1,800 Calories with One Meal A Day.
On Workout Days, I typically consume at least 2,000 Calories to 3,000 Calories or sometimes up to 4,000 Calories in either two to three Meals a Day on either 18/6 IF or 16/8 IF.
My Typical Workouts includes: Thursday:
Legs, Calves & Glutes, done before Meals; Friday: Chest & Triceps, done before Meals; Saturday: Back & Biceps, done before Meals; Monday: Legs & Glutes, done before Meals; and, Tuesday: Calisthenic Push Ups, Dips, Pull-ups, Shoulder & Glutes, done before Meals. Sundays & Wednesdays are Rest Day.
Though there are times, I replace Weightlifting for Legs day with Bodyweight High-Intensity Interval Training for Legs –> these includes: 200mts Sprinting followed by Jump Squats, Sideways Sumo Squats, Jump Walking Lunges, Duck Walks In-placed, High-Jumps, High Knees, then rest…. repeat for 3 to 4 sets in very less time.
The most important thing regarding protein intake is to eat enough. As long as you are meeting your protein needs with that one meal, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
We don’t recommend meeting protein needs at one meal for most people because:
-It is difficult for most people to meet their protein needs with only one meal
-Consuming a lot of protein in one sitting can decrease ketone levels and potential kick you out of ketosis
-Eating moderate amounts of protein throughout the day stimulates muscle protein synthesis more consisently which may lead to slightly more muscle growth (research on this topic is still inconclusive)
If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.
Another argument for carbs is that insulin inhibits the increase of MPB: muscle protein breakdown. But it’s minimal compared to what protein intake does for MPS: muscle protein synthesis. So here’s my question, and what I can’t find a clear answer on. Does the increase in protein consumption in keto, deflect or aid in decreasing MPB? Or should we just make sure that the carbs we eat are before/after our training sessions?
Hey Stefanie,
There is evidence suggesting that burning ketones for fuel helps prevent muscle protein breakdown, and Keto Diets have also been found to create similar changes in body composition to higher carb diets (with similar protein and calorie content) after exercise training.
I think that as long as you eat enough protein & calories, you will get similar results as you would with a higher carb diet.
However, If you find your performance is better when you consume more carbs preworkout, then it’d probably be best to do that so you can get the most out of your workouts.
Does all that make sense? If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Is finding how much protein you need to combat the breakdown a puzzle for one to figure on their own? Kind of like ‘start here’ and add if needed? I’ve done keto calculators and they have me at only 85g.
My coach and most other things I’ve followed are 120g. Calculators also have me at over 200g of fat. Not there. I’m climbing slow because I was having a hellified time reaching my macros. Barely would break 1000. This high fat low carb has me hitting 1500-1800 and some days more. So I’m stoked about that. I actually do a little better longer in ny workouts now. Still tank at that hr mark though.
Another question. Does one high carb day a wk screw up the entire process? I’m not necessarily trying to get to ketosis, but just stay lean while building.
A good place to start is a minimum daily intake of 0.72 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The research indicates that this is the minimum effective dose to prevent muscle breakdown and promote muscle growth for most people.
If this intake isn’t helping you meet your goals, then start increasing your intake toward an upper limit of 1 gram per pound of body weight per day.
To answer your other question about adding a high carb day:
The only thing that a high carb day will screw up (temporarily) is your ability to stay in ketosis and enter deeper levels of ketosis. A high-carb day will only lead to fat gain if you eat more calories than your body needs to maintain its weight and activity levels on that day. This means that you should aim to eat roughly the same amount of calories on your high-carb days as you do on your keto days to help you stay lean while building muscle (assuming that your keto days are helping you stay lean and build muscle as well).
Keep in mind that high-carb days will cause your body to hold onto more water temporarily. This can make your muscles look a bit fuller for a couple days, so don’t mistake this for fat gain. Your muscles are just saturated with more glycogen and water than before.
Does all of this make sense? Let me know if you need help with anything else.
Thanks. I’m already at 120g protein at the least. My cheat meal is a piece of cake. Otherwise a normal day. I still stay w.in my macros, if not under. Currently at C50, P120, F120. Will slowly creep up the fat if needed. I lift heavy and hard core. My cardio is way lower than what it use to be. Dexa has me at 25%BF. Inbody @21%. I like the Inbody more, of course. Was trying the carbs to build and it was just to much for me. I never get use to the feeling. I do miss the fullness of my muscle, but they pump up fine w lifting and it’s nice to be able to see what you are working for
I’ve got another. These 4wk studies: were urine and labs checked to see if participants were in ketosis? And how long were they? It can take 4wks for your body to get there. Athletes, yes maybe less time, but can’t tell the effects of ketosis on athletes if they were just getting there at the end of the study.
I’m an athlete who is trying to fight the good fight for keto. 1st wk felt good. Second wk tired. Then ate a fabulous Reuben w homemade cornbeef and sauerkraut and homemade Kettle chips. Damn. It was amazing. This was 5 days ago and still feeling fluffy and crappy, BUT haven’t been hitting my numbers.
I have a lot of competitors and coaches telling me it’s not going to happen, that I won’t be stage ready. I’ve also had trainers say don’t do the carb loads as it screws up the ketosis.
My head hurts from all the research I’m doing and all the opinions. I just want to feel good while building mass and I don’t when eating carbs. 22wks into my new goal of figure competing and still trying to figure out what works for my body. I was definitely bigger up top but know that had a lot to do w the water from the carbs. My belly was bigger to.
Figure competiting and endurance training are vastly different, so that study’s findings (which was on endurance athletes) can’t really be applied to your situation in a helpful way.
I recommend looking for figure competitors, coaches, and female bodybuilders who use keto or low carb and learning from them. Lifting weights just to build muscle and preparing your body to look as good as possible for a competition require different approaches from what I understand, and I don’t have enough experience in figure competiting to confidently tell you what will work.
I do, however, know that many figure competitors and bodybuilders cycle on and off keto for various reasons, so I bet you’ll be able to find some better info out there that’ll be more specific to your goals.
Hi and thanks for the article and providing references to the studies.
1. Regarding amino acid storage:
You made the statement that the body will not waste excess protein and can actually store amino acids in the small intestine in normal conditions (I didn’t know this so was pleased to see a link to the research paper). However the condition described as ‘normal’ in your article is specifically referred to as ‘high carbohydrate’ in the cited article (the opposite context to which we are interested). If the meaning of ‘normal’ is not made clear then readers can go away from the article with a new myth or at the very least a statistic that lacks the very relevant context.
2. Regarding 30g per meal: This is based on a) the rate at which whey moves through the small intestine b) the maximal rate at which whey is absorbed c) the window following exercise when muscle protein synthesis is at it’s greatest d) the less than perfect efficiency of absorption in the digestive system.
The argument goes like this: If muscle protein synthesis is greatest during the 1-2hrs following resistance exercise(1) then protein should consumed at a time and in a form that maximises the quantity of amino acids that will be diverted to tissue repair rather than to respiration or excretion; therefore, whey (fast absorbing) should be consumed after exercise (when the amino acids will be used for repair). Now that we know the ‘what’ and ‘when’, the question is “how much?”. One study in 80kg men (2) showed that consuming 20 of whey is the optimal quantity for muscle protein synthesis (10g of whey isn’t enough to maximise muscle protein synthesis and 40g didn’t increase the rate any further); another(3) showed that 20-30 was optimal and a third (4) showed that 40 was better than 20.
Of course the limitation of the study must be taken into account (the age, training status, gender and mass of participants as well at the types of resistance training performed). However, while these factors will change the amount of protein the body can use, these factors do not greatly impact the absorption rate which ends up being the rate limiting step. Overall, I think 30g ends up being the the best average value if you do resistance exercise, use whey, don’t want to waste money and want to use fat for respiration.
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go…
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go…
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go…
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.go…
Thanks for taking the time to do the research on this topic.
I agree with the points you are making, but it seems like you’re focusing on minimal effective dose and short-term muscle protein synthesis rather than the context of the whole diet and long-term muscle gain. The former doesn’t necessarily imply the latter.
If we zoom out and look at meta-analyses of the literature, daily protein intake emerges as the most important factor regarding muscle gain and muscle retention. Timing, on the other hand, plays a minor role.
https://jissn.biomedcentral…
https://bjsm.bmj.com/conten…
Many of the studies on intermittent fasting and resistance training also point toward daily intake being more important than protein timing.
https://translational-medic…
https://www.tandfonline.com…
Overall, the current research indicates that daily protein intake is crucial and should be prioritized over protein timing with a minimal effective dose.
I’m on Keto but the other day I went to the gym and did leg day work out with weights, I did several exercises with several reps for each and trained hard! Only issue, the muscles in my legs particularly my glutes have been extremely painful, i’ve barely been able to walk. Never experienced this level of pain after doing a leg day before so I’m thinking I did not eat enough protein or carbs that day, or was it the fats I didn’t eat enough off? My question is, what’s the best way to eat to avoid my muscles from becoming so sore? I have been Keto for 5 months, and for the last 2 weeks i’ve been intermittent fasting and then decided to return back to lifting weights so I can tone my muscles whilst losing weight. Any help on how to eat to prevent painful after effects on my strength building days would really help! Thank you. Melanie from UK
Hey Melanie,
One of the most important things from a nutrition perspective is to eat enough protein and calories (mostly from fat) every day so you can recover and build muscle. If calorie or protein consumption is too low, this is likely to cause increased soreness and slow recovery.
Since you recently started IF, you might be eating less protein and calories than usual. This may be one factor contributing to the soreness.
Your muscles may also need to adjust to lifting weights again. Usually, the first few workouts will lead to a lot more soreness, and you’ll feel less and less sore over the next few weeks of consistent training.
Since the soreness is so pronounced, you may want to scale your volume down and slowly build it up each week. This can prevent the excess soreness from getting in the way of staying consistent with your workouts in the beginning.
If you have any further questions, please let me know!
Protein rationing doesn’t seem feasible eating OMAD or fasting, which I’m doing for fat loss and mood. I don’t have any issues with energy or drive in my workouts on fast days or one-meal-a-day days. I do believe I need the protein, and actually feel better on MORE protein. How to do this when I’m only eating once-per-day, and when fasting I’m only eating every-other-day? I’m lifting quite a bit heavier than “toning” weights, and deadlifting twice per week, and on deadlift days I’m noticeably fatigued. I don’t want to waste my efforts and not make gains, but the protein-rationing thing doesn’t seem workable.
Any thoughts?
Hey Morgana,
Have you tried adding a protein shake or protein keto smoothie to your meal? This is also a great strategy for sneaking in some extra fat if you need help with that as well.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. I know I’m late to the discussion on this post.
I’m getting plenty of protein, and I do add collagen peptides to many things. I have no trouble meeting my daily protein macro, but was responding to what you wrote about distributing protein macros over all meals, and that one shouldn’t get it all in one meal, as too much protein can raise insulin. I don’t see any other way to hit my protein macros on one meal a day – that’s the point of just eating once – to remain fasting for the other 24 hours. It’s a big meal, but seems to work well for me.
I was asking if that would be detrimental considering I’m at about 140 grams of protein according to BM calculations. Things seem to be moving in the direction that works.
If I were having high insulin as a result of so much protein at once, would I still be losing weight?
I’ve heard from several sources that insulin isn’t harmful in the absence of carbs – it’s more anabolic than anything.
Any thought on this?
If you are reaching your body composition goals and improving your health with your current approach, then there is no need to worry about splitting up your protein feedings into multiple meals.
The insulin increase from a high protein meal will not prevent weight loss if you are in calorie deficit. In your case, the high protein meal will actually help you build muscle and recover from your workouts — and insulin plays a major role in this.
The only potential downside of eating all your protein in one meal on keto is that the significant increase in insulin can cause a reduction your ketone production temporarily. However, this phenomenon won’t prevent you from reaching your goals.