{"id":3969,"date":"2025-03-12T08:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T08:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/exploring-the-effectiveness-of-bodybuilding-on-a-keto-diet.html"},"modified":"2025-03-12T08:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T08:09:10","slug":"exploring-the-effectiveness-of-bodybuilding-on-a-keto-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/exploring-the-effectiveness-of-bodybuilding-on-a-keto-diet.html","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Effectiveness of Bodybuilding on a Keto Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every so often, a diet trend emerges (or re-emerges) and dominates in the media, on store shelves, and at nutritionists\u2019 offices. One of them is the ketogenic diet, which has been credited with meteoric weight loss among other benefits.<\/p>\n

But controversy rages over the efficacy of the diet, which promotes slashing carbohydrates in order to burn more fat. The regimen can be hard to maintain even without physical activity \u2014 so what happens when you combine a keto diet and bodybuilding?<\/p>\n

What Is a Ketogenic Diet?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

A ketogenic diet prescribes cutting carbohydrates and increasing fat intake with the intention of placing your body into ketosis. In this metabolic state, the body uses stored fat instead of carbs as its primary fuel source.<\/p>\n

Most cells in the body prefer the blood sugar, or glucose, that derives from carbs. However, when that isn\u2019t available, stored fat is broken down into ketones as fuel. You reach ketosis when ketones number more than normal.<\/p>\n

Once ketosis is achieved, many cells will run on ketones for energy until you consume carbohydrates again. A medical standard for time to reach ketosis remains elusive, but\u00a0it\u2019s been studied\u00a0to take as few as two days of limiting daily carbohydrate intake to\u00a020 to 50 grams\u00a0for your body to shift from circulating glucose to ketones for energy.<\/p>\n

Typical meal options within a keto diet include eggs, meats, cheese, fibrous vegetables, oils, butters, and nuts.<\/p>\n

Can I Do Keto and Bodybuilding Together?<\/h2>\n

Given the energy demands required for intense weightlifting, a ketogenic lifestyle isn\u2019t really compatible with a bodybuilding regimen. According to Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD, while it\u2019s possible to train on a ketogenic diet, your body will need carbs \u2014 something obviously lacking during ketosis \u2014 for serious bodybuilding activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need five to seven grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight for weightlifting,\u201d she says. Based on the above carbohydrate intake imposed by a ketogenic diet, this works out fine if you weigh 13 pounds.<\/p>\n

Carbohydrates provide fuel for muscles, which store the vital\u00a0macronutrient\u00a0as glycogen to power through strength-training sessions. A lack of glucose in the diet means a decrease in glycogen stores in the muscles, resulting in compromised athletic performance.<\/p>\n

Men and women who lift weights two or more times a week need at least half of their calories to come from carbohydrate sources. Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean you should get your fill on pasta, pizza, and white bread. Quality carbohydrates containing\u00a0fiber, like beans, quinoa, and whole-grain bread, are what you should lean toward.<\/p>\n

Can You Build Muscle On a Low-Carb Diet?<\/h2>\n

\"Athlete<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible to build muscle on a low-carb diet, but it\u2019s not recommended \u2014 and it can take far longer. University of South Florida researcher\u00a0Dr. Dominic D\u2019Agostino, Ph.D., who is also a national qualified bodybuilder, says it\u2019s common for people to jump into the keto diet expecting it to work from day one. But the body can take weeks or even months to fully adapt to ketosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cA keto diet can lead to poor performance, as it decreases muscle fullness since the muscles won\u2019t be as hydrated,\u201d D\u2019Agostino says. That\u2019s because, to every gram of carbohydrate, the body assigns three grams of water.<\/p>\n

Also, a standard ketogenic diet generally prescribes getting\u00a055 to 60 percent of your calories from fat. D\u2019Agostino notes that such a breakdown doesn\u2019t leave a lot of room for protein, the body\u2019s\u00a0basic building block for muscle.<\/p>\n

A consistent supply of protein throughout the day is critical for optimal muscle growth since it isn\u2019t stored. Without an adequate amount of protein, your body won\u2019t sufficiently build, maintain, or repair muscle tissue.<\/p>\n

What Happens If You Try Bodybuilding on a Keto Diet?<\/h2>\n

When you consume carbohydrates, your body transports them into muscles as glucose for energy. Weightlifting on a keto diet means missing out on that fuel source. As a result, you\u2019ll likely experience declines in performance on a ketogenic diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreatine is your primary fuel source for the first 10 seconds of each set,\u201d says Trevor Thieme, CSCS. \u201cBut after that your muscles run primarily on glucose, which comes from carbohydrates.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re a bodybuilder, you know how important form is. Without the energy necessary to perform at your fullest, form may also become a casualty of a keto diet. That can not only cost you gains, but also heighten your risk of injury.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, there\u2019s a transition period while switching to a keto diet, and until your body gets used to it, you may also notice\u00a0side effects\u00a0like fatigue, dizziness, headache, and nausea.<\/p>\n

What Is the Best Diet for Weightlifting?<\/h2>\n

\"Balanced<\/p>\n

There is no one-size-fits-all diet for bodybuilders, but there are\u00a0dietary principles\u00a0to keep in mind when trying to build muscle and strength.<\/p>\n

1. Eat more protein<\/h3>\n

When lifting weights regularly, it\u2019s important to get\u00a0sufficient protein\u00a0in your diet so you can benefit from\u00a0muscle growth, repair, and\u00a0recovery. For high-protein meals \u2014 especially after a workout \u2014 20 grams is generally considered optimal for muscle growth. Research\u00a0suggests\u00a0that the body doesn\u2019t use much more than 20 grams for muscle growth at a time.<\/p>\n

2. Get enough calories<\/h3>\n

Running a calorie deficit is a pathway to weight loss, not muscle gain. To determine how many calories you should consume in order to gain weight, identify\u00a0how many calories you would need if you didn\u2019t move at all in a given day \u2014 your base metabolic rate (BMR) \u2014 then\u00a0calculate calories burned by daily activity and exercise. Any calories consumed above that represent a surplus.<\/p>\n

3. Balance your macros<\/h3>\n

Depending on whether you want to bulk up and then lean out, or gradually build lean mass, your\u00a0mix of macros matters. To increase weight gained from fat, those macros should emphasize carbs as well as fat, since the latter is the densest calorically. The bulk of that fat should come from\u00a0unsaturated sources\u00a0such as avocado, olive oil, and salmon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every so often, a diet trend emerges (or re-emerges) and dominates in the media, on store shelves, and at nutritionists\u2019 offices. One of them is the ketogenic diet, which has been credited with meteoric weight loss among other benefits. But controversy rages over the efficacy of the diet, which promotes slashing carbohydrates in order to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[74,130,131,184],"class_list":["post-3969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-diet-tips","tag-nutrition","tag-nutrition-facts","tag-weight-lifting"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}