Keto Cycle Diet Plan: Does It Work?

The ketogenic diet is a popular, low-carb, high-fat diet. The standard keto diet restricts carbs to under 50 grams per day, which means your body must burn fat for energy instead of glucose, or blood sugar, in a process called ketosis.

The cyclical ketogenic diet is a variation of the standard keto diet. It involves adhering to a standard keto diet 5–6 days per week, followed by 1–2 days of higher carb intake. During the standard keto days, healthy fats should deliver approximately 65-90% of your total calorie intake, with proteins making up around 10–30% and carbs under 5%. On the higher-carb days, carbs should comprise 60–70% of your total calories, with protein accounting for 15–20% and fats delivering just 5–10%.

The cyclical keto diet is popular among those seeking muscle growth and improved exercise performance. It may also be easier to stick to than the standard keto diet, which can be difficult to maintain long-term. However, there is limited research on the cyclical keto diet, and it may be easy to consume too many calories on the higher-carb days, counteracting the weight loss benefits of the standard keto diet.

What is the cyclical ketogenic diet?

The cyclical ketogenic diet is an alternative to the traditional keto diet, which is a low-carb, high-fat eating program. The cyclical version is more flexible and allows for more carbohydrates to be consumed.

The cyclical ketogenic diet involves adhering to a standard ketogenic diet protocol for five to six days per week, followed by one to two days of higher-carb consumption. During the standard keto days, it's important to consume 20-50 grams of carbs per day, with healthy fats delivering approximately 65-90% of your total calorie intake. On the remaining one to two days, carb consumption is increased to 60-70% of total calories, with protein accounting for 15-20% and fats just 5-10%.

The cyclical ketogenic diet is popular among those seeking muscle growth and improved exercise performance. It is also promoted as a way to make the keto diet more sustainable, as it can be challenging to follow long-term. However, there is limited research on the cyclical ketogenic diet, and it may not be suitable for everyone.

The cyclical ketogenic diet is sometimes referred to as carb cycling, but there are some differences between the two approaches. Carb cycling does not reduce overall carb intake enough to reach ketosis, whereas the cyclical ketogenic diet involves going in and out of ketosis.

How to do the cyclical ketogenic diet

The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) is a variation of the standard keto diet, which involves rotating between a strict high-fat, low-carb ketogenic meal plan and a higher-carb intake. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do the cyclical ketogenic diet:

Step 1: Get Fat-Adapted

Before starting a cyclical ketogenic diet, it is recommended to do a standard ketogenic diet for a full month to allow your body to reach a fat-adapted state. This means your body is already used to burning fat for fuel instead of glucose, and it can easily go in and out of ketosis.

Step 2: Follow a Standard Keto Diet for 5-6 Days

Choose five or six days of the week to eat low-carb, usually weekdays. On these days, limit your carb intake to around 20-50 grams and ensure you get them from keto-friendly foods, mainly plant sources such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, nuts, and seeds. This phase is called the ketogenic diet phase, as your goal is to maintain ketosis.

Step 3: Increase Carb Consumption for 1-2 Days

For the remaining one to two days of the week, usually weekends, increase your carb intake. During this refeeding or carb-loading phase, carbs should comprise 60-80% of your total calories. Focus on complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beets, butternut squash, and grains. These carbs are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which stabilize blood sugar levels. Avoid unhealthy sources of carbs like white bread and baked goods.

Step 4: Return to Ketosis

After the high-carb refeeding days, return to ketosis by implementing strategies like intermittent fasting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

It is important to note that there is limited research on the cyclical ketogenic diet, and it may not be suitable for everyone. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet.

What to eat on the cyclical ketogenic diet

The cyclical ketogenic diet involves eating a standard keto diet for 5-6 days a week, followed by 1-2 days of higher-carb intake. During the standard keto days, it's important to consume 20-50 grams of carbs per day, with healthy fats delivering 65-90% of your total calorie intake. Healthy fat options include full-fat dairy products and low-carb nuts and seeds. Proteins should make up 10-30% of your total calories, while carbs are restricted to under 5%.

On the higher-carb days, the goal is to "refeed" your body with carbohydrates to break ketosis. Carbs should comprise 60-70% of your total calories, with protein accounting for 15-20% and fats for 5-10%. It's important to choose healthy, complex carbs such as whole-wheat or brown-rice pasta, instead of unhealthy sources like white bread and baked goods.

Standard Ketogenic Days:

• Full-fat dairy products
• Low-carb nuts and seeds
• Meat and poultry
• Eggs
• Fatty fish like salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel
• Cheese
• Avocados and olives
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens
• Healthy oils like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil

Higher-Carb Refeeding Days:

• Whole-wheat or brown-rice pasta
• Oats
• Sweet potatoes
• Beans
• Quinoa
• Whole grains
• Peas
• Berries
• Lentils
• Black beans

Benefits and downsides of the keto cycle diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, very low-carb diet. On this diet, the body enters ketosis, a state where fat is burned for energy instead of glucose. The keto cycle or keto cycling diet involves adhering to the keto diet for a certain period and then taking a day or more off.

Benefits

• Appetite suppression: People on the keto diet often report feeling less hungry compared to other restricted diets. This is because fatty foods take longer to break down in the body.
• Weight loss: The keto diet is often used as a weight-loss tool.
• Reduced seizures: The keto diet helps reduce seizures in pediatric patients with epilepsy.
• Improved cholesterol: A study in the May 2021 issue of Nutrients linked the keto diet to weight loss, better glucose control, and improved cholesterol.
• Better gut health: The keto cycle diet allows for the consumption of a wider variety of fiber-rich foods and resistant starches that promote the proliferation of good gut bacteria.
• Improved athletic performance: The keto cycle diet may benefit elite athletes who are following very low-carb diets. A study found that athletes who periodically consumed a lot of carbs saw an improvement in performance, while those following a strict keto diet did not.
• More sustainable: The keto diet is notoriously difficult to stick to. The keto cycle diet makes it easier by allowing for days when dieters can eat carbs again. This can also help dieters avoid the "`keto flu", which involves symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and constipation.
• Boosted muscle growth: The keto diet suppresses muscle-building hormones like insulin. The keto cycle diet's refeeding days can raise insulin levels and promote muscle growth.

Downsides

• Nutritional deficiencies: The keto diet is so restricted that dieters miss out on the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in fresh fruits, legumes, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Difficult to sustain: The keto diet is very restrictive, and many find it hard to stick to.
• Bad fats: The high-fat nature of the diet could negatively impact heart health.
• Dehydration: Some people experience dehydration on the keto diet because they are eliminating glycogen, which holds water, from their bloodstream.
• Psychological distress: Monitoring food so closely can lead to psychological distress, shame, and binge eating.
• Weight gain: Taking days off the keto diet can cause weight gain, especially if people overindulge on high-carb foods.
• Unclear long-term effects: There is limited research on the long-term effects of the keto cycle diet.
• Fluctuating weight: The keto cycle diet can cause people's weight to fluctuate, especially if they are coming out of several weeks or months of full-on carb restriction.
• Disordered eating: The keto diet has been linked to disordered eating, and the keto cycle diet may lead to binge eating.
• Irregular metabolism: Ketosis is an altered metabolic state, and some experts warn that it is unhealthy to force the body in and out of it regularly.
• Cravings: The keto diet is associated with intense cravings for carbs and sugar, which can be challenging to manage.

How do you know when you're in ketosis?

There are several ways to know if you are in ketosis, and many of them are observable without the need for testing. However, the most reliable way to check is to measure your blood ketone levels using a specialised meter.

Observable Signs of Ketosis

• Bad breath: One of the most common side effects of ketosis is bad breath, which is caused by the ketone acetone being released in your breath and urine.
• Fatigue and weakness: Feeling tired and weak is common during the initial stages of ketosis as your body switches from burning carbohydrates to burning fat for energy.
• Flu-like symptoms: Some people experience flu-like symptoms, such as headaches and nausea, when entering ketosis.
• Digestive issues: Stomach complaints, such as constipation and diarrhoea, are common side effects of the keto diet, especially in the beginning.
• Changes in sleep: Some people report insomnia or waking up at night when they first reduce their carb intake, but this usually improves within a few weeks.
• Increased focus and energy: Long-term keto dieters often report having more focus and energy, as ketones are an extremely potent fuel source for the brain.
• Weight loss: People on a keto diet often experience rapid weight loss during the first week, mostly due to a reduction in water weight.

Testing for Ketosis

• Blood ketone meter: The most accurate way to test for ketosis is to use a blood ketone meter, which measures the amount of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in your blood. Nutritional ketosis is typically defined as blood ketone levels of 0.5 millimoles per liter or above.
• Breath analyser: Another way to measure blood ketone levels is by using a breath analyser to monitor acetone, one of the three main ketones present in your blood during ketosis.
• Urine test: Urine tests are less reliable than blood or breath tests, but they can still indicate the presence of ketones.

Frequently asked questions