Keto Weight Lifting: Eating Right For Results

The ketogenic diet is a weight-loss diet that involves eating a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein diet. It is designed to put the body in a state of ketosis, where the body uses stored fat instead of carbohydrates as its primary fuel source. While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it may not be the best diet for those looking to build muscle through lifting weights. This is because carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for intense muscular contractions, and the keto diet can lead to decreased muscle fullness and hydration. Additionally, the keto diet may not provide enough protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. However, it is possible to build muscle on a keto diet, and some sources recommend consuming around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For those looking to lift weights, it is important to consume enough calories and balance your macros to ensure you are getting enough protein and carbohydrates to fuel your workouts.

Eat enough protein to build muscle

Protein is essential for building muscle, so it's crucial to consume adequate amounts when following a keto diet and lifting weights. Here are some detailed guidelines and recommendations to ensure you're getting enough protein to support muscle growth:

Determine Your Protein Requirements

Start by calculating your protein needs based on your body weight. A common recommendation is to consume around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. This ensures you're getting enough protein to support muscle growth and repair. Use a keto calculator to determine your ideal calorie and macronutrient intake, including protein.

Focus on High-Protein Foods

Prioritize protein-rich foods in your diet. Include a variety of animal-based and plant-based sources such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and nuts. These foods will provide the essential amino acids needed for muscle building.

Timing of Protein Intake

Pay attention to the timing of your protein intake. Consuming protein after a workout is particularly important for maximizing muscle protein synthesis and supporting recovery. Aim for 20-30 grams of high-quality protein after your training sessions, ensuring you get at least 2 grams of leucine, a potent driver of protein synthesis.

Consider Protein Supplements

If you struggle to meet your protein needs through whole foods alone, consider incorporating protein supplements into your routine. Whey protein, casein protein, and plant-based protein powders can help boost your protein intake without adding excessive carbohydrates or fat.

Monitor Your Progress

Regularly assess your progress to ensure your protein intake is supporting your muscle-building goals. Track your body composition, strength gains, and overall performance. If you notice a lack of progress or performance decline, adjust your protein intake accordingly.

Remember, combining a keto diet with weight lifting can be challenging due to the reduced carbohydrate intake. Ensure you give your body time to adapt to the keto diet before engaging in intense strength training. Additionally, prioritize adequate recovery, including proper sleep, hydration, and stress management, as these factors also contribute to muscle growth and repair.

Consume the right number of calories

While on the keto diet, it is important to eat the right number of calories to achieve your ideal body composition. This will depend on your goals, whether that be weight loss or muscle gain.

If your goal is to lose weight, you need to run a calorie deficit. This means consuming fewer calories than you burn in a day. To determine your calorie deficit, you need to calculate your base metabolic rate (BMR) and then subtract the calories burned by daily activity and exercise. Any calories consumed above that number will result in a surplus.

On the other hand, if your goal is to gain weight and build muscle, you need to consume more calories than you burn. To determine how many calories you should consume in this case, you need to calculate your BMR and then add the calories burned by daily activity and exercise. Any calories consumed above that represent a surplus that will contribute to weight gain.

It is important to note that the keto diet is not necessarily a high-protein diet, but it also doesn't have to be a low-protein one. Generally, the keto diet recommends getting 10-15% of your calories from protein. However, consuming up to 20-25% of your calories from protein is also possible on keto. This would translate to around 93 grams of protein per day for a 2,500-calorie diet, which might be too low for hardcore lifters.

It is worth mentioning that there is a possibility that excess protein intake will kick you out of ketosis due to gluconeogenesis, the process by which the body creates glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, such as amino acids. However, this topic is highly debated, and some studies have failed to find evidence that protein intake increases gluconeogenesis enough to stop ketosis.

In summary, consuming the right number of calories on the keto diet depends on your goals. If you are aiming for weight loss, a calorie deficit is necessary, while a calorie surplus is required for weight gain and muscle building. Additionally, while keto is not a high-protein diet, ensuring adequate protein intake is crucial for muscle growth and repair.

Optimise hormones with a sleep, meditation and workout schedule

To optimise hormones, it is important to pay attention to your sleep, meditation, and workout schedule. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Sleep

Getting adequate, quality sleep is crucial for regulating hormones. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. This helps to train your body to know when it's time to sleep. Create a relaxing bedtime routine to prepare your body and mind for rest. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and free from electronic devices and artificial light. Consider using a sleep mask, earplugs, or a white noise machine to create a peaceful sleep environment.

Meditation

Meditation has been shown to have numerous benefits for hormone optimisation. It helps to balance the left and right brain hemispheres, resulting in improved learning, mental health, and creativity. Additionally, meditation boosts growth hormone (GH) levels, which tend to decrease with age. This can help with sustaining tissues and organs, improving bone and muscle strength, and enhancing cardiovascular health. Aim for deep meditation, as this is when the brain releases the most growth hormone.

Workout

When it comes to working out, the keto diet may impact your performance, especially in high-intensity exercises. The keto diet limits the amount of carbohydrates available for energy, which can make these workouts more challenging. However, keto may boost fat burning during lower-intensity steady-state exercises, such as distance running or cycling at a steady pace. If you're following the keto diet, pay attention to your body's adaptation and be mindful of any energy level changes that may impact your workouts.

Drink water with unprocessed salt

Drinking water with unprocessed salt is an important part of the keto diet, especially when combined with weightlifting workouts. This is because the keto diet can lead to dehydration, which can cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.

The keto diet is characterised by a low or no-carb approach, which decreases insulin levels. As insulin levels remain low, the liver is encouraged to burn fat and produce ketones for fuel, a state known as ketosis. However, low insulin levels also increase the expulsion of sodium and potassium through urination, leading to a loss of essential electrolytes and fluids.

A healthy keto diet consists of whole foods, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables, which are all naturally low in sodium. This further contributes to a reduction in sodium levels, increasing the risk of dehydration. Therefore, it is important to consume additional electrolytes, such as potassium-rich foods and unprocessed salt, to replace the lost electrolytes and maintain hydration.

The recommended daily fluid intake can vary depending on individual factors such as body size, age, health, activity levels, and climate. However, the British Nutrition Foundation recommends drinking 6-8 glasses (roughly 1.2 litres) of fluid per day. This can include water, keto-friendly milk, herbal teas, and broths. It is also important to listen to your body and drink water when you feel thirsty, as this is a reliable indicator of the amount of water your body needs.

By staying hydrated and consuming sufficient electrolytes, you can help prevent unwanted side effects of the keto diet, such as dehydration and the "keto flu," which is characterised by flu-like symptoms.

Eat simple carbs before a workout

Eating a small amount of simple carbs before a workout can be beneficial for those on a keto diet. This is especially true if you are engaging in high-intensity exercises such as weightlifting. While the keto diet is typically low-carb, incorporating some strategic carb intake can provide fuel for your workouts and help improve performance.

Timing is Key

It is important to time your carb intake appropriately. Ideally, consume a small meal containing carbs, protein, and healthy fats around two hours before your workout. This will help elevate your blood glucose levels, giving you more energy and potentially enhancing your performance. However, everyone is different, so experiment with timing to find what works best for you. Some people may prefer to eat closer to their workout, while others may need a longer window of 3-4 hours.

Choose the Right Carb Sources

Not all carbs are created equal. When eating carbs before a workout, opt for simple carbs that are easily digestible and can provide a quick source of energy. Examples include:

• Fruit: Berries, apples, bananas, etc.
• Starchy vegetables: Sweet potatoes, squash, etc.
• Dairy: Yogurt, cottage cheese
• Healthy grains: Rice, quinoa, oats

Portion Size Matters

When eating carbs before a workout, it's important not to go overboard. The amount of carbs you need will depend on your size, activity level, and the intensity of your workout. As a general guideline, aim for around 25-60 grams of carbs for a pre-workout meal. For example, this could be half a cup to a cup of rice or potato, or a piece of fruit with some Greek yogurt.

Combine with Protein and Healthy Fats

To ensure a well-rounded pre-workout meal, combine your carb intake with protein and healthy fats. This will provide your body with a balanced source of fuel and help optimize your performance. Examples of protein sources include lean meats, eggs, or a high-quality protein powder. Healthy fats can include avocado, nuts, or olive oil.

Listen to Your Body

Ultimately, the most important factor is to listen to your body and pay attention to how different foods make you feel. Everyone is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. Experiment with different carb sources, timing, and portion sizes to find what works best for your body and your workout routine.

Frequently asked questions