Protein's Role In Muscle Maintenance On Keto Diets

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that has been linked to various health benefits, including weight loss, improved cholesterol levels, and reduced body fat. While it is possible to build and maintain muscle on a keto diet, it requires careful planning and dedication. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring adequate protein intake, as protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. On a keto diet, it is recommended to get between 15-20% of calories from protein, which equates to about 0.7-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, it is important to note that excessive protein intake can kick you out of ketosis, as the body can convert amino acids from protein into glucose. Therefore, it is crucial to find the right balance and spread protein intake evenly throughout the day. In addition to diet, resistance training and adequate sleep are also key components to building and maintaining muscle on a keto diet.

Resistance training is key to building muscle on keto

Resistance training is a crucial component of building muscle on a keto diet. While nutrition is important, resistance training is essential to achieving muscle growth.

Resistance training involves forcing your muscles to push or pull against a given force, such as a resistance band, your body weight, medicine balls, or gravity. This type of training stimulates muscle growth by breaking down muscle fibres, which then repair, regenerate, and grow back stronger.

To effectively build muscle on a keto diet, it is recommended to incorporate resistance training at least twice a week. Exercises such as squats, bench presses, pull-ups, and push-ups are great options to include in your weekly routine. If you are new to resistance training, consider hiring a personal trainer to learn proper techniques and maximise your results while reducing the risk of injury.

In addition to resistance training, determining your calorie intake is crucial for building muscle. You need to consistently consume more calories than you burn. Your calorie intake will depend on various factors, including your weight, height, lifestyle, sex, and activity levels. It is recommended to increase your calorie intake by 15% above your maintenance calories to optimise muscle growth.

Eating adequate protein is another key factor. Protein is the building block of muscles, and you need to consume more protein than your body breaks down. Most studies suggest consuming 0.7-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, some studies indicate that up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight can be safely consumed while staying in ketosis.

In summary, to build muscle on a keto diet, combine regular resistance training with a well-planned diet that includes a caloric surplus and adequate protein intake.

Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential for muscle gain and exercise performance. When starting the keto diet, you may experience "keto insomnia", which is a temporary problem where you have difficulty falling or staying asleep. This is caused by transitioning from a carbohydrate-burning to a fat-burning state, and it usually occurs within the first few days of reducing carbohydrates.

• Gradually reduce carbohydrates: Instead of cutting out carbs completely, try eliminating one type of high-carb food, such as grains, for a few days or weeks, then move on to sugary desserts, starchy vegetables, and fruits. This will help reduce feelings of discomfort and deprivation.
• Consume your carbs later in the day: Eating carbs before bed can help with sleep since they increase brain tryptophan, which is then metabolized into serotonin and melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy.
• Get enough electrolytes: Electrolyte imbalances can trigger insomnia and other keto flu symptoms. Eat a variety of electrolyte-rich foods such as broccoli, watermelon, chicken, canned tuna, and strawberries.
• Eat keto-friendly foods with nutrients that promote better sleep: Include foods rich in magnesium, tryptophan, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. Examples are almonds, spinach, chia seeds, dark chocolate, beef, poultry, cheese, eggs, chicken, turkey, canned tuna, pumpkin seeds, beef liver, sardines, egg yolk, and salmon.
• Follow a consistent sleep schedule: Choose a specific bedtime and wake-up time, and make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
• Exercise regularly but avoid doing it close to bedtime: Exercise can help relieve insomnia and speed up ketosis and weight loss. However, avoid exercising at night, especially high-intensity workouts, as this may keep you awake.
• Practice relaxation techniques: Wind down before bed with relaxing activities such as reading, listening to music, or meditating.
• Avoid caffeine close to bedtime: Cut back on coffee and avoid drinking it 6 hours before bed, as caffeine increases wakefulness and brain activity.
• Avoid using electronics at night: The blue light emitted by electronic devices suppresses melatonin. If you can't avoid using them, use blue light-blocking glasses or turn on the night shift setting on your phone.
• Keep your intermittent fasting periods short: Intermittent fasting can interfere with sleep when done for too long. Fasting for 12-16 hours is better than a 24-hour fast.

Eat enough calories

To build muscle on a keto diet, it is important to eat enough calories. This is because your muscles need calories to grow. While the keto diet is often used for weight loss, if your goal is to build muscle, a calorie deficit will not help you achieve this.

To build muscle, you need to eat more calories than you burn. The number of calories you need to eat per day depends on several factors, such as weight, height, lifestyle, sex, and activity levels. To determine your maintenance calories (the number of calories you need to consume per day to stay the same weight), weigh yourself at least three times a week and record your food intake over the week using a calorie-tracking app. If your weight stays the same, that is approximately your maintenance calories. When trying to build muscle, it is recommended to increase your calorie intake by 15% above your maintenance calories. For example, if your maintenance calories are 2,000 per day, you should eat 2,300 calories per day to build muscle. As you build muscle, adjust your calorie intake once a month to account for changes in your weight. It is recommended to gain no more than 0.25-0.5% of your body weight per week to prevent gaining too much fat.

To build muscle on a keto diet, you should calculate your calorie, protein, carb, and fat needs based on your weight and lifestyle factors.

Time your protein intake

While on a keto diet, it's not just the amount of protein you eat that matters, but also when you eat it. Here are some tips to help you time your protein intake while on a keto diet:

Leucine Threshold

Research shows that to get the maximum benefit from protein consumption, you should eat a specific amount of high-quality protein to reach what is known as the "leucine threshold" every few hours. The leucine threshold is typically around 25-35 grams of protein per meal for most individuals. However, once you've met this threshold, there is no additional muscle-building benefit. This is especially true if consuming more protein will kick you out of ketosis.

Meal Frequency

Focus on eating 3-4 meals per day, each containing a fairly consistent amount of protein, so that you can reach the leucine threshold at each meal. This will yield optimal muscle-growth results, assuming you're also training hard to stimulate that muscle growth.

Spread Out Your Protein Intake

Spreading your protein intake evenly throughout the day is the easiest way to meet your protein goals. Protein is extremely filling, so it can be challenging to meet your goal if you try to consume it all in one meal. This is especially true if you're following an intensive intermittent fasting protocol. If possible, divide your protein intake evenly across your meals to ensure you get enough.

Align Protein Intake with Physical Activity

While consuming protein at specific times is not crucial for keto success, aligning your protein intake with your physical activity can maximise muscle repair and growth. Eating protein-rich foods after your workout can aid in muscle recovery, while a balanced spread of protein throughout the day can help maintain steady energy levels and satiety, aiding in effective weight management.

Consider supplements

While not required, supplements can help you build muscle while on a keto diet.

Protein Powder

If you’re struggling to reach your daily protein needs, you could use a protein powder supplement, such as whey, casein, pea, or hemp protein. However, it’s important to note that many protein powders contain carbs, so you’ll need to account for these in your daily carb allowance to stay in ketosis.

Creatine Monohydrate

You could also try using a creatine monohydrate supplement, as studies show that it can aid gym performance, leading to more muscle gain.

Electrolytes

Remember that your body’s levels of sodium, potassium, and magnesium may drop while on keto. Thus, it’s best to eat foods rich in these minerals, such as dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and avocados. Alternatively, you can take an electrolyte supplement.

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