Build Muscle on a Keto Diet: Nutrition Science

Build Muscle on a Keto Diet: Nutrition Science - Thomas DeLauer

Protein Intake

In order to gain muscle, you need to have a positive nitrogen balance - nitrogen balance compares the amount of nitrogen coming into the body to the amount being lost

If you're consuming more than you're losing, you're in positive nitrogen balance - gaining muscle

If you're losing more than you're consuming, you're in negative nitrogen balance - losing muscle

Study

Journal of Applied Physiology

Observed no differences in whole body protein synthesis or indexes of lean body mass in strength athletes consuming either 0.64g/lb or 1.10g/lb over a 2 week period - Protein oxidation did increase in the high protein group, indicating a nutrient overload

bHB & Muscle Sparing

Even if your protein intake is low, the ketogenic diet can still elicit a muscle sparing effect

One study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) decreases leucine oxidation and promote protein synthesis in humans

Protein Synthesis & No Carbs

Study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology had two groups of participants that consisted of 6 weeks of calorie matched high carb or very low carb ketogenic segments

After 6 weeks subjects did a resistance training bout and researchers looked at muscle protein synthesis - found that both groups increased protein synthesis to the same extent

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Protein is able to stimulate protein synthesis without the aid of carbs - also leucine has been shown to stimulate protein synthesis

Training & the Phosphagen System

No carbs or fats are used in this system - the regeneration of ATP comes solely from stored creatine phosphate, which allows cells to replenish energy more quickly than any other energy system

This is why the phosphagen system is the predominant energy system used for all-out exercise lasting up to around 10 seconds

However, there is a limited amount of stored creatine phosphate and ATP in skeletal muscles, which is why fatigue occurs rapidly at higher intensities of activity

Keto vs Traditional Study

Study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition looked at the effects of a ketogenic diet on skeletal muscle

The effect of this diet directly compared the effects of a traditional high-carbohydrate diet to the ketogenic diet

26 resistance-trained men participated in the study and were split into two groups:

5% CHO, 75% Fat, 20% Protein (Ketogenic Diet)
55% CHO, 25% Fat, 20% Protein (Traditional Western Diet)

After 11 weeks, the results were as follows:
The ketogenic diet resulted in a 2.1 kg greater lean body mass increase.

Fat mass decreased on the ketogenic diet by 2.2 kg (0.7 kg greater than the Western diet group).

References

[ministerdevinmoss]

You and berg has blessed my life. 61 pounds down.

[SimoneZanetti]

Eye opener. I’m 49 and I’ve been in keto and IF strictly in 2018 and 2019, it felt great. In 2020 I took a break. Now I started a diet to build up muscle with 33% carbs and I feel awful. Thanks for this video, I’ll go back to my dear keto, today!

[absolute]

Ive been on keto and lifting for about 3 months...I started out low weight high reps...I gained endurance but I wanted to build muscle so this month I switched to low reps/high intensity trying to max out every last set...ive been increasing my lifts every workout and seeing strength gains basically every 3 days for the last month...my recovery time is surprising me because it has never been this good since I was a teenager....btw im 40 y.o...eat pastured meat, eggs, and milk...only veggies I eat are pickled or stewed...and up to 2 spoons of raw honey a day....fruit once in a blue...no supplements or meds

[GreelTheMindRaker]

When you asked what your viewers wanted to see, a lot of people (including myself) asked for this. It's hard to sift through all the misinformation out there right now since keto isn't mainstream yet, so thanks for helping us out with that.

[StreetTruckinTitan]

The old school body builders of the 70s - 80s ate low carb / high fat / protein and then recarbed on the weekends. Classic muscle was built the right way.

[SiimLand]

Leucine triggers protein synthesis independent of carbs and insulin. Just train hard enough and eat enough protein.

[ethyr]

I've also read multiple studies that state there's a positive correlation between lean body mass increase and increased protein intake up to 1.5g per lb of body weight(although it's true that improvement isn't as drastic as going from 0g to 0.6g per lb of body weight), so saying you only need 0.6g/bodyweight is not right if you're trying to be as efficient as possible.

[sodamncutestud]

I am doing keto and I swear I’ve my muscles have gotten bigger. This explains why.

[haloandfable]

What type of protein was in the study that showed no difference between .6 and 1.1? Was it a whey protein that was fast or high quality protein foods? I feel like if it was just a high fast digesting protein in the study, that would not be applicable into a average persons diet since we eat all type of fast -slow digesting proteins mix with other macros.

[matt]

If I watched this 7 months ago I'd of said na but now I know keto is best for me now. Wished I of known this 25 years ago 👌 thanks Thomas

[CK-ntzn]

keto/low carb is what got me in the best shape of my life
i went from 20% bf down about 8 to 10 % losing 20lbs fat in about 15 weeks, with very little if any muscle loss
i ended the diet dec 22 and used xmas to refeed, carb supercompensate.
i gained 9 lbs back in 2 days and looked like a steroid monster but was completely drug free. every muscle cell was jam packed with water and carbs and i was more vascular then ive ever been
BUT ONLY LASTED 2 DAYS.
the next day i started retaining water and completely smoothed over.
what a let down that was
woulda been awesome to get a photoshoot done that day

[Piery_]

Hi Thomas, is realy necessary to go down 5% of carbs? What do you think in going to 20%? I found that, for me, at the same caloric intake, low carbs works best but the prolem is the long term sustenability! Ciao dall'Italia!

[sadesemolu]

Thanks for the information, bro. Was racking my brain on trying to find how much protein was too much or little.

[vasilis]

Hey can i ask a question because i dont understand something, protein is the bricks of muscle so why you need to eat more calories than you burn to build muscle ??why do total calories matter as long as they come from fat and carbs while the only macro that affects muscle building is the protein???for example lets say u burn 2000 calories a day, if you eat 200g protein and 35g fat and 40g carbs a day (you burn more calories than u get)whats the difference on muscle building when you eat 200g protein 100g fats and 250g carbs(you burn less calories than u get) ??? carbs and fat dont build muscle so as long as you eat the same protein your muscles should grow the same.

[srbraith]

Can you suggest a workout routine appropriate for someone who wants to gain muscle in a ketogenic diet in your next video?

[TheCitycowgurl]

How do you know how much calories you need on starting keto? How often should you eat on keto?

[VocalEdgeTV]

I watch these vids for the totally random stock vids of scientists drawing molecules on a chalkboard.

[oscarjustchilln]

Should i use intermittent fasting while using keto and also be on a calorie surplus? To bulk up?

[AprilLauren]

Great post! I am rebuilding my leg after a pretty bad ACL/MCL/MENSCI and ankle injury. I have been a little worried about being on KETO while doing it... I have a lot of muscle to gain to even out my legs...Thanks Thomas!

[hihello]

Wait so the initial phase of resistance training is when you can build muscle on a keto diet .. how much weight lifting should one do to not overdo it and trigger hypertrophy?