Making Ketogenic Diets Work

The truth

Ketogenic diets (more specifically, cyclical ketogenic diets) are the most effective diets for achieving fast, ultra-low body fat levels with maximum muscle retention. Now, as with all these general statements, there are circumstantial exceptions. But if done right, which is rarely the case, the fat loss that can be achieved on a keto diet is staggering! And despite what people may tell you, you’ll also enjoy incredible energy and a general sense of well-being.

perception

Despite these promises, more bodybuilders/shapers have had negative experiences than positive results. The main criticisms are:

• chronic lethargy
• unbearable hunger
• Massive drop in gym performance.
• severe muscle loss

All of these criticisms are the result of not heeding the previous warning: keto diets must be done correctly! It should be noted that they are a completely unique metabolic modality that does not adhere to any of the previously accepted diet ‘rules’. And there is no going halfway; 50 grams of carbs per day plus high protein intake is NOT keto!

So how are ketogenic diets ‘done right’? Let’s quickly see how they work.

Ketosis Overview

Simply, our body, organs, muscles, and brain can use glucose or ketones for fuel. The function of the liver and pancreas (primarily) is to regulate that fuel supply and they show a strong bias towards glucose. Glucose is the ‘preferred’ fuel because it is derived in abundance from the diet and is readily available from liver and muscle stores. Ketones have to be deliberately synthesized by the liver; but the liver can also easily synthesize glucose (a process known as ‘gluconeogenesis’ which uses amino acids (proteins) or other metabolic intermediates).

We do not get beta hydroxybutyrate, acetone, or acetoacetate (ketones) from the diet. The liver synthesizes them only under roughness; as a last measure in conditions of severe glucose deprivation such as starvation. For the liver to be convinced that ketones are the order of the day, several conditions must be met:

• Blood glucose should drop below 50 mg/dl
• Low blood glucose should result in low insulin levels and high glucagon levels.
• Liver glycogen should be low or ’empty’
• An abundant supply of gluconeogenic substrates must NOT be available

At this point, it’s important to mention that it’s not really about being ‘in’ or ‘out’ of ketosis; we don’t fully function on ketones, or not. It’s a gradual and careful transition so that the brain is constantly and evenly fed… ideally. Ketones SHOULD be produced in small amounts from blood glucose levels of approximately 60 mg/dL. We are considered in ketosis when there are higher concentrations of ketones than glucose in the blood.

The reality is that most people, especially weight trainers, have had a regular intake of glucose for at least a couple of decades. The liver is perfectly capable of producing ketones, but highly efficient gluconeogenic pathways can keep blood glucose below normal above the ketogenic threshold.

Combine this with the fact that many people are at least partially insulin resistant and have elevated fasting insulin (higher end of the normal range, anyway). The small amount of glucose in the blood from gluconeogenesis induces a release of insulin sufficient to reduce glucagon and ketone production.

Sudden glucose deprivation will initially result in lethargy, hunger, weakness, etc. in most people, until ketosis is achieved. And ketosis will not be reached until the liver is forced to shut down gluconeogenesis and start producing ketones. As long as dietary protein is sufficient, the liver will continue to produce glucose, not ketones. This is why no-carb, high-protein diets are NOT keto.

What’s so good about ketosis anyway?

When the body switches to running primarily on ketones, a number of very interesting things happen:

• Lipolysis (breakdown of body fat) is substantially increased
• Muscle catabolism (loss of muscle) is substantially reduced
• Energy levels are kept in a high and stable state.
• Subcutaneous fluid (also known as ‘water retention’) is removed

Basically, when we are in ketosis, our body uses fats (ketones) to fuel everything. As such, we’re not breaking down muscle to provide glucose. That is, muscle is being saved because it has nothing to offer; fat is all the body needs (well, a lot). For the dieter, this means substantially less muscle loss than can be achieved on any other diet. Make sense?

As a bonus, ketones produce only 7 calories per gram. This is higher than the equal mass of glucose but substantially less (22%, in fact) than the 9-calorie gram of fat from which it comes. We like metabolic inefficiencies like this. They mean we can eat more but the body doesn’t get the calories.

Even cooler is that ketones cannot be converted back to fatty acids; the body excretes any excess in the urine! Speaking of which, there will be quite a bit of urine; the drop in muscle glycogen, low insulin and low aldosterone are equivalent to a massive excretion of intra and extracellular fluid. For us that means hard, defined muscles and fast, visible results.

When it comes to energy, our brain REALLY likes ketones, so we tend to feel fantastic in ketosis: clear-headed, alert, and positive. And because there’s never a shortage of fat to supply ketones, energy is high all the time. You usually get even less sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed when you’re in ketosis.

do it right

From the above, you will realize that to get into ketosis:

• Carbohydrate intake should be nil; Zero!
• Protein intake should be low: 25% of calories maximum
• Fat must make up more than 75% of calories

With low insulin (due to zero carbohydrates) and calories at or below the maintenance level, dietary fat cannot be deposited in adipose tissues. Low protein means that gluconeogenesis will quickly become inadequate to maintain blood glucose, and whether your body likes it or not, there’s still all that damn fat left to burn.

And it burns it does. High dietary fat is oxidized for cellular energy in the normal way, but ends up generating amounts of Acetyl-CoA that exceed the capacity of the TCA cycle. The significant result is ketogenesis, the synthesis of ketones from excess Acetyl-CoA. In simpler terms: high fat intake “forces” the body into ketosis. This is how it is ‘done right’.

Now you just have to throw away what you thought was true about fats. First of all, fat doesn’t “make you fat.” Most of the information about the ills of saturated fat, in particular, is so blown out of proportion or just plain wrong anyway; on a ketogenic diet is doubly inapplicable. Saturated fats blow up ketosis. And do not worry; your heart will be better than fine and your insulin sensitivity will NOT be reduced (no insulin available in the first place)!

Once in ketosis you don’t need, technically speaking, to maintain absolute zero carbs or low protein. But it’s still better if you want to reap the biggest rewards. Also, assuming you’re training hard, you’ll still want to follow a cyclical keto diet where you can eat all your carbs, fruit, and whatever else, every 1-2 weeks, anyway (more on that in another article).

Do not get wrong; ‘done right’ doesn’t make the keto diet easy or fun for the culinary acrobats among you. They are probably the most restrictive diets you can use and are not an option if you don’t like animal products. Pull out your nutritional almanac and come up with a 20:0:80 protein:carb:fat diet. If it’s boring. As an example, your writers daily ketogenic diet is 3100 calories in 25:0.5:74.5 of just:

10 whole XXL eggs

160ml Pure Cream (40% fat)

400g Lean (15% fat)

60ml flaxseed oil

30g whey protein isolate

Supplementation?

There are a number of supplements that help make ketogenic diets more effective. However, many popular supplements would go to waste. Here is an overview of the main ones:

• Chromium and ALA, while not insulin ‘mimics’ as many claim, do increase insulin sensitivity, resulting in lower insulin levels, higher glucagon levels, and a more rapid descent into deeper ketosis.
• creatine is wasteful – at most 30% can be absorbed by muscles which, without glycogen, cannot “bulk up” significantly.
• HMB (if it works) would/should be an excellent supplement to minimize the catabolic period before achieving ketosis
• Tribulus is excellent and is highly recommended as it increases testosterone production from a ketogenic diet
• L-shaped Carnitine or Acetyl-L is an almost essential complement for Ketogenic Diets. L-Carnitine is necessary for the formation of Ketones in the liver.
• Glutamine, Free Form Essential Amino Acids, and Branched Chain Amino Acids are worth pre and post workout. Just don’t go overboard with glutamine, as it supports gluconeogenesis.
• ECA stack fat burners are very useful and important, don’t worry about the HCA inclusion though
• Flaxseed oil is great, but don’t think you need 50% of your calories from essential fatty acids. 1-10% of calories is more than enough.
• Whey protein is optional – you don’t want too much protein, remember
• A non-carbohydrate based soluble fiber supplement is good. But nuts are easier.

Conclusion

Ketogenic diets offer a number of unique benefits that cannot be ignored if you are chasing the ultimate figure or physique and low in body fat. However, they are not the easiest diets to use and whatever ‘middle ground’ you prefer will simply be the worst of all worlds. Your choice is to do it right or not to do it.