Using keto for endurance training namely cycling.

I'm used to a low carb diet but recently swapped to keto. I purchased a monitor and test my blood. I've been feeling great but can feel I'm operating on low blood sugar. I'm doing a clean version of keto where I get my fat from olive oil , a little MCT,, hemp oil and oily fish , eggs with some nuts and cheese. My carbs are around 20/30g my protein is around 170. I've been keeping the miles down and adjusting to the feel of cycling on low glucose. It feels good in as much as I alive , and recover well. However definitely notice that blood sugar is low. Like riding near bonking but not actually bonking. I've also gone to the gym daily to maintain muscle.

Problem is the weight is just falling off me. I did gain a bit of muscle but after a 2.5 hour ride yesterday my scales are showing that it all got stripped away from yesterdays ride. I don't want to lose anymore weight and yet I'm eating 3000 calories a day and have no hunger to stuff anything more down me.

Has anyone else gone through a similar experience? Are there any fully keto athletes who can advise on what to do ? I'm thinking of perhaps doing keto cycling where I eat dextrose around a ride to stop the body consuming itself but then it's not keto ? What are endurance athletes using to fuel their work outs ?

Thanks in advance for any advice

I am finally at my goal weight of 155lb (F25, 5'5) with keto and straight fasting. The longest fast I've done is 96 hours which help me stop stalling with keto. I've been on and off keto for at least three years if not more.

The main reason as to why I gained the weight back in 2022 was to negative comments from friends, some saying I "lost my ass" or I had "skinner legs". I don't want this to happen again and I remember I still had substantial fat in my mid-section (skinny fat) and back rolls although I was at a normal BMI (was 145 or 140lb). I was still pudgy and I don't look good in a bikini.

My question is what does a good day of tracking look like to you? What do you eat? And do you still incorporate high fats or is it better to have higher protein? I believe the most protein I should get per day is 150g or maybe more. I got this often doing keto but the fats were high, does this matter to see results? Do I have to stick to strict cycling of meals to see results? Can I indulge possibly once a week?

My main goal is to tone my waist to be flat or at least close to that, grow my thighs to be as big as they were when I was 190, and same with my ass. I still have bingo wings which I want to tone as well. My current exercise is 7000-10000 steps, dead bugs, and planks.

Searching for the best way forward with calorie goals to burn fat while building muscle, and still having enough calories/energy to work out. Info dump below, all suggestions welcome as I'm very out of my element.

45/F 5'9" 257#, down from 270# two months ago

Body fat 44.6% confirmed by DEXA scan 2 weeks ago

I've been primarily following a keto diet for the last 8+ years. Change to whole foods while working with a nutritionist but it failed miserably so now I'm back.

Daily meds: estrogen/progesterone for perimenopause, Thyroid supplement, Adderall as needed

Supplements: Creatine (Sports Research) 10mg twice daily

Broken foot recovery supplements: calcium 500 mg, vitamin c 500 mg, Sports Research D3 plus K2 as Rx'd by orthopedist

Daily macros: Calories 1450g (25% deficit) Protein 142g Net carbs 20g Fat 89g

I've been working out twice a week with a personal trainer for about two months. My sessions run hard and I'm soaked in sweat by the end. I consistently tell my trainer when movements feel too easy so we can up the weight, to the point of me barely being able to finish by the third set.

Within the first 6 weeks I've over doubled the amount of weight I'm able to move on every exercise, and my trainer has stopped being surprised how quickly I'm progressing and now automatically offers me higher weights. I have slowly but steadily been losing weight, and assumedly I'm gaining muscle based off my increased capacity at the gym. My first few weeks were pretty rough and when I got home after doing just eight deep squats I would walk around like a newborn deer for the rest of the day. Beginning the creatine supplement has helped.

I am sedentary the remaining 5 days of the week as I am recovering from a broken foot and healing slower than usual due to my age. My trainer has been able to modify my workouts to remove pressure from my foot injury. Previously I would take a casual lunch walk and get around 5k steps a day.

I don't currently attempt to eat back my workout calories, and the only pre-workout I take is creatine. MCT oil makes me feel ill.

My eating window throughout the day can vary between 2-3 meals or OMAD, depending on how hungry I am and how dug in like a tick I am with my work.

I consistently prioritize protein and usually exceed that macro, rarely exceeding my calorie or fat limit for the day.

Suggestions welcome of what, if anything, I should change. Previously I've been able to manage a 25% deficit with no problem, but I'm unsure if I should increase my protein and relax my deficit so I'm able to perform well in the gym and continue to gain muscle.

Hey guys, so this is my first post here and I was just wondering: what does training while Ketogenic look like? Are there any idiosyncrasies?

I want to clarify that I’m literally just — I mean like day 1 — starting on a Keto Diet. I’m not entirely sure if I will fully commit to it, but I want to at least try it to see if it attenuates my ADHD. If I can sustain it, my aim is to recomp at close to my maintenance calories.

I already train 3x/week, and I’m used to high intensities, and I was wondering if there is anything training-wise I should look out for?

For example: since performance will probably dip for a little bit, would it be preferable to do a FB variation to maximize super-low volume? Or, will tendon recovery be more of a limiting factor — ergo: a rotating U/L split with 4-5 days of rest between joint actions function better? If training resources are more limited, would Specialization Cycles make more sense to implement even earlier on?

Any changes regarding pre/post-workout? And also, when any of you do increase calories, do you allow your carbs to increase to higher ranges (like bringing net carbs up to 50g when fat-adapted compared to 20g as a noob?)

Hey guys, I was just curious on how this template for a Keto Diet looks. I am a total noob, and I’m currently just trying to start out eating as clean as possible.

For reference: I’m currently attempting to ReComp at around 1,800 calories, with a protein goal at 120 grams — at 5 foot 7 inches and 155lbs. My estimated BF was 17%. Many of my diet choices here may reflect my previous diet — which was a high Fiber, mostly Plant-Based diet. ( I’m AuDHD and my brain really benefits from higher fiber ).

I will list the ingredients from highest -> lowest in protein.

Meal 1: Chia Pudding

( 30g Whey Isolate ; 30g Hemp Hearts ; 30g Walnuts ; 30g Chia Seeds ; 1/2 Serv. 95% Dark Chocolate ; 1/2 Cup Almond of Pistachio Milk )

Note : I’d consider subbing Eggs (probably 1 Yolk + Egg Whites) in instead for Whey Isolate to cut back a lil bit on consuming an ultraprocessed food.
( 900 Cal ; 45g Protein ; 7g Net Carbs )

Pre-Workout : Keto Coffee ( no Creatine just yet ).

( 30g Whey Isolate ; 15g Collagen ; 10g MCT Oil )
( 190 Cal ; 20g Protein ; 0g Net Carbs )

Meal 2 : Chicken or Salmon W/ Risotto

( 8oz. Chicken Breast or Salmon Filet ; 1 Avocado ; 85g Broccoli Florets ; 200g Cauliflower Rice ; 100g Portabella Mushroom ; Kimchi (TBD) ; 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil )

Note : I may add Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to the Cauliflower Rice if my daily Saturated Fat isn’t too high.
( 700 - 1000 Cal ; 50gP ; 10g Net Carbs )

Now, I want to clarify that I am — I hope — giving fair estimates instead of exact quantities. Right now I really only care about eating pretty much the same template of meals and being more exact on the carbs.

Any suggestions? Do these calculations look accurate? Am I missing anything in regard to nutrition, or nutrient timing? I wonder if my fat may be a bit too high relative to my protein.

Meal 1. 6 eggs

Meal 2. 50g whey iso 2 tablespoon real no palm oil PB.

Meal 3. 8oz chicken with 1 cup cashew nuts ( salted are fine).

Meal 4. 8oz salmon with as much broccoli or favourite veg.

Meal 5. PWO same as meal 2.

Meal 6. 4 eggs cup of grated cheese.

Hello,

I am trying to figure out how much protein I need in a day.

It is somehow difficult for me as I practice OMAD.

According to a post that I read in this subreddit, the recommendation is 1g of protein / lean mass.

Which of the following formulas is correct?:

Lean mass = body weight - body fat

OR

Lean mass = body weight - bone mass - body fat

Thank you.

Hello ketogains community! I have been following a keto/low carb/high protein style diet since 2016, and typically maintained body fat around 15-20% (54 YO female, 5'8", currently 122 lbs).

While I've been lifting for a long time, this January I started powerlifting and train 5x/week. I absolutely LOVE it and have seen amazing strength gains. Since January I've put on about 3.5 lbs of muscle but have also lost a similar amout of body fat (currently 10.8% body fat per DEXA).

Because of this, I'm now super vascular (which looks cool as hell not gonna lie) but my muscles also are starting to look kind of "stringy" especially in my legs. It's like there are visible tendons and the muscles are there and defined but not really filled out.

I'm currently eating about 2600 cal/day (up from about 1800-1900 which is where I started in January) averaging around 150-200g protein, ~60-80g carbs and the rest is fat. I do about 6-8 grams of dextrose pre-workout but the rest of my diet is primarily whole foods. Most carbs are from vegetables, yogurt, some fruits.

The only advice I've been given to help with a fuller muscle "look" is to add more carbs. This is from my powerlifting coach and other gym types who aren't following any kind of low-carb diet. Of course everyone says that will help my strength as well, since that's the "conventional wisdom."

I feel my water and electrolyte intake is on-point, so I'm not sure what else I might try. I am interested in filling out a bit more and even adding back some body fat. I would probably struggle to eat much more than my current 2600 cal/day though, since I am pretty stuffed at the end of the day. Any suggestions or personal experiences would be appreciated!

Hello,

27 years old male here, 1.75m height, 72kg.

I lift weights every day.

I love OMAD and I practice it for a long time.

Recently, I decided to give a try to the keto diet.

However, I eat between 1500 - 2000 kcal, and someone from Reddit commented in another post that this will damage my metabolism according to the keto bible.

Is this true?

Hi, I have question regarding Creatine versus Whey Protein. I'm using creatine right now (5g per day). Should I also take whey protein? In the Wiki, it only talk about protein; there is no mention of creatine.

I'm 56M. 2 years ago, I had T2 diabetes and started strict keto. I lost 35 lbs in 4 months, from 205-210 lbs to 170 lbs.

Then for past 2 years, I was on relaxed keto: * Around 80g Net Carb * Around 130g Protein * Around 120g Fat

My weight has dropped another 5-10 lbs since, to around 160-165 lbs now. The good news is that even though the weight drop is minimal, I noticed my tummy fat is significantly reduced and my muscles are more toned now.

My goal is to prevent muscle loss as I get older.

My current activities:

I bike to work. Around 26 miles each day; 125 miles each week.

I lift weights around once a week. Not really hard core. Something I do within 20-30 minutes.

• Bench press: 125-135 lbs x 50
• Lat pull: 70-80 lbs x 50
• Bicep curl: 20-25 lbs x 50

I have been using Creatine supplement. 5g per day. My understanding is that Creatine can provide some energy boost. But Creatine might not be sufficient for muscle gain (or maintaining muscle). If I'm eating 130g Protein daily, should I supplement with Whey Protein? And should I focus more on Creatine versus Whey Protein?

Hello,

I am 27 years old, male, 1.75m height, 73 kg.

I practice OMAD and today I started the keto diet.

I eat ~1500 kcal / day and I workout 7 days / week (5 days I lift weights, 2 days I train home).

The average workout session is 1h.

Because I can't get more than 1500 kcal due to my stomach limit, can something bad happen in the future?

Should I be careful about certain aspects?

Thank you.

Hello,

I am willing to give the ketogenic diet a try.

My coach says that I will need creatine the next month.

What is your experience with creatine on keto diet?

Should I be aware of some secondary effects?

I only intend to take 5g / day and mostly post workout.

Thank you.

I am an older male lifter on long term keto. I've used various lifting routines over the years. My fat loss has already been accomplished. My question is about whether there is a particular routine that works better for keto folks.

I'm currently in a restart phase and doing 3x5. High reps tend to irritate my tendons and so forth too much. 3x5 is not my be-all and end-all plan, but something AI suggested based on info I gave it.

I was dying trying to get anywhere close to the protein goal on the Ketogains protocol — until I reread the FAQ, etc. I was not using lean body mass to set my protein goal. After getting a DEXA scan, I know my lean body fat and, now, my correct macro goals. I also realized that I was getting about 200 more calories than I needed. When in doubt, read the directions. 🤦🏻‍♀️

But I do have a question. Do the extra pre-workout calories apply to only strength training? Or would cardio also require the additional calories. My gut says no for cardio, but I just want to confirm.

Context
Female
Aged 50
265 pounds
48% body fat
Walk approximately 3 miles x 3/week
Beginning resistance training
Second time doing keto; currently in week 3

Thank you!

ETA: relevant context

I was on a traditional bulking diet before, like most gym-goers, and weighed around 68 kg (170 cm height) with a good amount of muscle mass.

In February, I switched to a ketogenic diet on the advice of my dietitian because I have epilepsy.

Over the last 4 months, my weight has dropped from 68 kg to 59 kg. I've lost most of my body fat, but I've also lost a significant amount of muscle. I've continued going to the gym regularly throughout this time.

To be honest, I've also lost a lot of confidence. I look much thinner and weaker than before.😭

I want to start bulking again, but I need to stay on a ketogenic diet for medical reasons. 🥲

Has anyone successfully built muscle while staying in ketosis? advice on calories, protein, training, or meal ideas would be greatly appreciated.😇

Thank you!

Hi Ketogains community,

I started keto 8 weeks ago, I am an intermediate/advanced lifter. I already had good success with cutting phases in the past but it is the first time on a ketogenic diet for me.

Here is the chart of my deficit, it is a bit slow but the drop seems to continue:
https://imgur.com/a/8LcPXbU

I am at 2400 kcal , 12 000 steps a day, and 4 weight lifting sessions/week. I estimate my current body composition at 14-15% bodyfat (I did not measure it).

I never used refeed periods. What are the real advantages of refeed What do you recommand for refeeds ? Frequency, duration period ?

For example should I stay at calorie maintenance for 7 days every month of deficit and come back at 2400 right after ?

note: I am not speaking about a carb refeed but more about a caloric refeed

Hello,

I lift weights x4 times / week.

Keto diet seems to have mental benefits for me and I am willing to give it a try.

But I am worried about my lifting performance... will my strenght and stamina decrease?

Thank you.

Hi! I have tried to do the ketogains protocol on and off for years, maybe I have tried 3 x. I want to start again with a keto nutrition coach....I want to really get the diet and nutrition in a good place before I start lifting on my own. I am lifting in the gym 3x a week with a personal trainer who really can't help me with my nutrition. Does anyone know where I can find someone?

Bonjour, cela fait une semaine que je suis le regime keto et bien decider à le faire mais voila jai un rythme de vrai peu stble souvent je bascule dendroit à endroit et garder le rythme surtout que je suis chez des gens mempeche davancer

sauf que je veux en finir et terminer et vraiemnt enlever ses 10 kilos de tro pet en finir vit et avancer dans ma vie ça me fait 2 ans que jessaye c plus possible je sens uasis que si jarrive pas à resister devant la bonne bouffe ou je sens elenvie de manger ete bien je sens que dans ma vie pro et perso ca navance pas non plus c ce sentiment detre capable

surtout que jaime le sucre et les glucides mais jai aucun support

40M, 5’9. 159lbs. I don’t want to lose weight and I am trying to gain . My lipids aren’t great, high cholesterol and apoB. I also have insulin resistance. I feel like I don’t know what to eat anymore. If I cut carbs, I need to add more fats to make up for it.

How do you guys eat to gain muscle and keep insulin resistance at bay?

Hi there,

First of all, thanks for the information about keto and tranings provided by this community & Luis Villasenor.

I want to share here my first month experience with keto. I am 28, I started training ten years ago. I have an ntermediate+/advanced level I would say.

Along my journey, carbs have not stopped climbing to the point that I started to have huge cravings issues in both when cutting and bulking. I reached a point of non return where I waked up 2-3 x per night with an huge hunger and impossible to fall back asleep again without eating (I always struggeled with sleep problems).

That is what brings me to the ketogenic diet. For this first month, I noticed a lot of changes and I want to document it here.

For context: I am currently in a cutting phase at 83kg (+-15% bodyfat ) at 2500kcal/day (tracked) and 12 000 steps/day in average. I am between 40 and 50g of carbs per day, 170g of protein and the remaining in fat. I follow my minerals and vitamins too with chronometer.

The benefits

+ Satiety disorders totally gone away, my life no longer revolves around food. I eat because it's time to eat but I don't have the urge to eat.

+ Signficantly Better sleep quality, no hunger at night, deeper sleep. I tend to go to bed naturally earlier and I wake up really early too (9pm to 5 am).

+ Stable energy levels during the day, no crash after eating.

+ Less fatigue after an intense training and more generally. I feel like I can train every day

+ Deficit is more sustainable due to the absence of cravings.

+ Digestion seems perfect now (that was not the case in high carbs)

The negatives

- Social: it is very hard to follow in social context. I didn't mention keto to my social circle but everyone keeps asking me questions about why I don't eat this or this. I just say I am in diet but Deep down, I feel that it bothers others.

- Urination frequency increased a lot, It's better after one month but still there

- I loose a lot of muscle volume due to depleted glycogen reserves. It's a bit hard psychologically after 10 years of training to see that flatness

- congestion in training is very reduced

- Fruits missed me ( I live in new caledonia and fruits are insane here)

- I think my metabolism is slower in keto. I easilly loosed fat in the past with carbs at the same amount of tracked calories (2500) but in keto after the initial 3-4kg drop, it seems that it is very slow. My weight tends to stabilize despite the facts I am very strict since the begining (see the graphic). I don't feel like lowering my calories any further; 2500 is low for me. This phenomenon is maybe due to themogenic effect of carbs ?

https://imgur.com/a/XSkyJj1

The neutrals

• Performance did not suffer as much as I thought. Particulary since I started to take electrolyte during workout. I tend to regain my previous performance levels as time goes on.

In conclusion

Very interesting experience, I feel like Keto brings me a lot more goods than bads. I will stay in the low carb world in the future for sure. For keto I don't know yet. I appreciate the benefits but the social constraint feels really hard to me. For example I come back to see my family in Belgium in november, I know it will be impossible to not eat carbs during this periode.

Maybe with low carbs (100-150g carbs/day) we can have the best of both world ?

I worries also about the fact that science tends to show that a carb load is very bad if you are in ketosis. But carbs loads are in my opinion inevitable (social constraints), we can't avoid all of them. So maybe the best thing to do is low carb ? We keep flexibility and maybe less likely to experience feelings of guilt.

I’ve done a little keto for weight loss and I liked it, and how it made me feel.

I’ve realized that I really need to put on muscle though. I’m 54 F about 120, 5’ 4” and I’ve lost at least 5 lbs of muscle after breaking my wrist last summer and having a hard time getting back in to lifting in a disciplined way.

I’ve decided to try getting on a bulk. The problem is, I’m really bad at it. Here it is, 6:15, I’m full of smoothie, hit my carbs and I’m miles away from my fat and calorie targets. I don’t know how to eat this way.

I thought I could post screenshots here but apparently not?

I know this question might fall out of the usual range, but please indulge me here: I'm currently on a carnivore diet (controversial, I know), does this inhibit my maximum output for explosive power?

Do I really need carbs or are ketones enough?

Trying to play football (read: soccer) professionally and I wonder if said aversion to carbs hinders my maximum output in relation to speed and the like.

Is there any way to stay mostly in ketosis while also using carbs or should I switch to a mostly carb focused diet?

I'm just a little cautious due to glycation related inflammation and the resulting injury risk.